West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Telling West Virginia's Story
Black Prairie began as a bluegrass-influenced side project lead by 3 of the 5 members of indie rock band The Decemberists.
They’ve since become a very successful group in their own right, releasing four acclaimed albums that blur artistic boundaries. Here they perform “The 84,” from this week’s broadcast of Mountain Stage with Larry Groce.
Winter is coming. Jack Frost is nigh. Santa Clause is coming to town. Whatever way you say it, it’s cold outside, so stay inside, curl up next to the fire and listen to some heart- and ear-warming tunes on “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 that’ll alternate order each night.
Tune in for some good tunes and great times this Saturday November 15 and Sunday November 16 on “Mountain Stage After Midnight.”
First up is a January 2013 show at West Virginia University, and it features the musical talents of eclectic bluegrass-ers Black Prairie (who are returning to Mountain Stage next month), Old 97’s frontman and alt-country performer Rhett Miller, soulful country singer Shelby Lynne and legendary roots-rock artist Robert Earl Keen.
Next is March 2013 show, recorded at the birthplace of country music (Bristol, Tennessee), featuring tunes from singer-songwriter Kate Campbell, old-time string band The Down Hill Strugglers, Irish acoustic group Lunasa, alt-bluegrass ensemble Larry Keel & Natural Bridge and Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel.
Need more Mountain Stage in your life? There’s a website for that. You can also catch up with the show on its Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram. And if you’re in the mood for more great jams, make sure to subscribe to The Mountain Stage Podcast to hear why Mountain Stage remains the home of live music on public radio.
“Mountain Stag w/ Larry Groce” has announced two more live performances scheduled before the end of 2014. Tickets for both events will be for sale Friday, October 3 at 8am, and will be made available at Taylor Books in downtown Charleston, by phone at 800.594.TIXX(8499), online via MountainStage.org and also at the upcoming live shows starting October 5.
On Sunday, November 23 the show welcomes a rescheduled performance by soul revivalists St. Paul and the Broken Bones, who were recently nominated for “Emerging Artist of the Year” at the 2014 Americana Music Awards, where they also performed. Joining them on November 23 will be New York based jazz vocalist and frequent Mountain Stage guest Catherine Russell and Ohio based singer, songwriter and visual artist Marti Jones. Two more guests will be added to the line-up in coming weeks.
On Sunday, December 7 the show will celebrate its 31st Birthday with some recognizable names and a few new favorites. Making her first appearance on Mountain Stage since 2004, singer/songwriter Lisa Loeb has successfully parlayed her talents into a multi-dimensional career encompassing music, film, television, voice-over work and children’s recordings. Her latest CD, “No Fairy Tale” features her trademark wit and lyrical reflection, like on the retrospective tune “The ‘90s.” Also appearing on December 7 will be adventurous roots-rockers Black Prairie; featuring members of the Decemberists and vocalist Annalisa Tornfelt, and modern-day string band The Stray Birds. Both groups will be performing material from their newest releases, “Fortune” and “Best Medicine,” respectively.
Both shows will be at the Culture Center Theater on the state capital grounds. Doors open at 6:30pm and the show starts at 7pm. All seats are general admission. Advance Tickets are $15 available at MountainStage.org, 800.594.TIXX(8499) or locally at Taylor Books. Tickets are $25 on show day, when available. If you are attending one of the upcoming Mountain Stage shows, we have limited tickets to upcoming live shows available at the Mountain Stage merchandise table.
A full list of our upcoming live shows can be found here.
Keeping with the spirit of giving, we have a special bonus Song of the Week from our upcoming broadcast. Rhett Miller of the Old 97’s teams up with alt stringband Black Prairie to cover the Woody Guthrie-penned “California Stars,” from Wilco’s Mermaid Avenue project.
