John Showman News Today

LaRob K. Rafael will narrate The Rose of Sonora at the Evanston Symphony Orchestra concert on April 7. Photo credit:  Aidan Kranz Every week brings

Lonesome Ace Stringband came by their secret superpower the old-fashioned way: They earned it.

Lonesome Ace Stringband’s new album Try To Make It Fly marks not only a reinvigorated, live-on-stage sound for the band, but also a brave foray into more Americana-leaning songwriting, and for the first time, an album full of original songs.

Since 2007, Lonesome Ace Stringband—John Showman (fiddle), Chris Coole (clawhammer banjo), and Max Malone (upright bass)—have been refining both their instrumental prowess as well as their songcraft together as an ever-evolving, ever-maturing trio. With their latest single, “The Echo,” the band tackles a hard-to-realize truth of living and thinking within an isolated bubble. “This song is about the experience of realizing that you may be basking in the echo of your own tribe,” the gr...

‘Praying for Rain’ from the Lonesome Ace Stringband, is about the 2021 Lytton fire

‘Praying for Rain’ from the Lonesome Ace Stringband, is about the 2021 Lytton fire

‘Praying for Rain’ from the Lonesome Ace Stringband, is about the 2021 Lytton fire

Lonesome Ace Stringband’s latest single “Praying For Rain” came to its writer in a matter of minutes. Max Malone—bassist and one-third of the Toronto-based, acoustic power trio—and his wife had packed up everything they owned into a trailer and hauled it from Toronto to a tiny town called Horsefly in British Columbia to begin building their dream homestead.

A tradition of more than 50 years returns to the Salem County Fairgrounds, located at 735 Harding Highway in Woodstown, this Labor Day Weekend. The Delaware County Bluegrass Festival has been held since 1972, and in South Jersey since the 1990s. This years 51st annual festival will take place Sept. 1-3 and is sure to bring a jamming good time to all in attendance.  

Special Consensus gives listeners a sneak peak at their upcoming album GREAT BLUE NORTH set to be released May 12th, 2023. The two-time GRAMMY-nominees and six-time IBMA Award winners tribute our northern neighbors on the new project which showcases the band on thoughtfully curated set of well-known and lesser-known songs, all penned by Canadian songwriters.