Blitzen Trapper Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Listen: Dawes Has The Mountain Stage Song Of The Week

Our Listeners’ Choice episodes of Mountain Stage continue this week with a classic show from 2011 featuring Dawes, Jason Isbell & 400 Unit, Blitzen Trapper, James McMurtry and Matthew Sweet.

Check out the playlist here and find out where you can listen on these public radio stations starting Friday.

In October 2011 California quartet Dawes were touring in support of their acclaimed album Nothing is Wrong. Our Song of the Week is a performance of the final track on that album, a creative and emotional high watermark for the band, “A Little Bit of Everything.”

In March the band released “I Will Run,” a previously unreleased song from the recording sessions for their 2018 album Passwords. All proceeds will benefit the North Shore Animal League America and the MusiCares Covid-19 Relief Fund.

James McMurtry, performing on Mountain Stage in October, 2011. Catch an encore broadcast of this show starting May 15 on Mountain Stage affiliate stations.

Hear the entire set from Dawes, plus performances by Jason Isbell & 400 Unit, James McMurtry, Matthew Sweet and Blitzen Trapper, on this week’s encore broadcast of Mountain Stage. We hope you can find comfort in the sound of the applause that we hear in these classic episodes.

Be sure to follow Mountain Stage on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. We’re not sure when we’ll be back to producing new episodes, but you can sign up for our email newsletter to be among the first to hear about it when we do.

June Mountain Stage Events Canceled

Due to the current circumstances, Mountain Stage is canceling our live shows scheduled for June 7, June 21 and June 28, in Charleston, West Virginia.

We’ll be working to reschedule the artists for another time. We’re unsure when we’ll record our next new episode, but we look forward to doing so when it’s safe for everyone. Be sure to sign-up for our e-mail newsletter so you can be among the first to receive updates when we have them.

If you purchased your tickets through our online ticketing service Eventbrite or at a live show, your refund will be processed soon. This normally takes 5-7 business days, but it could be longer due to staff reductions at Eventbrite.

Our local box office Taylor Books remains closed as a preventative measure, therefore, refunds for tickets purchased at that location cannot be offered at this time. If you purchased your tickets at Taylor Books, please send a photo of the tickets (including the full barcode), along with your mailing address, to live@mountainstage.org. We will send a gift certificate via U.S. Mail in the coming weeks, for an amount equivalent to the tickets purchased.

In the meantime, please enjoy classic episodes from our archive on these public radio stations and in our podcast feed; watch some videos from our Live Sessions channel at NPR Music, and be sure to follow along on social media for more content and updates.

Here’s a finale song shot, just because.

Mountain Stage has now canceled nine live events, including three shows in March, one April event in Athens, OH, and our two events scheduled for May. These include the May 17 show scheduled with Saving Grace feat. Robert Plant and Suzi Dian at The Clay Center. Please call the Clay Center box office at 304-561-3570 to request a refund if you have tickets to that particular show.

We are working to reschedule all these guests though nothing has been finalized. Be sure to sign-up for our e-mail newsletter so you can be among the first to receive updates when we have them.

Live Show News: Mountain Stage Adds Three June Shows

UPDATE: All three of these shows are on sale now online and at Taylor Books in downtown Charleston.

Ticket buyers will notice sales tax has been added to the cost of these tickets. Due to a change in West Virginia tax law, Eventbrite will now collect sales tax on all Mountain Stage tickets for Culture Center shows, starting with our June 2020 events.

Original post:

Three Mountain Stage events for June have been added to the already packed calendar for the live performance radio show. All three shows are on sale to Mountain Stage Members right now for just $15. Tickets will be available online and at Taylor Books starting Friday February 14 at 10a.m. EST. Mountain Stage Members should check their inbox for redemption instructions.

Members make a recurring gift of at least $10 a month or $120 annually and receive early online presale to our Culture Center shows and other periodic discounts and benefits. Click here to browse the levels and sign-up for a membership.

On Sunday June 7 Portland’s Blitzen Trapper will make their third appearance on the show, along with the folk rock of Nashville’s Lilly Hiatt, and songwriting super-trio Nobody’s Girl. This will also be Hiatt’s third appearance on the show since 2015, and her new record, Walking Proof –due March 29 on New West Records- is one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year. You should check out American Songwriter’s recently published preview and interview.

We’ll also welcome Nobody’s Girl on June 7. The indie-folk trio features Rebecca Loebe, BettySoo and Grace Pettis, who have been friends now for a decade. They first met at the legendary Kerrville Folk Festival, each a winner of the prestigious annual “New Folk” award there. The trio’s first full-length album (a follow up to their critically acclaimed EP, Waterline), is due in May 2020 and we’re looking forward to hearing these harmonies live and in person.

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Sunday June 21 will be the first of two Mountain Stage shows during the 15 days arts extravaganza FestivALL Charleston. This city-wide celebration of the arts takes over our hometown each June. FestivALL turns our city into a work of art, and it’s a great time to plan a visit to see what Charleston is all about.

We’re excited to welcome the “Psychedelic-Soul Force” of Black Pumas, to the show for the first time. The “Best New Artist” Grammy nominees have already taped an appearance on Austin City Limits and they’re currently touring the UK behind their stand-out self-titled album Black Pumas.

Country Music icon and West Virginia native Kathy Mattea will return to guest host on Sunday June 28 as we close out the FestivALL activities at the Culture Center Theater with a set from New Jersey-bred singer/songwriter Nicole Atkins. Atkins is currently wrapping up a European tour ahead of the release of her upcoming album Italian Ice- out April 17th via Single Lock Records.

Recorded at legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama, Italian Ice features legends Spooner Oldham and David Hood, plus collaborations with Seth Avett of The Avett Brothers, Erin Rae, and John Paul White. According to promo materials, “At turns as opulent as symphonic pop and gritty as garage punk, the album wanders into shades of psych-rock and honky-tonk and girl-group melodrama, endlessly spotlighting the tightly honed musicianship and unbridled originality at heart of Atkins’s artistry.”

Rolling Stone just premiered the first video and single, “Captain,” featuring Spoon front man Britt Daniel.

Tickets for all three June shows are $20 in advance and $30 day of show, available starting Friday February 14 at 10a.m. online and at Taylor Books, 226 Capitol Street in downtown Charleston.

As always, be sure to follow Mountain Stage on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates and to glimpses behind-the-scenes.

Listen: Blitzen Trapper on NPR's Mountain Stage

Since their formation in 2000, Portland-based indie rock band Blitzen Trapper have played nearly every major festival in America and shared the stage with the likes of Iron & Wine and Wilco. Here they play “Black River Killer” from this week’s encore broadcast of Mountain Stage with Larry Groce.

This week’s broadcast also features performances from Birds of Chicago, Wild Child, Ruby Amanfu, and Suitcase Junket.

Like what you hear? Download the entire show right now on the Mountain Stage podcast (just look for Ep. 861). While you’re at it, leave us a rating/review and send us a tweet with your favorite song: we’re @mountainstage.

Tu(n)esday Wrap-Up: Blitzen Trapper Rocks, False Pterodactyl Talks & Chocolate Galore!

Missed out on last week’s ‘A Change of Tune’? Don’t know what to expect in the week to come? Consider this your Tu(n)esday Wrap-Up.

Interview:

We kicked off our 2016 band chat series with the wry-witted Eric Earley, better known for his role as songwriter and lead vocalist for the Portland alt-rock band Blitzen Trapper. We chatted about the band’s passionate fanbase, their affinity for the cult classic Twin Peaks and how Bowie fits into their musical story.

Speaking of Bowie, Blitzen Trapper returned to NPR’s Mountain Stage in Morgantown this past Sunday, and they performed a cover of Bowie’s “Heroes” alongside Wild Child, Ruby Amanfu, The Birds of Chicago and The Suitcase Junket. The full show won’t be broadcast on NPR stations until March, but you can hear the Bowie tribute below via Mountain Stage’s Soundcloud.

‘A Change of Tune’ Jan. 16 Playlist / Downloads:

Speaking of Bowie (again), we played a couple space oddity-tastic tunes on this past Saturday’s show! Stream the Spotify show playlist below and find downloads for most of the songs from our Kanawha County Public Library friends at Freegal.

The White Panda (Queen & David Bowie vs. Bruno Mars)– Under Treasure

Cage the Elephant- Sweetie Little Jean

DIIV– Under the Sun

Damien Jurado– Exit 353

The Arcs– Lake Superior

Jakky Terraseen- Kiff

Stevie Wonder– I Wish

Joanna Newsom- Leaving the City

Bishops– Inside

Blitzen Trapper– Love Grow Cold

Israel Nash– LA Lately

Daughter- Numbers

Beach House- Space Song

M. Ward– Let’s Dance (Bowie cover)

The Week to Come:

-While we were up in Morgantown with Mountain Stage, we had the pleasure of sitting down with local band False Pterodactyl to chat about their psychedelic new release and what it means to “make it” in West Virginia. Keep an eye on our page and our socials for the complete chat when it goes live this Friday.

-West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s gearing up for its 20th annual Chocolate Challenge fundraiser! If you’re a fan of #WVmusic discovery (not to mention #WVmade chocolate), support ‘A Change of Tune’ by becoming a member of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

-Did you hear about this Sunday’s Mountain Stage in Charleston featuring Robert Earl Keen, The Old 97’s Rhett Miller, The Westies and our Boston pop-rock friends Guster? It’s a sold-out show, but ‘A Change of Tune’ has saved a pair of tickets for ya! Make sure to follow @achangeoftune on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to find out when our Guster ticket giveaway goes live.

Hear Larry Groce & Co. Perform David Bowie's "Heroes," Live from Mountain Stage

In January 2015, Blitzen Trapper, Birds of Chicago, Wild Child, Ruby Amanfu and Suitcase Junket joined Larry Groce onstage for a special Mountain Stage finale song – David Bowie’s “Heroes.”

Listen to the full episode now on the Mountain Stage podcast (just look for episode #861).