John Francis O’Mara
Doors 7PM / Show 8PM
Seated Show
$15adv / $18DOS
Irish-American Folk-Rock / Americana /Alternative Country artist, John Francis O’Mara has released, on his indie record label, his much anticipated third LP entitled ‘Forbidden Hymns’, to wide critical acclaim and radio attention. Produced by Grammy Award winning producer Ken Coomer (drummer for Wilco, Uncle Tupelo), Forbidden Hymns also features Kenny Vaughan (Lucinda Williams, Emmy Lou Harris, Marty Stuart), Chris Scruggs (Ray Price, Bobby Bare), and Dave Roe (Johnny Cash, Ray Lamontagne, Dwight Yoakam).
Forbidden Hymns is a masterpiece of poetic, prophetic, and poignant songs of resistance, spiritually rich and Gospel influenced songs, achingly raw love-gone-wrong songs, and literary, sticky Rock ’n’ Roll. One music reviewer had high praise of the record saying,”Forbidden Hymns is a cry of empathy, justice, dignity, and love. I want you to hear it - and if you want Woody Guthrie and Johnny Cash to play near where you live, and you don’t have a time machine, you should invite John to come on over.” ~ The Porch, Gareth Higgins (Irish-Storyteller/Author)
Twangville, a popular American music publication printed, "Music can be deeply spiritual without being religious, and John Francis O’Mara clearly understands that. Forbidden Hymns layers an empathy for the less fortunate and a desire to affect real change, not just “thoughts and prayers”, over Stratocaster guitar riffs and pedal steel twang. It’s a potent combination, and one well worth your time seeking out.”
Legendary German filmmaker, Wim Wenders, wrote upon listening to Forbidden Hymns said, “I notice how often John Francis O’Mara comes up in my favorites” and “I love it!”
John Francis (JF) is the recipient of two national songwriting awards from ASCAP: Socially Conscious Lyricist of the Year, and Lyricist of the Year. He performed upon invitation for the United Nations summit toward eradicating poverty. He has given concerts in stadiums, subway stations, cathedrals, pubs, protests, prisons, American Indian reservations, cruises, hospital bedsides, classrooms, inner-city Black churches, rural county fairs, castles, and some of the most prestigious listening rooms and theaters in the US, Europe, and Canada, JF played an average of 250 dates per year for over 15 years. He appeared along with George Jones, Kris Kristofferson, Roseanne Cash, etc for the inaugural Johnny Cash Music Festival at the University of Arkansas arena. He also was one of the headliners for the Johnny Cash Flower Picking Festival in Starkville, Mississippi. On his European record release tour, Summer 2025, JF played a breathtaking candlelight concert in the Grossmünster, a massive ancient church built in the 1100’s, in the old quarter of Zürich. The sanctuary was brimming with people and magic.
JF’s first national full-length album, ‘The Better Angels’ (Dualtone), was produced by multiple Grammy Award recipient, John Carter Cash (son of Johnny and June Carter) in the fabled Cash Cabin Studio, where Johnny Cash recorded much of the ‘American Recordings.’ His single ‘Johnny Cash on the Radio’ climbed to number 19 on the Americana Music Charts in the US. The heart-stirring ballad, “No One Gets Out of Here Alive”, co-written by JF and John Carter, is a favorite on ‘Forbidden Hymns.” ‘Miracle’, the grooving soul, à la Van Morrison, single released exclusively in Switzerland, receiving widespread national radio attention, and was featured as ‘Single of the Week’ on Radiozürisee.
JF tours extensively, especially in Ireland (his family’s beloved homeland with his mother’s side from Derry, and his father’s side from Tipperary and Antrim). He’s performed in Ireland in premiere venues, Roisin Dubh, Whelan’s, Doolin Folk Festival, Ballina Folk Festival, Trinity College Dublin, and the dimly lit corners of too many pubs to number.
JF has shared stages with Sinead O’Connor, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Garth Hudson (The Band), Loretta Lynn, Kris Kristofferson, George Jones, Mavis Staples, Odetta, Suzanne Vega, Sturgill Simpson, Indigo Girls, Steve Earle, Tommy Emmanuel, Ray Lamontagne, Amos Lee, Anaïs Mitchell, Rosanne Cash, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Josh Ritter, Andrew Bird, Langhorne Slim, Rickie Lee Jones, Tom Paxton, Rachael Yamagata, Mary Gauthier, James McMurtry, Rufus Wainwright, Justin Townes Earle, M.Ward, Glen Hansard, Old 97’s, Over the Rhine, Rodney Crowell, Bill Miller, Janis Ian, Larry Campbell, Carsie Blanton, and many more.
John Francis O’Mara is also a theological scholar, and a ‘Rock ’n’ Roll Rebel Priest’. While he is of Irish-Catholic heritage, he was also ordained in 2018, in the Episcopal Church (Anglican). JF is not your average priest to say the least. The story of his spirituality is born from hard-earned experiences of life on the road, failures and triumphs, and an inner life marked by dark nights of the soul. At the end of the day, JF’s heart is with the oppressed, the poor, the outcasts, the misfits, the most vulnerable among us, and the “People On the Edge of the World”.
His undergrad from Messiah University was in Post-Colonial Literature, and World Religions. He received his Master’s of Divinity and Certificate in Black Church Studies from Princeton Theological Seminary in 2017, and a Master’s of Sacred Theology from The General Seminary in New York City, 2018. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Theology with a Social Justice focus in Howard University Divinity School, an Historically Black College University (HBCU). His research and practice is rooted in Liberation Theology, Justice, Mysticism, Celtic spirituality, and building what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called ‘The Beloved Community”.
JF was deeply involved in the Catholic Worker Movement, and maintains his affinity. He is a co-founder and former music director of Broad Street Ministry in Philadelphia; “a community at the crossroads of justice and the arts”.
Sojourners Magazine’s featured article on JF published, “Like the best story songs from Springsteen, the tale and the telling haunt the listener.” He played the Greenbelt Festival in England, and the Wild Goose Festival in the States called him “one of the most prophetic voices of his generation.”
Shane Claiborne, author and founder of the Simple Way, quotes JF’s lyrics in the best-selling book “The Irresistible Revolution”, and Claiborne also wrote, “John Francis O’Mara is a poet; a provocateur of dreams and an instigator of movements. Listen, and be inspired to do something daring with your life.”
Author Brian McLaren praised, "I love it! There's nothing like an aggressive electric guitar and a driving drum set, especially in the service of a great lyric. 'So much beauty in these ashes!’"
Derick Brown (poet) declared, “John Francis’ voice destroys cities!”, and music writer, Tara Murtha, wrote, “John Francis O’Mara brings a gun to a knife fight.” (Philadelphia Inquirer) Both quotes are ironic in that JF is a peacemaker, yet he will be the first to stand up and fight for equality and freedom.
JF uses his musical, theological, and clergy platforms to work to create a better world characterized by justice, empathy, beauty, hope, and love in action. He does this through prophetic songwriting, singing, and the building of alternative, radically hospitable spiritual communities. When invited to speak or lead for your community or event, he will share about how to be a prophetic voice in community, bringing songs of love, humanity, and justice.
JF speaks, performs concerts, and leads seminars or workshops for conferences, retreats, spiritual communities, churches, seminaries, colleges, universities, and festivals. He is often requested to perform a concert on a Friday evening, and speak and/or lead a workshop locally the following day. JF thrives equally in a church setting on a Sunday, or under the neon of the bar, or at a fest in the woods. He is frequently a guest preacher, speaker, musical guest, or all three. When befitting and invited, he officiates Communion, welcoming all — near and far — to the Table to break bread together. John Francis O’Mara is a force for love, music, hope and humanity, and he is a force to be reckoned with.