Cari Hutson is a woman ready to roar, fit to fight, and determined to make every word she writes and note she sings going forward not just worth the wait but above all, matter. Hutson, a military brat, was born in Austin but spent her formative years in Southern California, Okinawa, Japan, and Slidell, Louisiana. It was as a teenager, “sneaking off” with her girlfriends to nearby New Orleans, that she experienced her first taste of live music in a club setting, via the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. “It was something I’d never seen before,” she says, marveling at the palpable electric charge of passion and intimate connection that blurred the line between the band and audience. “And just kind of realizing that to make live music, you don’t have to be young and pretty per se or even mainstream — it really kind of blew my head open.” “There’s a theatrical aspect to the way I perform,” shared Cari. “The main difference between theater and a rock concert is that you can break the fourth wall, look into someone’s eyes, and create a connection. Knowing I’m making an impact through song is my favorite part of the performance.”