Appalachia is full of ancient cave systems. Some are so deep nobody’s sure where they begin or end. For Inside Appalachia, Folkways Reporter Andrea “river” Peterson explored a once-privately owned underground landscape that recently became a Pennsylvania State Park.
Put down the mixtapes and turn on West Virginia Public Radio this weekend to hear the best live performance radio, courtesy of “Mountain Stage After Midnight.” Broadcast from 1am-5am Saturday and Sunday mornings here on West Virginia Public Radio, “Mountain Stage After Midnight” takes the best episodes from the show’s 31 year history and shares their memories and songs with our late-night listeners. Each week we’ll hand-pick two of our favorite episodes and they’ll alternate order each night.
Join us as we flashback to performances from the year 2011 for Saturday August 16 and Sunday August 17 on “Mountain Stage After Midnight.”
First you’ll hear a November 2011 performance from self-proclaimed “song-doodler” Katie Costello, country crooners The Sweetback Sisters, post-bluegrass band Bearfoot, retro-pop group Fitz and the Tantrums, and American rock-and-rollers Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers. See the playlist.
Credit Brian Blauser / Mountain Stage
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Billy Joe Shaver’s 2011 performance marks his sixth appearance on Mountain Stage.
Next a December 2011 performance featuring country singer-songwriter Matraca Berg, all-star ensemble NoamPikelny & Friends, American roots group Caleb Klauder Country Band, Canadian troupe April Verch Band, and outlaw country singer Billy Joe Shaver. See the playlist.
Have a Mountain Stage performance in mind that you’d love to hear overnight weekends? Post your your recommendations on the show’s Facebook and Twitter. While you’re at it, make sure to check out The Mountain Stage Podcast to hear why Mountain Stage remains the home of live music on public radio.
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Appalachia has a rich history of protest music. Today, some regional musicians are using their voices to oppose data centers being built across Appalachia and the artificial intelligence they power. Folkways Reporter Andrea “river” Peterson has more.
Southern West Virginia has rich but often overlooked musical traditions. Chris Haddox is a WVU professor of sustainable design, but he's also spent years uncovering more information on those overlooked musicians. We spoke with him to learn more about his effort to shine a light on the musical talents of local miners, now with the help of a grant from the Mellon Foundation.
On Oct. 23, Grammy Award-winning composer and conductor, Eric Whitacre, will release a new album for choir, cello, piano and live electronics called Eternity in an Hour via Decca Records. Listen to the entire interview between Whitacre and Matt Jackfert.
Mountain Stage is changing locations for its final two live events of 2026. The Sunday, Nov. 15 show will now take place at the Charleston Theater at the Convention Center, and the Sunday, Dec. 6 show will be held at the Capitol Theater in Downtown Charleston.