Mountain Stage SOTW Story Archives - Page 2 of 2 - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Catherine Russell Covers The Grateful Dead For Our Song of the Week: "New Speedway Boogie"

Our Song of the Week comes from this week’s special cover songs edition of Mountain Stage with Larry Groce.

This performance by jazz and blues vocalist Catherine Russell comes from a 2006 Mountain Stage show where she put her special touch on “New Speedway Boogie,” a song written by Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia, first popularized by The Grateful Dead.

This song comes from a set of Hunter/Garcia compositions included in this week’s special episode of Mountain Stage featuring various artists covering some of music’s most highly regarded songwriters.

You’ll also hear songs by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Bruce Springsteen and, of course, The Beatles, covered by artists like The Band, Joan Osborne, Judith Owen, The Derek Trucks Band, Brandi Carlile, Jimmy LaFave, Chris Smither and more. Check out the playlist here.

We hope you can make time to join us on one of these public radio stations starting Friday, October 16.

Alt-Rockers Umphrey's McGee "Comma Later" From 2014 Is Our Song Of The Week

This week on Mountain Stage we look back to an unforgettable evening in 2014 when alt-rock extraordinaires Umphrey’s McGee came to Almost Heaven for an extended set. Our Song of the Week is “Comma Later” from that night.

The six-piece band has built a massive loyal following since emerging from South Bend, Indiana in 1997. They normally play to significantly larger crowds than the 460 that were in attendance for this sold-out performance at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston. Brendan Bayliss, singer and guitarist for the group, said “When we started playing in bars 16 years ago, I never thought I’d be able to say ‘you’re listening to Umphrey’s McGee on NPR.”

We were thrilled to give them the chance and hope we can cross paths with the band again someday.

Most recently the band released their fan-voted, improve heavy “Hall of Fame 2019” compilation digitally, featuring select performances from last year. The band has also announced their upcoming two-night drive-in stand at Atlanta’s Motor Speedway will be their final shows of 2020.

Listen for the entire set from Umphrey’s McGee, plus more performances from Brooklyn roots-rockers Yarn, Baltimore’s soulful singer-songwriter Cris Jacobs, and Paul Simon-guitarist Jim Oblon, on this week’s special encore episode of Mountain Stage. Listen starting Friday Oct. 9 on these NPR stations.

Each of these groups have been impacted by the ongoing pandemic, so please consider reaching out to support them on their digital platforms and online merchandise stores.

Umphrey’s McGee Merch Store

Yarn Online Store

Cris Jacobs has several bundles for his new album, Color Where You Are.

Find Jim Oblon on Spotify and AppleMusic.

You can support Mountain Stage by becoming a Mountain Stage Member.

The Flatlanders Have The Song Of The Week

The Texas trio have been called “more of a legend than a band,” and their status as both is unmatched. Comprised of Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, The Flatlanders have appeared four times on Mountain Stage with their unmistakable brand of country rock. With 30 years separating their first two recordings, the band went on to release Wheels of Fortune in 2006, Hills & Valleys in 2009, and The Odessa Tapes in 2012.

Our Song of the Week, “I Had My Hopes Up High,” is a Joe Ely composition that the group included on their Live From Austin TX recorded in 2002.

Tune in for more of this 2013 performance from The Flatlanders, plus full sets from UK alt-folky Billy Bragg, songwriting greats Joe Pug and Amy Speace, plus mother-daughter duo Suzzy Roche & Lucy Wainwright Roche on this week’s classic episode of Mountain Stage.

Billy Bragg performing on Mountain Stage in Morgantown, W.Va. in 2013

We can also recommend the latest offerings from guests on this show. Click through to find the latest releases from Billy Bragg (Best of Billy Bragg at the BBC), Amy Speace (Me and the Ghost of Charlemagne), Joe Pug (The Flood In Color) and Suzzy & Lucy ( I Can Still Hear You).

Listen on these stations starting this Friday, and be sure to follow our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more great music.

Calexico Has Our Song Of The Week As We Revisit 2013

Our look back to some favorite episodes continues this week with a show from 2013 featuring indie-rockers Calexico, plus Bahamas, Bonnie Prince Billy, Camper Van Beethoven and more.

Mountain Stage is revisiting some of our favorite episodes from our archives while we wait to record new shows for our listeners. This week we go back to one of the first shows of our 30^th season back in January 2013.

Calexico’s core duo, Joey Burns and John Convertino, relocated to New Orleans with co-producer Craig Schumacher for the bulk of the recording sessions for Algiers, living and working in a converted church in the outskirts neighborhood for which the record is named. It was the first time the band recorded outside of their home state of Arizona since forming in 1996.

Our Song of the Week is a performance of “Splitter,” a hard-driving song that builds to a horn filled crescendo.

The Arizona-bred band released their ninth album, The Thread That Keeps Us, in January 2018 on the ANTI- label and they’re most recent collaboration with Iron & Wine is called Years to Burn.

BRIAN BLAUSER

Mountain Stage

Artists join Larry Groce for one last song to end the show.

Hear the entire performance from Calexico, plus more from Canadian groove-folk outfit Bahamas, revered songsmith Bonnie “Prince” Billy, alt-rockers Camper Van Beethoven and UK pop singer Piney Gir, on this week’s classic episode of Mountain Stage. Listen on these stations starting this Friday, and be sure to follow our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more great music.

Our Song Of The Week Is A 2012 Gem From Cowboy Junkies

Our look back at some of our favorite episodes continues with this week’s look back to 2012 for a show with Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes, songwriter and now Tony-winning Playwright Anais Mitchell, Australia’s journeyman songwriter Paul Kelly and The Cowboy Junkies.

Our Song of the Week comes from revered Canadian indie-folk rockers Cowboy Junkies, who have appeared on Mountain Stage nine times since 1992. This 2012 performance includes “Damaged From the Start,” a song from the band’s album, “The Wilderness.” It was the fourth and final volume in group’s extensive Nomad Series, which saw them release four albums of new material in an 18-month period.

Cowboy Junkies released new music earlier in 2020 with Ghosts.

Rich Robinson, of The Black Crowes and The Magpie Salute, seen here in 2012 on Mountain Stage

Hear the entire set from Cowboy Junkies, plus more from Rich Robinson, Paul Kelly and Anais Mitchell, on this week’s episode, starting Friday Sept. 18 on these NPR affiliates.

A note for our listeners to WVPB’s statewide radio network; Starting this Saturday, Sept. 19, Mountain Stage moves to its new time slot, Saturday evenings at 6p.m. and Sundays at noon. You can tune in or listen online at wvpublic.org.

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