(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- Outpost in the Burbs presents The Milk Carton Kids Holiday Tour 2025 with Opener Humbird on Friday, December 12, 2025 at the First Congregational Church in Montclair. Showtime is 8:00pm.
Founded in 2011, The Milk Carton Kids — Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale — swiftly emerged as a major force in the American folk tradition, blending ethereal harmonies and intricate musicianship with a uniquely powerful brand of contemporary songcraft. Their 2013 debut The Ash & Clay marked their national breakthrough, earning them their first Grammy Award nomination for Best Folk Album. Another Grammy nomination followed in 2015 for Best American Roots Performance with "The City of Our Lady" from their acclaimed third studio album, Monterey, and their 2018 album All The Things That I Did and All The Things That I Didn't Do received a Grammy nomination for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.
2019's The Only Ones, garnered extensive praise, with Rolling Stone highlighting that "Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan get back to the beautiful basics with The Only Ones," while NPR's "World Café" noted that "even though Joey and Kenneth are not related, their voices together create a sibling-like harmony…the duo has a strong sense of respect and reverence for the musical traditions that they've grown from. The Milk Carton Kids were nominated for "Best Folk Album" for their new record I Only See The Moon at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. This marked the group's fourth Grammy nomination.
Tickets are $43 and available for purchase online. The First Congregational Church is located at 40 South Fullerton Avenue in Montclair, New Jersey.
"Both of us have now lived enough life to understand that maybe one of the purposes we were put on Earth for is to sing together, to write songs together, to make music together," notes guitarist/vocalist Kenneth Pattengale. "It has truly provided a direction for our lives."
Ryan adds, "It's like a successful marriage in that there's always been enough there between us collaboratively in the way that we work together, sing together, play together. It's a very special thing. And I don't think we ever took that for granted."
Humbird - For her latest album, Right On, Siri Undlin (the songwriter behind the moniker) and her collaborators tracked live and to tape over the course of two muggy weeks in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. For a collection of songs unafraid of ambiguity, it’s music that bares its teeth. Anger and dismay sizzle in response to current events. Heartbreak feels like sandpaper, while wildflowers bob and sway in an ever-expanding universe.
Outpost in the Burbs is a nonprofit outreach organization in Montclair dedicated to building community through music and volunteerism. For over 38 years, the Outpost has presented concerts by internationally known artists such as Judy Collins, Roger McGuinn,, Jorma Kaukonen, Jimmy Webb, Richie Havens, The Jayhawks, Nick Lowe, and Dar Williams as well as supporting emerging and local artists.
In addition to presenting concerts, Outpost volunteers have donated their time through programs affiliated with Toys for Tots, the Human Needs Food Pantry of Montclair, MESH (Montclair Emergency Services for Hope), and a Community Food Program run by Outpost volunteers in Orange, NJ. The Outpost has also supported local students with a monetary gift to a graduating music student at Montclair High School as well as mentoring students from Montclair State University’s ‘Hawk Communications’ class.
