Beth Bombara and Mother Banjo

Beth Bombara / Mother Banjo

Two powerful voices in modern folk and Americana share the stage for an intimate night in the Zen Arcade. Beth Bombara’s guitar-driven songs blend ’70s folk soul with ’90s indie rock spirit—honest, melodic, and quietly powerful. Minneapolis favorite Mother Banjo (Ellen Stanley) opens the night with poetic songwriting and a soulful mix of folk, bluegrass, and Americana.
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BETH BOMBARA

Beth Bombara lives at the intersection of 70’s folk soul and 90’s indie rock heart. Her guitar-driven songs blend emotional honesty with sparkling melodies, creating something that feels both timeless and immediate.
But Bombara’s story is as much about perseverance as it is about sound. After working with different labels that eventually folded beneath her feet, she kept writing, kept recording, kept moving forward with determination. She’s toured internationally, and released self-produced albums garnering the attention of BBC radio, American Songwriter Magazine, Uncut Magazine and more. But in late 2025, an accident left her with a broken wrist, broken ribs, and a few months of canceled shows. Unable to play guitar or sing without pain, Bombara found herself stripped down to what matters most: the music itself, the gratitude for each day, the clarity that comes from loss.

MOTHER BANJO

Featuring Ellen Stanley on banjo and vocals, Mother Banjo is a New England-raised, Minneapolis-based songwriter. Called “an outstanding poet” (Inside Bluegrass), she was a Midwest Finalist for the prestigious NewSong Contest.

“traditional folk and bluegrass sounds with genuinely poetic lyrics, landing somewhere between Gillian Welch and Lucy Kaplansky.”
-Minneapolis Star Tribune