2016 was a big year for NPR Music and West Virginia Public Broadcasting ‘s Mountain Stage . We celebrated 33 years of live performance radio, commemorated the 25th anniversary of R.E.M.’s legendary set , and listened to the voices of two new guest hosts .
And across seven venues in four states, we recorded over 120 live sets that showcased the best and brightest musicians in the world today. Along the way, we video streamed eight of our shows through VuHaus and made some new #gotowv friends along the way (with posters and glass records in tow!). Of course, none of this would have happened without your support .
Before we embark on another musical year around the sun , Larry Groce and the Mountain Stage crew have picked out 33 performances that deserve another listen and another round of applause. From A to Z, these are our favorite Mountain Stage performances of 2016. (Hint: click the Episode # for their Mountain Stage podcast episode , where available.)
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Aoife O’Donovan – In the Magic Hour (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on October 30, 2016 – Episode #883)
Aoife O’Donovan on Mountain Stage
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Billy Bragg & Joe Henry – Gentle On My Mind (Byham Theater in Pittsburgh, PA on September 25, 2016 with WYEP & Pittsburgh Cultural Trust – Episode #879 )
Billy Bragg & Joe Henry on Mountain Stage
2016-10-28_billy_bragg___joe_henry-gentle_on_my_mind.mp3
Billy Bragg & Joe Henry – "Gentle on My Mind" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 3:38
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Bottle Rockets – Dog (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on March 20, 2016 – Episode #866 )
Bottle Rockets on Mountain Stage
2016-04-29_bottle_rockets-dog.mp3
Bottle Rockets – "Dog" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 2:36
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Brett Dennen – Cassidy (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on May 8, 2016 – Episode #870 )
Brett Dennen on Mountain Stage
2016-06-03_brett_dennen-cassidy.mp3
Brett Dennen – "Cassidy" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 4:42
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Cheryl Wheeler – Estate Sale (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on July 24, 2016 – Episode #874 )
Cheryl Wheeler on Mountain Stage
2016-12-06_cheryl_wheeler-estate_sale.mp3
Cheryl Wheeler – "Estate Sale" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 3:01
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Chris Smither – Leave the Light On (Byham Theater in Pittsburgh, PA on September 25, 2016 with WYEP & Pittsburgh Cultural Trust – Episode #879 )
Chris Smither on Mountain Stage
mtnstage161028_chris_smither-leave_the_light_on.mp3
Chris Smither – "Leave the Light On" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 4:34
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Darrell Scott – Desperados Waiting for a Train (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on May 22, 2016 – Episode #871 )
Darrell Scott on Mountain Stage
mtnstage160610_darrell_scott-desperados_waiting_for_a_train.mp3
Darrell Scott – "Desperados Waiting for a Train" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 6:44
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Foy Vance – Ziggy Looked Me In The Eye (Clay Center in Charleston, WV on October 16, 2016 – Episode #881 )
Foy Vance on Mountain Stage
2016-11-11_foy_vance-children_of_the_revolution.mp3
Foy Vance – "Ziggy Looked Me In The Eye" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 4:06
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Hayes Carll – Sake of the Song (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on May 22, 2016 – Episode #871 )
Hayes Carll on Mountain Stage
2016-06-10_hayes_carll-sake_of_the_song.mp3
Hayes Carll – "Sake of the Song" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 4:22
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Indigo Girls – Shame on You (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on September 18, 2016 – Episode #878 )
Indigo Girls on Mountain Stage
2016-12-06_indigo_girls-shame_on_you.mp3
Indigo Girls – "Shame on You" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 4:31
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Iron & Wine – We Two are Moon (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on December 4, 2016 – Episode #885)
Iron & Wine on Mountain Stage
2016-12-06_iron___wine-we_too_are_moon.mp3
Iron & Wine – "We Too are Moon" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 2:54
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Jerry Douglas presents The Earls of Leicester – Down the Road (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on July 24, 2016 – Episode #874 )
Jerry Douglas presents The Earls of Leicester on Mountain Stage
2016-12-06_earls_of_leicester-down_the_road.mp3
Jerry Douglas presents The Earls of Leicester – "Down the Road" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 2:04
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John Paul White – Once and Future Queen (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on November 20, 2016 – Episode #884)
John Paul White on Mountain Stage
2016-12-09_john_paul_white-once_and_future_queen.mp3
John Paul White – "Once and Future Queen" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 4:45
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Judy Collins with Ari Hest – I Choose Love (West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV on April 17, 2016 – Episode #868 )
Judy Collins with Ari Hest on Mountain Stage
2016-05-13_judy_collins-i_choose_love.mp3
Judy Collins with Ari Hest – "I Choose Love" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 3:03
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Lake Street Dive – Call Off Your Dogs (Clay Center in Charleston, WV on June 5, 2016 – Episode #872 )
Lake Street Dive on Mountain Stage
mtnstage160909_lake_street_dive-call_off_your_dogs.mp3
Lake Street Dive – "Call Off Your Dogs" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 3:53
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Lucius – I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on June 26, 2016 – Episode #873 )
2016-09-16_lucius-i_can_t_help_falling_in_love.mp3
Lucius – "I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 3:55
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Margaret Glaspy – Emotions and Math (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on June 26, 2016 – Episode #873 )
Margaret Glaspy on Mountain Stage
mtnstage160916_lucius_margaret_glaspy-emotions_and_math.mp3
Margaret Glaspy – "Emotions and Math" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 3:17
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Mike Cooley – Made Up English Oceans (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on March 20, 2016 – Episode #866 )
Mike Cooley on Mountain Stage
mtnstage2016_mike_cooley-english_oceans.mp3
Mike Cooley – "English Oceans" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 2:48
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Ona – Sleep, Rinse, Repeat (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on February 21, 2016 – Episode #864 )
mtnstage2016_ona-sleep_rinse_repeat_fix.mp3
Ona – "Sleep, Rinse, Repeat" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 3:48
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Overcoats – Smaller Than My Mother (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on February 21, 2016 – Episode #864 )
Overcoats on Mountain Stage
mtnstage2016_overcoats-smaller_than_my_mother.mp3
Overcoats – "Smaller Than My Mother" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 4:56
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Rhiannon Giddens – At the Purchaser’s Option (Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, WV on August 13, 2016 – Episode #876 )
Rhiannon Giddens on Mountain Stage
2016-10-07_rhiannon_giddens-the_purchaser_s_dillema.mp3
Rhiannon Giddens – "At the Purchaser's Option" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 4:05
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Robbie Fulks – Aunt Peg’s Old Man (University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY on April 3, 2016, with WUKY – Episode #867 )
Robbie Fulks on Mountain Stage
2016-12-09_robbie_fulks-aunt_peg_s_new_old_man.mp3
Robbie Fulks – "Aunt Peg's Old Man" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 3:01
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Robert Ellis – California (Byham Theater in Pittsburgh, PA on September 25, 2016 with WYEP & Pittsburgh Cultural Trust – Episode #879 )
Robert Ellis on Mountain Stage
mtnstage161028_robert_ellis-california.mp3
Robert Ellis – "California" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 4:39
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Sarah Jarosz – House of Mercy (University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY on April 3, 2016 with WUKY – Episode #867 )
Sarah Jarosz on Mountain Stage
2016-06-17_sarah_jarosz-house_of_mercy.mp3
Sarah Jarosz – "House of Mercy" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 3:53
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Steve Poltz – Folksinger (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on May 1, 2016 – Episode #869 )
Steve Poltz on Mountain Stage
2016-12-06_steve_poltz-folksinger.mp3
Steve Poltz – "Folksinger" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 4:06
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Suzzy Roche and Lucy Wainwright Roche – Bleeker Street (Clay Center in Charleston, WV on June 5, 2016 – Episode #872 )
Suzzy Roche and Lucy Wainwright Roche on Mountain Stage
2016-12-06_lucy_wainwright_roche___suzy_roche-bleeker_street.mp3
Suzzy Roche and Lucy Wainwright Roche – "Bleeker Street" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 3:38
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The Wood Brothers – Never and Always (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on May 1, 2016 – Episode #869 )
The Wood Brothers on Mountain Stage
2016-05-20_the_wood_brothers-never_and_always.mp3
The Wood Brothers – "Never and Always" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 4:09
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Tift Merritt – Heartache is an Uphill Climb (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on December 4, 2016 – Episode #885)
Tift Merritt on Mountain Stage
2016-12-06_tift_merrit-heartache_is_an_uphill_climb.mp3
Tift Merritt – "Heartache is an Uphill Climb" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 3:21
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Todd Burge – Time to Waste Time (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on December 4, 2016 – Episode #885)
Todd Burge on Mountain Stage
2016-12-06_todd_burge-time_to_waste_time.mp3
Todd Burge – "Time to Waste Time" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 5:42
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Todd Snider – Stuck on the Corner (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on October 23, 2016 – Episode #882 )
Todd Snider on Mountain Stage
2016-12-06_todd_snider-sanity___madness.mp3
Todd Snider – "Stuck on the Corner" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 5:13
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Wilco – Space Oddity (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on February 14, 2016 – Episode #863 )
2016-04-01_wilco-space_oddity.mp3
Wilco – "Space Oddity" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 4:31
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William Matheny – Living Half to Death (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on June 26, 2016 – Episode #873 )
William Matheny on Mountain Stage
2016-09-16_william_matheny-living_half_to_death.mp3
William Matheny – "Living Half to Death" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 4:09
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Wynonna & the Big Noise – These Are The Things That I Lean On (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on September 18, 2016 – Episode #878 )
Wynonna & the Big Noise on Mountain Stage
2016-10-21_wynonna-things_that_i_lean_on_.mp3
Wynonna & the Big Noise – "These Are The Things That I Lean On" – Live from Mountain Stage
Listen • 3:26