Mountain Stage Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

LISTEN: James McMurtry Has The Mountain Stage Song Of The Week

On this week’s encore broadcast of Mountain Stage, we hear the second part of our 40th anniversary celebration. This episode was recorded on Dec. 10, 2023 at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, West Virginia with host Kathy Mattea, James McMurtry, Suzzy Roche & Lucy Wainwright Roche, John Doyle & Mick Mc A uley, Tommy Prine, Cheryl Wheeler & Kenny White, and a special appearance from West Virginia Poet Laureate Marc Harshman.

With two nights of music, there was no shortage of memories being shared on stage and behind the scenes honoring the legacy of the show.

Our Song of the Week is “Painting by Numbers,” by James McMurtry, which appears on his album Too Long In The Wasteland. That album was released in 1989, the same year that McMurtry made his first appearance on Mountain Stage. Over the next three decades he would join us 15 times in all, making him a perfect fit for such a monumental occasion.

Hear the entire episode starting Friday, Nov. 22 on these public radio stations, and if you are listening overseas or on a smart device, the Mountain Stage podcast of this episode is now available.

LISTEN: Nellie McKay Has The Mountain Stage Song Of The Week

On this week’s encore broadcast of Mountain Stage, we hear the first of two episodes celebrating our 40th anniversary. This episode was recorded on Dec. 3, 2023 at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, West Virginia with host Kathy Mattea and performances by Joan Osborne, Nellie McKay, Jake Kohn, Todd Burge, David Mayfield, and a special appearance from West Virginia Poet Laureate Marc Harshman.

To celebrate this landmark year, Mountain Stage recorded not one, but two anniversary shows commemorating four decades as the home of live music on public radio, making it the second longest running nationally distributed performance radio show.

Our Song of the Week comes from singer songwriter Nellie McKay, whose music incorporates many styles infused with her zany and profound interpretations of life.

The Mountain Stage Song of the Week is “Drinking Song” from Nellie’s first album of original material in 13 years, Hey Guys, Watch This. Joining her on the album, and in this special performance, are The Carpenter Ants, West Virginia’s favorite rhythm and blues group which features Mountain Stage Band guitarist Michael Lipton, bassist Ted Harrison, drummer/vocalist Jupie Little and keyboardist/vocalist Mark Bates.

Tune in to an affiliate station near you starting Friday, Nov. 15 for the entire set from Nellie McKay, plus live performances from eight-time Grammy nominee Joan Osborne, emerging country singer Jake Kohn, West Virginia’s premier songwriter Todd Burge, bluegrass singer-songwriter David Mayfield, and West Virginia Poet Laureate Marc Harshman.

Check out the playlist here, and take a look at our list of affiliates to find out when you can tune in.

LISTEN: Will Hoge Has The Mountain Stage Song Of The Week

On this week’s premiere broadcast of Mountain Stage, host Kathy Mattea welcomes Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore with The Guilty Ones, Will Hoge, Alex Cuba, MALINDA, and Sarah Siskind to the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, West Virginia.

Our Song of the Week comes from singer-songwriter Will Hoge, making his seventh appearance on Mountain Stage. On this episode, Hoge performs “John Prine’s Cadillac,” paying homage to the late singer-songwriter’s legacy and influence that ripples throughout the music world. This was Hoge’s first release from his twelfth studio album, Wings On My Shoes (2022).

Tune in to an affiliate station near you starting Friday, November 8 for the entire set from Will Hoge, plus live performances from roots and folk music heroes Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore with the Guilty Ones, Cuban-Canadian multi-instrumentalist Alex Cuba, singer-songwriter MALINDA, and folk singer and songwriter Sarah Siskind.

Check out our live show schedule and be a part of our live radio audience when we record our next episode for NPR Music, and don’t forget you can sign up for our E-newsletter for monthly updates, new podcasts and more.

LISTEN: Kyle Tuttle Band Has The Mountain Stage Song Of The Week

We continue our fall broadcast season with a premiere episode of Mountain Stage, recorded live at the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center in Huntington, WV. We partnered with our friends at the Marshall Artists Series to kick off their 88th season with our host Kathy Mattea, J.D. Simo & Luther Dickinson, Paul Kelly, Kyle Tuttle Band, John Craigie, and Wayne Graham.

Our Song of the Week comes from Nashville banjo man, Kyle Tuttle. “Hard To Say,” from his newest solo album Labor of Lust, reflects the grief Tuttle experienced after the loss of his close friend and bandmate Jeff Austin, his marriage, and his job all at the same time. The album was written over five years and features an arrangement of traditional bluegrass string tunes and a fully plugged-in jam grass sound with electric banjo and drums.

Hear Tuttle’s full set, plus live performances by roots guitarists JD Simo & Luther Dickinson, Australian music icon Paul Kelly, singer-songwriter and storyteller John Craigie, and Kentucky rock band Wayne Graham on this week’s broadcast.

Tune in to one of these affiliate stations starting Friday, Nov. 1 to hear the full episode.

Make sure you are subscribed to our Podcast and sign up for our E-Newsletter to see when and where Mountain Stage will be recording our next episode.

LISTEN: Amy Helm Has The Mountain Stage Song Of The Week

This week’s premiere broadcast of Mountain Stage was recorded in the intimate historic Franklin Theatre in Franklin, Tennessee. Host Kathy Mattea welcomes Todd Snider, Amy Helm, Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors, and Randall Bramblett.

Our Song of the Week comes from the talented singer-songwriter and daughter of Levon Helm, Amy Helm. On this episode of Mountain Stage, she performs “Dear Louisiana” off her fourth studio album Silver City. In this performance you’ll hear Helm’s rich vocals shine alongside her band with Yuval Lion on drums, Peter Levin on organ, Dan Littleton on guitar, and Adam Minkoff on bass.

Join us starting Friday, Oct. 18 on these public radio stations to hear the full show, and be sure to visit our podcast page for fresh upcoming episodes.

You’ll also hear performances from singer-songwriter and legendary storyteller Todd Snider, Memphis and East Nashville Americana group Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors, and Georgia-born multi-instrumentalist Randall Bramblett.

Sign up for our email updates to plan your trip to be a part of our radio audience in Charleston, WV, or join us on the road..

Endangered Birds And Our Song Of The Week, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, nature photographer and conservationist Matt Williams has a passion for birds. His latest book is “Endangered and Disappearing Birds of Appalachia and the Southeast.” Bill Lynch spoke with Williams about the book and helping the bird population.

On this West Virginia Morning, nature photographer and conservationist Matt Williams has a passion for birds. His latest book is “Endangered and Disappearing Birds of Appalachia and the Southeast.” Bill Lynch spoke with Williams about the book and helping the bird population.

Also in this episode, Mountain Stage hosted two shows at The Franklin Theatre in Franklin, Tennessee this week. Our song of the week comes from the performance of Judith Owen, a Welsh singer-songwriter and self-described “drama queen.”

Owen and her band called the “Gentlemen Callers” performed the cult classic song “I Put A Spell On You,” originally recorded in 1956 by “Screamin’ Jay” Hawkins.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Marshall Health.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Caelan Bailey, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick, Maria Young and Randy Yohe.

Eric Douglas is our news director. Maria Young produced this episode. Teresa Wills is our host.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning