TV Special Showcases 30 Years of Mountain Stage

Three decades of weekly musical performances adds up to a lot of memories. Join West Virginia Public Broadcasting as it celebrates some of those memories this Sunday at 9 p.m. on WV PBS with the debut of Mountain Stage: A 30 Year Celebration.

“Although primarily a radio show, we’ve had cameras at many of our performances over the years,” noted Larry Groce, artistic director and host of Mountain Stage. “This special pulls together great performances from Joan Baez, Rosanne Cash, Arlo Guthrie, Robert Cray and Del McCoury, just to name a few. I’m inviting you to tune in and enjoy the tribute.”

For over 31 years Mountain Stage w/ Larry Groce has given listeners the best seat in the house for exciting live performances from some of music’s best-known artists. At many shows, TV cameras captured these performances and the result is a Mountain Stage retrospective featuring rare performances from Rhonda Vincent (2001), Martina McBride (2006), Lake Street Dive (2014), and 13 others.

The program was produced by WV Public Broadcasting’s Pat Sergent who worked with Groce to curate a list of 500 songs down to 16 that exhibit the show’s stylistic diversity and intimacy. “It wasn’t easy to narrow down that list!” said Groce.  “We hope we met our goal of presenting a wide range of music while showcasing some of the best known artists we’ve had the privilege of working with over the years.”

Groce added that support from its audience is part of what has kept Mountain Stage going for so long. “Mountain Stage wouldn’t have been possible without the support of listeners and viewers who choose to contribute each and every year. Mountain Stage is their show too.”

On Sunday, viewers will see 16 different performances, dating as far back as 2001and as recent as 2014:

• Lake Street Dive
• Joan Baez
• Rosanne Cash
• Darrell Scott
• Martina McBride
• Arlo Guthrie
• John Pizzarelli
• Tommy Emmanuel
• Robert Cray Band
• Delbert McClinton & Marcia Ball
• Tim O’Brien
• Rhonda Vincent
• Guy Clark
• Dr. Ralph Stanley
• Travis Tritt & Ricky Skaggs
• The Del McCoury Band

Download printable version of press release here.