Based around songwriters John Colby Elswick (Guitar) and Chad Brown (Mandolin). Featuring Jackson Weldon on Dobro, Connor Kozlosky on second guitar and a rotating cast of professional bass players (Brad Poplin and Bonnie Leigh). Coyote Rodeo seeks to push the boundaries of acoustic music while pulling from tradition and the current state of bluegrass and jamgrass.
Established in June of 2025 formed out of a mutual calling to start an all star original string band out of Asheville, North Carolina.
John Colby Elswick has been touring, recording and writing with his main stay band “The Kind Thieves” from West Virginia for over a decade. They have played top billing slots at Mountain Music festival and notable venues and shows across the region. He has steadily been building a grassroots music following with his thoughtful songwriting and invigorating guitar work. Currently he is in the process of finishing his third solo record.
Jackson Weldon from Mississippi is a Swiss army knife of a musician. Switching between pedal steel, mandolin, dobro and guitar for touring acts Abby Bryant, Lua Flora and Ranford Almond. His creativity, professionalism and dedication to the craft adds a breath of fresh air to every project that he works with.
Mandolinist Chad Brown has been performing with touring band “Buddhagraph Spaceship”. Moving to Asheville from Eastern Pennsylvania in 2020. He is a cofounder of Pine Ridge Music Festival and runs a production company “All One Productions” that mainly works with grassroots music events. He currently works on the road as crew and media for the band “Fireside Collective”
Connor Koz (guitar, vocals) is the latest addition to the Rodeo, and the third songwriter. He spent the last decade carefully curating his own sound and cutting his teeth in the coastal Carolina music scene. During his time with jam-grass outfit “Into The Fog”, he could be seen on stages all around the eastern US–Floydfest, Merle Fest, Grey Fox, IBMA, The Lincoln Theater, and many more. Connor lives for the live show, and is able to play the support role as well as step into the spotlight when the time is right.