Listen: A Classic from Bill Monroe for Our Song of the Week

This week’s episode is a special called “The Class of ’89,” featuring notable performances from that landmark year in Mountain Stage‘s history.

Our Song of the Week is by the Father of Bluegrass Music himself, Bill Monroe, and his 1989 version of the Blue Grass Boys. Here’s the bluegrass classic “Uncle Pen,” recorded on May 21, 1989 in Charleston, W.VA.

Hear this song as well as other rare performances from the likes of Dr. John, Lucinda Williams, Mose Allison, Rick Danko & Garth Hudson, June Tabor, New Grass Revival and many others, on this week’s special edition of Mountain Stage.

Find a station in your area and tune in to this week’s episode.

Be sure to follow along on social media and subscribe to our newsletter for periodic updates and more musical performances.

New Episodes of Mountain Stage Start This Week

Our radio audiences will hear all new episodes starting this Friday, September 6, on more than 220 NPR stations. Tune in this week for an immensely entertaining show featuring modern folk duo The Milk Carton Kids, whose powerful songwriting is matched only by their humorous in between song banter. We’ll hear the incomparable energy and sweetness of Steve Poltz, songwriting vet Griffin House, avant-folk songwriter Vera Sola, and modern-pop string trio Twisted Pine. Find out where you can listen here.

Credit Brian Blauser/ Mountain Stage
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Alsarah & the Nubatones can be heard later this month as part of the new fall season of Mountain Stage.

As we continue into autumn you’ll hear more great live performances by the likes of Steve Earle & The Dukes, Alsarah & the Nubatones, John Pizzarelli Trio, Catherine Russell, Devotchka and many more. View the entire Broadcast Schedule here.

We’ll also welcome our guest host Kathy Mattea four times in the upcoming season. You can hear Kathy hosting with Steve Earle & the Dukes starting September 13 and in October you’ll hear our all-lady lineup with Beth Nielsen Chapman, Erin Rae, Carrie Newcomer, Lillie Mae and Lisa Mednick Powell.

Credit Brian Blauser/ Mountain Stage
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Meanwhile, you still have two chances to see Kathy guest host in person when we record on September 15 with Shawn Colvin, Lucy Kaplansky and more, and October 27 she helps us welcome Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams and Cris Jacobs. These shows will also be broadcast later this fall as part of our new season. Check out our entire Live Show Schedule for a chance to help us make radio here in the Mountain State.

Credit Brian Blauser/ Mountain Stage
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Lucinda Williams made her first appearance on Mountain Stage on April 16, 1989.

Stations around the country will be entering on-air fund drives soon, and we made a special episode to help entice listeners to support their public radio stations. Our host Larry Groce dug deep into our archive to bring you “The Class of 1989.” This special edition features live sets from many influential artists who appeared on Mountain Stage for the first time that seminal year; Dr. John, Mose Allison, June Tabor, Lucinda Williams, David Grisman, Daniel Lanois, Rick Danko & Garth Hudson and Taj Mahal among them. We know you’ll enjoy the program and hope you’ll be motivated to renew or increase your membership.

Keep your eyes on our podcast feed for new episodes starting Tuesday, September 17, and be sure to sign-up for our e-mail newsletter for the latest updates on live shows and radio happenings. You can peek behind the scenes on our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter pages too.

Thank you for supporting Mountain Stage however you can, and we hope you’ll go out and hear some live music wherever you are, just as soon as you can.

Mountain Stage Acts Nominated for 2016 Americana Music Awards

The 2016 Americana Music Awards nominations are in! We’re proud to see so many of Mountain Stage’s guests on the list. Click on the artist’s name to hear their recent performance on Mountain Stage.

Congratulations to the nominees who will perform on Mountain Stage in the coming weeks, including Parker Millsap (Album of the Year) and Lake Street Dive (Americana Duo / Group of the Year)! We can’t wait to see these emerging Americana stars return to the Mountain Stage May 22 at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston and June 5 at the Clay Center in Charleston. Ticket and artist information is available at mountainstage.org.

Another shout-out to Mountain Stage alumni who have racked up 2016 Americana Music Award nominations, including Jason Isbell, Lucinda Williams, Chris Stapleton, Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell, The Milk Carton Kids, Tedeschi Trucks Band (here playing as the Derek Trucks Band), John Moreland, Cindy Cashdollar, Stuart Duncan, Jedd Hughes (here playing with Rodney Crowell) and Sara Watkins.

Missed hearing these talented folks on Mountain Stage? Make sure to subscribe (and rate/review) the Mountain Stage podcast on iTunes and sign-up for our email newsletter for future show announcements! You might just hear/see the next big artist before they start grabbin’ Americana Awards.

Good luck to all the nominees! And if you haven’t already, go out and hear some live music wherever you are just as soon as you can.

Mountain Stage After Midnight- February 14 & 15

This Valentine’s Day weekend, let Mountain Stage be the Abigail Washburn to your Bela Fleck and the Julie Miller to your Buddy Miller. Broadcast from 1am-5am Saturday and Sunday mornings here on West Virginia Public Broadcasting, “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. 

Hear some musically-minded couples this Saturday February 14 and Sunday February 15 on “Mountain Stage After Midnight.”

First up is a 2013 show, recorded in Sunny Buckhannon, West Virginia. It includes sets from folksy roots group The Stray Birds, Tennessee bluegrass band The SteelDrivers, alternative country outfit Houndmouth, Toad the Wet Sprocket singer/songwriter Glenn Phillips and “husband-and-wife banjo adventurers” Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn.

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Americana roots duo Buddy and Julie Miller on Mountain Stage in 2001.

Next up is a 2011 show featuring Boston-based guitarist Patty Larkin, American folk duo Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer, bluegrass companions Jim Hurst & Missy Raines, alt-country legend Lucinda Williams and Americana husband-wife team Buddy & Julie Miller.

If you find yourself in the mood for more magical, musical goodness, Mountain Stage is but a click away. Follow us on FacebookTwitterTumblr and Instagram, carry us on your favorite device with The Mountain Stage Podcast on iTunes and be in the audience for our next live show.

Mountain Stage After Midnight- October 11 & 12

Need to countrify your weekend? Of course you do, and that’s why “Mountain Stage After Midnight” is here to help with performances from some amazing alt-country, bluegrass, and folk artists. 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.

Tune your dials to West Virginia Public Radio this Saturday October 11 and Sunday October 12 for two good ol’ performances on “Mountain Stage After Midnight.

First you’ll hear a 2011 performance featuring Seattle folk pop band Ivan & Alyosha, indie folk group The Low Anthem, singer-songwriter duo Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, folk supergroup Red Horse, alt-country legend Lucinda Williams (who just released her eleventh studio album). See the playlist.

Credit Brian Blauser / Mountain Stage
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Little Big Town made their first appearance on Mountain Stage in 2007.

Next is a 2007 performance featuring Virginia-based alt-bluegrass ensemble Larry Keel & Natural Bridge, Canadian folk pop chanteuse Rose Cousins, West Virginia country band The Davisson Brothers Band, contemporary jazz vocalist Catherine Russell, and country group/The Voice mentors Little Big Town (who are releasing a new record, Pain Killer, this month). See the playlist.

Keep up with Mountain Stage news and events over on the show’s FacebookTwitterTumblr, and Instagram. 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.

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