LISTEN: Tim O’Brien Has Our Song Of The Week, Recorded At The Kennedy Center

This week’s episode was recorded at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Mountain Stage and host Kathy Mattea were a part of the Center’s 50^th Anniversary Season, and welcomed Texas Swing legends Asleep at the Wheel, soul-blues singer Ruthie Foster, multi-cultural folk singer Leyla McCalla, indie-pop songwriter Carsie Blanton and Grammy-winning West Virginian Tim O’Brien with Jan Fabricius. Join us starting Friday, August 5 on our NPR affiliates.

Our Song of the Week comes from the duo of O’Brien and Fabricius who perform “Nervous,” a timely commentary about modern times that appears on O’Brien’s latest album He Walked On.

Listeners will also hear a special performance by Kathy Mattea and our pianist Bob Thompson, accompanied by a string quartet of National Symphony Orchestra Youth Fellows, of Dave Mallet’s touching ballad “Summer of My Dreams.”

Amanda Andrade-Rhoades

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Mountain Stage

It just so happened that our final guests, Asleep at the Wheel, were celebrating their 50^th anniversary as well. They treated us to a career spanning set of Texas Swing that only they can deliver. Too bad you can’t hear juggling on the radio!

1 of 7  — Asleep At The Wheel celebrated 50 years on Mountain Stage, recorded at The Kennedy Center in 2021.

The band Asleep at the Wheel performs during a live taping of the NPR program ‘Mountain Stage’ at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, October 24, 2021. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades for NPR)

Amanda Andrade-Rhoades / Mountain Stage

2 of 7  — Ruthie Foster performing on Mountain Stage at the Kennedy Center

Ruthie Foster performs during a live taping of the NPR program ‘Mountain Stage’ at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, October 24, 2021. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades for NPR)

Amanda Andrade-Rhoades / Mountain Stage

3 of 7  — Tim O'Brien & Jan Fabricius

Tim O’Brien and Jan Fabricius perform during a live taping of the NPR program ‘Mountain Stage’ at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, October 24, 2021. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades for NPR)

Amanda Andrade-Rhoades / Mountain Stage

4 of 7  — Leyla McCalla live on Mountain Stage

Leyla McCalla performs during a live taping of the NPR program ‘Mountain Stage’ at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, October 24, 2021. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades for NPR)

Amanda Andrade-Rhoades / Mountain Stage

5 of 7  — Kathy Mattea with NSO Youth Fellows String Quartet

Kathy Mattea performs with National Youth Symphony fellows during a live taping of the NPR program ‘Mountain Stage’ at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, October 24, 2021. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades for NPR)

Amanda Andrade-Rhoades / Mountain Stage

6 of 7  — Carsie Blanton performing on Mountain Stage with her band.

Carsie Blanton and her hand perform during a live taping of the NPR program ‘Mountain Stage’ at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, October 24, 2021. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades for NPR)

Amanda Andrade-Rhoades / Mountain Stage

7 of 7  — Guests join Kathy Mattea for the finale song at The Kennedy Center

The band Asleep at the Wheel,Tim O’Brien with Jan Fabricius, Ruthie Foster and Carsie Blanton perform during a live taping of the NPR program ‘Mountain Stage’ at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, October 24, 2021. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades for NPR)

Amanda Andrade-Rhoades / Mountain Stage

Watch for the playlist here, and be sure to join us on these NPR stations for an encore presentation of Mountain Stage from the Kennedy Center.