Listen: Natalie Merchant Has The Mountain Stage Song Of The Week From 2002

We are looking back to March of 2002 for this week’s episode of Mountain Stage, recorded in Huntington, West Virginia, at the Joan C. Edwards Playhouse, featuring performances by Natalie Merchant, Dayna Kurtz, Ron Sexsmith, Greg Brown, and Stephen Bruton. Mountain Stage was presented at the invite of the Marshall Artists Series.

Our Song of the Week comes from popular singer Natalie Merchant, with her performance of “Which Side Are You On,” which appeared on her 2003 album The House Carpenter’s Daughter. The labor song credited to Florence Reece has also been recorded and adapted by Pete Seeger, The Dropkick Murphys, and Ani DiFranco.

Natalie Merchant- Which Side Are You On, Live on Mountain Stage in 2002

Natalie Merchant performing "Which Side Are You On," live on Mountain Stage in Huntington, WV, recorded in 2003.

Listen • 4:34

Elsewhere on this episode we hear from Canadian folk-pop songwriter Ron Sexsmith, country-blues guitarist, songwriter and producer Stephen Bruton, folk singer and pianist Dayna Kurtz, and the always engulfing Greg Brown. Join us on one of these NPR Music stations starting this Friday for this flashback edition of Mountain Stage.

1 of 5  — Dayna Kurtz, 2002

Brian Blauser

2 of 5  — Natalie Merchant 2002

Brian Blauser

3 of 5  — Ron Sexsmith 2002

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4 of 5  — Stephen Bruton 2002

Brian Blauser

5 of 5  — Finale Song, March 2002

Brian Blauser