John McLaren performs with Asif and Ava Illyas at The Carleton, blending percussive fingerpicking and melodic storytelling.
John McLaren plays The Carleton on Thursday, October 15, with Asif and Ava Illyas opening. It's a guitar-led night, and McLaren's background explains a lot of what you'll hear: he started as an award-winning violinist before teaching himself guitar. He works with percussive fingerpicking, altered tunings and melodic storytelling, so the guitar does a lot of the heavy lifting on its own.
He's been building a discography over the last few years. His 2020 debut single, The Pathless Path, premiered on Candyrat Records, and his second album, Part II, earned a nomination for Recording of the Year at the 2025 PRIX MNB Awards, with two-time Grammy nominee Raul Midón praising his playing. This past year has been a heavy one, though: in March 2026, McLaren survived a life-threatening beating. He kept playing through it and released the electric album John McLaren and Friends Live at Pattes De Mouche on September 5, 2026. He's shared the stage with Jesse Roper, Gareth Pearson, Petunia and Campbell & Johnson.
Opening the night is multi-instrumentalist Asif Illyas, a Nova Scotian guitarist and film composer who has played with Cutting Crew, Lennie Gallant, Colin Hay and Paula Cole. He'll be joined by his daughter, vocalist Ava Illyas. Between the two of them, the evening starts with guitar and voice before McLaren takes over.
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The show runs from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm at The Carleton in Halifax. Tickets are C$15 plus HST, which comes to C$17.10 including tax.
