This week, a poet and musician draws inspiration from a distant family connection to the Grand Ole Opry’s Little Jimmy Dickens. Also, for 15 years, a Virginia library has been hosting a weekly Dungeons & Dragons game for teens.
And, a taxidermist in Yadkin County, North Carolina found her calling before she could drive a car.
LISTEN: Rodney Crowell Has The Mountain Stage Song Of The Week
Rodney Crowell performing on Mountain Stage, 2021.Brian Blauser
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Join us this week on the radio as host Kathy Mattea welcomes performances by Rodney Crowell, Colin Hay, Amy Speace, Nobody’s Girl, and Jordan Tice. Tune in starting Friday, July 1 on these NPR stations.
In his fifth appearance on Mountain Stage, renowned singer and songwriter Rodney Crowell brought a stacked band of Nashville players and songs from his newest album, Triage. Accompanied by Eamon McLoughlin on fiddle and harmonica, Catherine Marx on piano, Glen Caruba on drums, and Zachariah Hickman on bass.
Our Song of the Week is Crowell’s performance of “Weight of the World.”
Rodney Crowell – Weight Of The World, live on Mountain Stage
Rodney Crowell performing on Mountain Stage in 2021.
We’re also treated to live performances from Men at Work front man Colin Hay and his band, who have a new album called I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself.
Plus, we’ll hear sets from literary songwriter and powerful singer Amy Speace, power-trio Nobody’s Girl which features the combined forces of Rebecca Loebe, Grace Pettis, and BettySoo, and an acoustic set from guitarist extraordinaire Jordan Tice.
1 of 6 — Colin Hay
Brian Blauser / Mountain Stage
2 of 6 — Amy Speace
Brian Blauser / Mountain Stage
3 of 6 — Nobody's Girl
Brian Blauser / Mountain Stage
4 of 6 — Jordan Tice
Brian Blauser / Mountain Stage
5 of 6 — Rodney Crowell Band
Brian Blauser / Mountain Stage
6 of 6 — Finale Song with Kathy Mattea and Friends
Brian Blauser / Mountain Stage
Find a station in your area to find out when you can tune in. Enjoy this clip as a preview:
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On this West Virginia Week, another round of school consolidations in the state, the Republican caucus lays out plans for the upcoming legislative session and a Nashville poet and songwriter channels a connection to LIttle Jimmie Dickens.
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This week, a poet and musician draws inspiration from a distant family connection to the Grand Ole Opry’s Little Jimmy Dickens. Also, for 15 years, a Virginia library has been hosting a weekly Dungeons & Dragons game for teens.
And, a taxidermist in Yadkin County, North Carolina found her calling before she could drive a car.
A lot of people who came of age listening to the Grand Ole Opry know Little Jimmy Dickens. With his clever songs and his rhinestone-studded outfits, the West Virginia native influenced a generation of performers. Now he’s remembered in a new book of poetry.
For some Americans, this year’s political earthquakes hit close to home. Trey Kay reflects on federal budget cuts, the elimination of programs and agencies and the resulting layoffs of hundreds of thousands of workers. 2025 was also a year highlighting escalated immigration enforcement, and the deployment of National Guard troops in U.S. cities. One of those missions resulted in the tragic loss of a West Virginia National Guard soldier. On this end-of-year episode of Us & Them, we examine how today’s culture-war battles are reshaping the nation’s foundation.