The Great Disappointment w/Hey Lonesome

The Great Disappointment are a new string band from the East Bay. We play apocalyptic roots music - hard-driving, improvisational and politically sharp. From standards and fiddle tunes to our insane originals, a Great Disappointment show is a celebration of the radical roots of American music.

Hey Lonesome!

The unique musical style of Hey Lonesome! features songs and tunes you may never have heard before, backed by the traditional bluegrass and old-time sound of a mandolin, guitar, bass, and fiddle (sometimes two). Rather than playing all the songs and tunes you might hear at a bluegrass jam, Hey Lonesome! tries hard to find the material less traveled. Bandleaders Tom Diamant (guitar) and Rowan McCallister (mandolin/fiddle) have spent many hours digging through the back catalogs of bluegrass, old-time, and classic country to bring you a unique set of music.

Tom and Rowan, joined by California bluegrass mainstay Dave Courchaine on bass and former state champion fiddler Wendy Wendt, formed Hey Lonesome! in the wake of the pandemic when they were getting together in their backyards and sharing the music they had been working on. From bluegrass B-sides, forgotten country gems, and reimagined blues songs to rarely heard Monroe mandolin instrumentals and old-time fiddle tunes learned from field recordings, they were pulling material from a great variety of American traditional music.

With Dave or Wendy adding a third voice, the band has developed a powerful vocal harmony. This harmony style, combined with their playful yet tight instrumental arrangements, yields a compelling musical experience that they are excited to bring to audiences around the Bay Area and surrounding California.