The Southern Maryland Bluegrass Concert Series will present The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys on Sunday, February 15, 2026, at the Calvert Elks Lodge in Prince Frederick, bringing the band’s high-energy traditional bluegrass sound to local audiences in Calvert County.
The concert, part of the series’ fourth year at the venue, begins at 2:00 PM at 1015 Dares Beach Road. Doors open around noon, with food available for sale from noon until 2:00 PM. Tickets cost $23 per person, sold at the door but available for advance purchase.
Formed a decade ago as the house band at Ole Smoky Moonshine in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys had no initial plans for extensive touring but have since performed across the United States on prominent stages. Their commitment to authentic bluegrass—playing, sharing and growing the genre—has driven their success.
“We live what we play and sing about,” bandleader C.J. Lewandowski said.
The band has experienced the highs and lows reflected in bluegrass lyrics, including road fatigue, member changes and professional milestones. They earned a Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Album for their 2019 release Toil, Tears & Trouble on Rounder Records. They have also received multiple nominations for the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year award, including a fourth nomination in recent years.
Their latest full-length album, Wanderers Like Me, released in 2024 via Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, features the title track that reached No. 1 on the Bluegrass Unlimited chart. The song includes the line: “Wanderers like me don’t settle down for no one / don’t mind being lonesome, chasing dreams is all I ever need.”
The band’s current lineup blends experience and youth. Lewandowski plays mandolin, joined by Jereme Brown on banjo and Jasper Lorentzen on bass, both in their thirties. Newer members include guitarist John Gooding from California and fiddler Max Silverstein from Maine, both in their twenties.
Lewandowski described this phase as one of “expansion and growth.” Onstage, the group shows new energy through interactions, listening and responding to each other, making audiences feel involved.
The band appeals to younger listeners and the young at heart by maintaining a true-blue sound without altering it for broader appeal. Their approach keeps bluegrass authentic while drawing new fans.
Lewandowski envisions their next project as “kicking it back to the beginning and cutting a record that is solid damn ’grass,” followed by more touring.
The series continues with The Country Gentlemen Show featuring Calvert County’s Mike Phipps on March 22, Special Consensus on April 19, and the rescheduled Kody Norris Show on May 3.
For more information, visit www.somdbluegrass.com or call 301-737-3004.
The event highlights bluegrass in Southern Maryland, where the Calvert Elks provides a family-friendly setting with banquet room and bar.