Appalachia produces less coal than it once did, but that coal is still desired around the world for making steel. The demand is now creating problems for people who live near the terminals where coal is moved from train to ship, to then be carried overseas. Residents of Norfolk and Newport News, Virginia, say airborne coal dust from export terminals is getting on their cars, on their houses, in their lungs. Residents have started to take matters into their own hands.
With two nights of music, there was no shortage of memories being shared on stage and behind the scenes making for a memorable night honoring the legacy of the show.
Our Song of the Week is “Painting by Numbers” by James McMurtry, which appears on his album Too Long In The Wasteland. That album was released in 1989, the same year that McMurtry performed on Mountain Stage for the first time. Over the next three decades, he joined us 14 more times for some truly unforgettable performances.
Hear the entire episode starting Friday, March 15 on these public radio stations, and if you are listening overseas or on a smart device, the Mountain Stage podcast of this episode will be available starting March 26.
Appalachia produces less coal than it once did, but that coal is still desired around the world for making steel. The demand is now creating problems for people who live near the terminals where coal is moved from train to ship, to then be carried overseas. Residents of Norfolk and Newport News, Virginia, say airborne coal dust from export terminals is getting on their cars, on their houses, in their lungs. Residents have started to take matters into their own hands.
Iconic musician, songwriter and producer Nick Lowe returned to Mountain Stage in 2019 flanked by surf-rock legends Los Straitjackets. Host Larry Groce also welcomed Patty Griffin, Craig Finn & Uptown Controllers and Shook Twins to the stage.
Gathering wild foods has long been a way to put food on the table in the Appalachian mountains. In recent years, the practice has gone digital, with online communities devoted to foraging in the wild, springing up like wild mushrooms after a spring rain. One woman in eastern Kentucky is sharing what she knows (and some humor) with the TikTok generation through an account called “Appalachian Forager.”