Tickets: https://wl.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E343718&id=178

Progressive Acoustics is proud to present an intimate evening of "Old Time" music with the internationally acclaimed Tall Poppy String Band!

And we have the new duo, Distant Country as the opener.

On June 18th, the Prose Parlor—the cozy listening room located one flight above Huxley and Hiro Booksellers—will transform into a vibrant acoustic sanctuary.

Opening the evening is Distant Country, a duo that presents traditional music in unexpected ways. Featuring Lydia Martin Foy (banjo, vocals) and Jonah Giuliano (mountain dulcimer, drums), they join forces to create a deep, surprising, and unforgettable musical encounter with the past. Listen to them on Bandcamp.

Tall Poppy String Band (tallpoppystringband.com) approaches the deep well of American string band music with what they call "playful curiosity." Their performances are less a formal recital and more of a musical discussion. You can expect:

Reimagined Classics: From "The Coo Coo" to "Cumberland Gap," the trio breathes new life into source recordings, often chasing elusive downbeats and challenging traditional instrumental roles.

A "Discussion" in Sound: Their style is known for being intermittently majestic and mournful, characterized by an intense musical connection where they "play with the pronouns" of bluegrass standards and explore the "hair and hide" of fiddle and banjo duets.

Musical Mastery: Between George Jackson’s IBMA-award-winning fiddling, Cameron DeWhitt’s groundbreaking clawhammer technique, and Morgan Harris’s melodic, driving guitar, the music is as intellectually stimulating as it is toe-tapping.

Tall Poppy
George Jackson (Fiddle): A Nashville-based fiddle master and three-time winner of the Australian National Bluegrass Championship.

Morgan Harris (Guitar): A melodic stylist who rethinks the role of the guitar to recreate the droning, driving sound of traditional fiddle and banjo.

Cameron DeWhitt (Banjo): A premier clawhammer banjo player and host of the Get Up in the Cool podcast.

Distant Country
Lydia Martin has performed across the United States and in Ireland, beginning in 1995 with the Martin Family Band and now touring with Jonah Giuliano, presenting their album “Distant Country” releasing in May 2026. Her performances have earned her a unique place in the folk music community. In 2016, her solo album “Chasing the Ghost” hit the National Folk DJ Chart. Lydia Martin taught a Master Artist Folklife Apprenticeship through the Maryland State Arts Council. 

Jonah Giuliano has developed a singular voice on the mountain dulcimer. His drone-style playing is deeply informed by the artistry of banjo and fiddle greats. Guided by an ear for the experimental, he often explores new tunings, extended techniques, and unexpected pairings of sound worlds. His work on drums enhances the intricacies and creative moments in traditional and original songs. Lydia Martin and Jonah Giuliano have taught and performed at important centres of traditional music such as Old Town School of Folk Music, Miles of Music, Jalopy School of Music, Common Ground on the Hill, and The School of Musical Traditions.

Tickets: https://wl.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E343718&id=178