America's Soul Live!

18/02/2025

America’s Soul Live is back! Starting in March, the third Tuesday of each month will bring ASL to the Foothills Event Venue at the Foothills Golf Course in Lakewood, CO. I’m beyond excited to kick off this reboot of our fantastic concert series by welcoming my friends Dakota Blonde to join us for the first “new” ASL. Dakota Blonde is one of the finest acoustic trios in all the land; by degrees, emotional, hilarious, meaningful, and stunning. Mary Huckins is a nationally renowned vocalist, performer, and songwriter with one of the purest voices on God’s green earth. Mix in Don Pinnella’s unforgettable guitar and vocal work along with Tony Raddell’s distinctive bass and vocals, and you have an unforgettable concert experience. Of course, sidekick extraordinaire Ernie Martinez (the “Fourth Blonde") will be on hand to spice things up, as well. Don’t miss this one! All the info’s on the flyer below. Special thanks to the International Western Music Association for its involvement! Looking forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday, March 18. (Don’t forget, Foothills has a great restaurant and lounge adjacent to the performance space. Drop by early for marvelous food and drink!)

01/02/2025

For one month shy of 16 years I was fortunate enough to host the amazing concert series America’s Soul Live on the third Tuesday of each month at the Olde Town Pickin’ Parlor in Arvada. With owner Kit Simon, we built what one Nashville cat called “the best audience I’ve ever seen” for our round-robin shows and created a real artistic community. The pandemic put a stop to everything, but I’ve always been open to reviving the show when the time was right. We held a couple of shows at the lovely Stage Door Theatre in Conifer and will hopefully continue to have occasional performances there. But I’ve been asked dozens and perhaps hundreds of times when the show will be back in the Denver area, and I finally have an answer. The Foothills Golf Course in Lakewood has a beautiful clubhouse that not only houses a great restaurant and bar but also has a terrific meeting room that is perfect for resuming the series. (Plus, there’s loads of free parking.) I held a CD release event there last month, and we had a fairly impromptu concert with our pals 3 Trails West there a couple of weeks ago. I felt so strongly about Foothills that, beginning on Tuesday, March 18, America’s Soul Live will resume at the Foothills Event Venue. The fine folks at Foothills are extremely excited to be working with us, and I can’t thank Ernie Martinez and Diana Raven enough for facilitating meetings to get the ball rolling. There will be a couple of changes. Our fantastic fiddling friend Johnny Neill has retired and laid down his bow, so we’ll miss him. Of course, I’ll be joined by Ernie as Picker and Grinner in Chief. Many of the finest acoustic musicians on the planet will be stopping by to share their music and stories, and I hope you’ll be there to join us. I’ll post a list of upcoming shows and guests in the next couple of weeks. ASL is back!

25/10/2024

Okay...Ghost Smoke is up on I Heart and Youtube. Plus, all the streaming platforms are accessible at www.jonchandler.com. Oh, yeah...thanks to Chuckaroo the Buckaroo and Doug Figgs for jumping on tracks. Greatly appreciated. Hope I can bend your ear!

24/10/2024

A great couple of weeks coming up with a private show in Mesa, AZ on Saturday, October 26, and an appearance at the beautiful Elks Crystal Hall in Prescott, AZ on Sunday, October 27. Back to good old Colorado for the Western Slope Cowboy Gathering in Grand Junction on November 1 & 2, and the first Rocky Mountain Stocking Stuffers shows of the holiday season at the Lakewood Cultural Center on November 8 & 9. (The Stuffers rehearsed last night, and we're sounding pretty melodious.) Oh, and then the International Western Music Association Convention in Albuquerque November 14 - 16. Getting my driving mocassins ready!

21/10/2024

America's Soul Live is...ALIVE! More info. in the upcoming weeks. ASL IS BACK. Oh, yeah!

20/10/2024

Getting really excited about the upcoming Western Slope Cowboy Gathering in Grand Junction, CO. October 31 - November 3. Working on a great Friday night show with Ernie Martinez. Hailey Sandoz & Kristyn Harris are rumored to be sitting in for a song or two, as well. It'll be a ball, and I hope you can make it over the hill to beautiful Grand Junction for a fine time.

The Museums of Western Colorado are proud to present the Western Slope Cowboy Poetry & Music Gathering! Featuring Local and National; Cowboy Poets and Musicians.

20/10/2024

My traveling pard Johnny Boggs sent along some shots from last week's Ozark Creative Writers Conference in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. A great time with some great folks.

18/10/2024

Just a little more than a week out from playing one of my favorite venues, the Elks Crystal Hall in Prescott, Arizona. Arizona Folk Sessions is a wonderful group of folks and I'm delighted to be joining them for this Sunday afternoon show at 3 p.m. on Sunday, October 27. If you're anywhere near Prescott, make plans to drop on by and spend a pleasant afternoon in Prescott's historically significant downtown. Hope to see you there.

Western artist Jon Chandler, a 3x winner of the prestigious Spur Award comes to the Elks Crystal Hall

15/10/2024

I have some fantastic shows right around the corner as we head into autumn and early winter. On Sunday, October 27, I'm returning to the Elks Crystal Hall in Prescott, Arizona for the Arizona Folk Sessions. It's an amazing performance space, and I'm looking forward to seeing some Hole in the Wall Gang compadres to mourn the passing of our friend Phil Spangenberger. Hope my northern Arizona pals can drop by. Like I said, an amazing space. I return from Arizona just in time to make my way to the Western Slope Cowboy Gathering in Grand Junction on November 1 & 2. I'll be pickin' with Ernie and it's rumored that Kristyn Harris and Hailey Sandoz will join us onstage for a song or two on Friday evening. More on this wonderful gathering in the next post.

Western artist Jon Chandler, a 3x winner of the prestigious Spur Award comes to the Elks Crystal Hall

15/10/2024

Glad to be back home after what seems like several weeks out and about. Johnny D. Boggs and I had a great drive through the Midwest after a few great days at the Ozark Creative Writers Conference in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Got home just in time to sit down and watch Monday night football where the New York Jets and their very own referees are tied with the Buffalo Bills, who can’t buy a call. Ah… nothing has changed in the football world… good to be home. 

28/09/2024

Some great shows coming up in the next couple of months, but I want to remind you that the Rocky Mountain Stocking Stuffers are kicking off the holiday season in early November this year at the Lakewood Cultural Center. The Stuffers' shows have become family traditions for so many folks, and we're delighted to kick things off early this year...we may even throw in a new version of Frank the Christmas Turkey (maybe Thanksgiving Turkey?) and dress Ernie like a pilgrim. These shows sell out quickly, so it's probably a good idea to get your tix ASAP. As I'm watching the aspen turn and leaves fall, I'm feeling more and more holiday spirit. Hope you can join us.

Check This Out: Get tickets and show information for LCC Presents Rocky Mountain Stocking Stuffers: Home for the Holidays-Thanksgiving Too! - Lakewood Tickets

25/09/2024

Watching grandchildren begin to identify their life's direction is a new and enriching experience. Braden Chandler has developed a deep interest in the history of World War II and the aircraft of the period. This week, he received his first Civil Air Patrol promotion and is suddenly not just a 13-year-old boy. He is Cadet Airman Chandler. Somewhere in the Great Beyond, his great-grandpa Vern is wiping away a tear.

23/09/2024

What a fine time playing at A Cowboy's Legacy in Woodland Park, CO on Saturday. Donna and Tom Hatton have put together a wonderful yearly venue honoring rural life and traditional values, and it was sure fun. Ernie and I joined Tony & Carol Messerly (Many Strings) onstage and everybody picked and sang like their lives depended on it. For once, I could yell out, "Take it, Ernie," and Ernie was actually there to take it. Man. Tom & Donna did some great poetry, as well, and a great time was had by all....Thanks for the photos, Mr. Bill Patterson....

20/09/2024

Once again, I have some human germs trying to sell stuff on this site through a fake Facebook account. They've posted on almost every one of my real posts from the past few months, and it's apparently impossible to get rid of these dirtbags. I've reported, blocked, deleted, changed passwords, and everything else I know to do. I will never sell merchandise on facebook...only on my website and at shows. The Jon Chandler account that's hacked me is pretty easy to spot. All the "friends" are folks who apparently come from exotic lands and have names that are primarily 15th-century Arabic in origin. So...don't enable the sonsabitches. I'm not selling T-shirts.

16/09/2024

"Thirty faces ring the campfire's light
Tall tales on a moonlit night
A guitar and a bottle of Old Yellowstone
A place where ghosts run free
The Wild Bunch, the Shoshone
The feeling that you shoulda been here
A hundred years ago"

The Hole in the Wall Gang's 47th annual campfire burned bright last week with Gangsters and guests gathering from throughout the country to ride Wyoming's Great Red Wall country. The weather was perfect, the Red Wall was "warm as your mother's love on the day you leave her," and the songs and stories were fast and furious. So good to see all my pards and to warble 'round the campfire with Gordy Meldrum and Rick Lowe.

13/09/2024

What a thrill to learn that I've been named a finalist in two International Western Music Association award categories, Entertainer of the Year and Male Performer of the Year. Five finalists are in each category, and they are not only friends but also spectacular musicians and performers. I'm honored to be among them. Congratulations Doug Figgs, Kristyn Harris, Syd Masters, and Carlos Washington (Entertainer of the Year finalists) and Doug Figgs Jim Jones, Syd Masters, and Carlos Washington (Male Performer of the Year finalists.) Can't wait to see everyone in Albuquerque.

12/09/2024

Let's head down to Woodland Park on September 21 for a grand old time. Donna and Tom Hatton have put together a marvelous to-do, and asked Ernie and me to pick and grin for a while. It'll be fun...and that Yummy Pie Social looks pretty intriguing. Hope to see you there.

11/09/2024

I'm off to the Hole in the Wall this weekend to spend time with my dear old compadres in the shadow of the Great Red Wall. Returning to some great shows and a lot of travel in the next few weeks. Looking forward to a wonderful fall. More info. on public shows coming up shortly.