One third of Lion Bear Fox, who played an outdoor show at Vernon’s Civic Plaza this summer, Ladysmith singer-songwriter Ryan McMahon is returning to the area, this time as a solo act.
McMahon, who just opened for Buffy Ste. Marie in Sidney, has hit the ground running, touring constantly over the past two years, stopping only to record new music, some of which will be debuted at Spinners Sound Centre in downtown Vernon Sunday, Sept. 18.
The show is the last concert in Spinners summer music series and starts at 7:30 p.m. Call Spinners for tickets, 778-475-3080
McMahon has carved out a 15-year career as an independent artist in Canada’s vibrant music scene. He’s always been a genre fence sitter, hanging out on the edges of country just enough to say he isn’t a country artist.
His life goal has always been to craft songs that speak to the human condition.
“I didn’t know who I was until I found music. I found that the person I was becoming in my songs was far more confident and self-assured than I was myself. Writing songs was my way of relating to people on a broader scale than I could otherwise,” he said.
Over the course of his career, McMahon has toured Canada more than 25 times, released three full-length albums, and seen his music licensed nationally and abroad.
He has shared the stage with an extremely wide-variety of artists, ranging from Lisa Loeb & Carole Pope to Nickelback & Mother Mother. He’s had the honour of participating in JunoFest, the Western Canadian Music Awards, Canadian Music Week, Music West, and various other notable Canadian Music Festivals, including three wins (Male Vocalist, Record & Artist of the Year) out of five nominations at the Vancouver Island Music Awards in 2012.
McMahon has played some of the best venues the country has to offer, including the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, the Ironwood Stage in Calgary, The Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver & Nanaimo’s Port Theatre.
In 2012, he co-founded The Lion the Bear the Fox, with songwriting colleagues Cory Woodward and Christopher Arruda, and the band was immediately named as one of the Top 20 Finalists for the 2013 Peak Performance Project in Vancouver.
The opportunity gave McMahon and his bandmates the chance to shine light towards their charity, the BandWagon Project (mobile recording studios that visit various Lower Mainland care facilities), which was inspired by Megan McNeil & The Will To Survive Campaign that McMahon was deeply involved in helping take shape.
UPDATE: While in Vernon, McMahon is also scheduled to perform a house concert at Pottery Road Studio E, 964 Pottery Rd. Tuesday, Sept. 20. Limited seating. Tickets can be reserved by calling or texting Sherrie Erickson at 250-260-0878.
