Mountain Stage's Favorite Performances of 2016

2016 was a big year for NPR Music and West Virginia Public Broadcasting‘s Mountain Stage. We celebrated 33 years of live performance radio, commemorated the 25th anniversary of R.E.M.’s legendary set, and listened to the voices of two new guest hosts

And across seven venues in four states, we recorded over 120 live sets that showcased the best and brightest musicians in the world today. Along the way, we video streamed eight of our shows through VuHaus and made some new #gotowv friends along the way (with posters and glass records in tow!).  Of course, none of this would have happened without your support.

Before we embark on another musical year around the sun, Larry Groce and the Mountain Stage crew have picked out 33 performances that deserve another listen and another round of applause. From A to Z, these are our favorite Mountain Stage performances of 2016. (Hint: click the Episode # for their Mountain Stage podcast episode, where available.)

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Aoife O’Donovan – In the Magic Hour (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on October 30, 2016 – Episode #883)

Credit Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage
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Aoife O’Donovan on Mountain Stage

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Billy Bragg & Joe Henry – Gentle On My Mind (Byham Theater in Pittsburgh, PA on September 25, 2016 with WYEP & Pittsburgh Cultural Trust – Episode #879)

Credit Josh Saul/Mountain Stage
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Mountain Stage
Billy Bragg & Joe Henry on Mountain Stage
2016-10-28_billy_bragg___joe_henry-gentle_on_my_mind.mp3
Billy Bragg & Joe Henry – "Gentle on My Mind" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Bottle Rockets – Dog (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on March 20, 2016 – Episode #866)

Credit Josh Saul/Mountain Stage
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Bottle Rockets on Mountain Stage
2016-04-29_bottle_rockets-dog.mp3
Bottle Rockets – "Dog" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Brett Dennen – Cassidy (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on May 8, 2016 – Episode #870)

Credit Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage
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Brett Dennen on Mountain Stage
2016-06-03_brett_dennen-cassidy.mp3
Brett Dennen – "Cassidy" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Cheryl Wheeler – Estate Sale (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on July 24, 2016 – Episode #874)

Credit Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage
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Cheryl Wheeler on Mountain Stage
2016-12-06_cheryl_wheeler-estate_sale.mp3
Cheryl Wheeler – "Estate Sale" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Chris Smither – Leave the Light On (Byham Theater in Pittsburgh, PA on September 25, 2016 with WYEP & Pittsburgh Cultural Trust – Episode #879)

Credit Josh Saul/Mountain Stage
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Chris Smither on Mountain Stage
mtnstage161028_chris_smither-leave_the_light_on.mp3
Chris Smither – "Leave the Light On" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Darrell Scott – Desperados Waiting for a Train (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on May 22, 2016 – Episode #871)

Credit Josh Saul/Mountain Stage
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Darrell Scott on Mountain Stage
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Darrell Scott – "Desperados Waiting for a Train" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Foy Vance – Ziggy Looked Me In The Eye (Clay Center in Charleston, WV on October 16, 2016 – Episode #881)

Credit Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage
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Foy Vance on Mountain Stage
2016-11-11_foy_vance-children_of_the_revolution.mp3
Foy Vance – "Ziggy Looked Me In The Eye" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Hayes Carll – Sake of the Song (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on May 22, 2016 – Episode #871)

Credit Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage
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Hayes Carll on Mountain Stage
2016-06-10_hayes_carll-sake_of_the_song.mp3
Hayes Carll – "Sake of the Song" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Indigo Girls – Shame on You (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on September 18, 2016 – Episode #878)

Credit Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage
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Indigo Girls on Mountain Stage
2016-12-06_indigo_girls-shame_on_you.mp3
Indigo Girls – "Shame on You" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Iron & Wine – We Two are Moon (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on December 4, 2016 – Episode #885)

Credit Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage
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Iron & Wine on Mountain Stage
2016-12-06_iron___wine-we_too_are_moon.mp3
Iron & Wine – "We Too are Moon" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Jerry Douglas presents The Earls of Leicester – Down the Road (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on July 24, 2016 – Episode #874)

Credit Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage
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Jerry Douglas presents The Earls of Leicester on Mountain Stage
2016-12-06_earls_of_leicester-down_the_road.mp3
Jerry Douglas presents The Earls of Leicester – "Down the Road" – Live from Mountain Stage

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John Paul White – Once and Future Queen (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on November 20, 2016 – Episode #884)

Credit Josh Saul/Mountain Stage
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John Paul White on Mountain Stage
2016-12-09_john_paul_white-once_and_future_queen.mp3
John Paul White – "Once and Future Queen" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Judy Collins with Ari Hest – I Choose Love (West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV on April 17, 2016 – Episode #868)

Credit Brian Blauser/MountainStage
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Judy Collins with Ari Hest on Mountain Stage
2016-05-13_judy_collins-i_choose_love.mp3
Judy Collins with Ari Hest – "I Choose Love" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Lake Street Dive – Call Off Your Dogs (Clay Center in Charleston, WV on June 5, 2016 – Episode #872)

Credit Josh Saul/Mountain Stage
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Lake Street Dive on Mountain Stage
mtnstage160909_lake_street_dive-call_off_your_dogs.mp3
Lake Street Dive – "Call Off Your Dogs" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Lucius – I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on June 26, 2016 – Episode #873)

Credit Josh Saul/Mountain Stage
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Lucius on Mountain Stage
2016-09-16_lucius-i_can_t_help_falling_in_love.mp3
Lucius – "I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Margaret Glaspy – Emotions and Math (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on June 26, 2016 – Episode #873)

Credit Josh Saul/Mountain Stage
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Margaret Glaspy on Mountain Stage
mtnstage160916_lucius_margaret_glaspy-emotions_and_math.mp3
Margaret Glaspy – "Emotions and Math" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Mike Cooley – Made Up English Oceans (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on March 20, 2016 – Episode #866)

Credit Josh Saul/Mountain Stage
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Mike Cooley on Mountain Stage
mtnstage2016_mike_cooley-english_oceans.mp3
Mike Cooley – "English Oceans" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Ona – Sleep, Rinse, Repeat (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on February 21, 2016 – Episode #864)

Credit Brian Blauser/MountainStage
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Ona on Mountain Stage
mtnstage2016_ona-sleep_rinse_repeat_fix.mp3
Ona – "Sleep, Rinse, Repeat" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Overcoats – Smaller Than My Mother (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on February 21, 2016 – Episode #864)

Credit Brian Blauser/MountainStage
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Overcoats on Mountain Stage
mtnstage2016_overcoats-smaller_than_my_mother.mp3
Overcoats – "Smaller Than My Mother" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Rhiannon Giddens – At the Purchaser’s Option (Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, WV on August 13, 2016 – Episode #876)

Credit Josh Saul/Mountain Stage
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Rhiannon Giddens on Mountain Stage
2016-10-07_rhiannon_giddens-the_purchaser_s_dillema.mp3
Rhiannon Giddens – "At the Purchaser's Option" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Robbie Fulks – Aunt Peg’s Old Man (University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY on April 3, 2016, with WUKY – Episode #867)

Credit Josh Saul/Mountain Stage
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Robbie Fulks on Mountain Stage
2016-12-09_robbie_fulks-aunt_peg_s_new_old_man.mp3
Robbie Fulks – "Aunt Peg's Old Man" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Robert Ellis – California (Byham Theater in Pittsburgh, PA on September 25, 2016 with WYEP & Pittsburgh Cultural Trust – Episode #879)

Credit Josh Saul/Mountain Stage
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Robert Ellis on Mountain Stage
mtnstage161028_robert_ellis-california.mp3
Robert Ellis – "California" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Sarah Jarosz – House of Mercy (University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY on April 3, 2016 with WUKY – Episode #867)

Credit Josh Saul/Mountain Stage
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Sarah Jarosz on Mountain Stage
2016-06-17_sarah_jarosz-house_of_mercy.mp3
Sarah Jarosz – "House of Mercy" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Steve Poltz – Folksinger (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on May 1, 2016 – Episode #869)

Credit Brian Blauser/MountainStage
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Steve Poltz on Mountain Stage
2016-12-06_steve_poltz-folksinger.mp3
Steve Poltz – "Folksinger" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Suzzy Roche and Lucy Wainwright Roche – Bleeker Street (Clay Center in Charleston, WV on June 5, 2016 – Episode #872)

Credit Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage
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Suzzy Roche and Lucy Wainwright Roche on Mountain Stage
2016-12-06_lucy_wainwright_roche___suzy_roche-bleeker_street.mp3
Suzzy Roche and Lucy Wainwright Roche – "Bleeker Street" – Live from Mountain Stage

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The Wood Brothers – Never and Always (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on May 1, 2016 – Episode #869)

Credit Brian Blauser/MountainStage
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The Wood Brothers on Mountain Stage
2016-05-20_the_wood_brothers-never_and_always.mp3
The Wood Brothers – "Never and Always" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Tift Merritt – Heartache is an Uphill Climb (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on December 4, 2016 – Episode #885)

Credit Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage
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Tift Merritt on Mountain Stage
2016-12-06_tift_merrit-heartache_is_an_uphill_climb.mp3
Tift Merritt – "Heartache is an Uphill Climb" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Todd Burge – Time to Waste Time (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on December 4, 2016 – Episode #885)

Credit Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage
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Todd Burge on Mountain Stage
2016-12-06_todd_burge-time_to_waste_time.mp3
Todd Burge – "Time to Waste Time" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Todd Snider – Stuck on the Corner (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on October 23, 2016 – Episode #882)

Credit Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage
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Todd Snider on Mountain Stage
2016-12-06_todd_snider-sanity___madness.mp3
Todd Snider – "Stuck on the Corner" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Wilco – Space Oddity (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on February 14, 2016 – Episode #863)

Credit Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage
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Wilco on Mountain Stage
2016-04-01_wilco-space_oddity.mp3
Wilco – "Space Oddity" – Live from Mountain Stage

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William Matheny – Living Half to Death (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on June 26, 2016 – Episode #873)

Credit Josh Saul/Mountain Stage
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William Matheny on Mountain Stage
2016-09-16_william_matheny-living_half_to_death.mp3
William Matheny – "Living Half to Death" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Wynonna & the Big Noise – These Are The Things That I Lean On (Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV on September 18, 2016 – Episode #878)

Credit Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage
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Wynonna & the Big Noise on Mountain Stage
2016-10-21_wynonna-things_that_i_lean_on_.mp3
Wynonna & the Big Noise – "These Are The Things That I Lean On" – Live from Mountain Stage

WATCH LIVE: Iron & Wine, Tift Merritt, Todd Burge, Andy Shauf & Paper Bird on Mountain Stage

Grab some snacks and a party hat! You’re invited to the 33rd anniversary celebration of NPR Music and West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Mountain Stage.

This Sunday, December 4, point your browser to MountainStage.org at 7pm ET to watch a LIVE recording of Mountain Stage via VuHaus.

Sunday’s sold out show at Charleston’s Culture Center Theater marks Mountain Stage’s 885th episode and features performances by Iron & Wine, Tift Merritt, Todd Burge, Andy Shauf, and Paper Bird. Our radio listeners will hear this episode on over 180 NPR stations via NPR Music starting January.

For those of you watching along online, make sure to share your listening/watching experience with us! Use #MountainStage and #gotowv.

Tag Mountain Stage on TwitterInstagram, and Facebook. Find VuHaus on TwitterInstagram, and Facebook.

Grab tickets to our first shows of 2017 featuring Men at Work’s Colin Hay, Andrew Bird, Pokey LaFarge, Pink Martini, and more.

Watch more Mountain Stage performances (including Wynonna & the Big Noise, Leftover Salmon, and Indigo Girls) on VuHaus.

Listen to Tift Merritt's "Bramble Rose" on Mountain Stage

“Bramble Rose” was the title track on Tift Merritt’s widely-acclaimed debut album, which was released in 2002. Over a decade later, The Eagles’ Don Henley chose to kick off his long-awaited album of country songs with his own version of “Bramble Rose,” which also featured vocals by Mick Jagger and country superstar Miranda Lambert. She revisits the song during this week’s broadcast of Mountain Stage, recorded live in Cook County, Minnesota.

Mountain Stage's Favorite Performances of 2015

2015 was a big year for Mountain Stage. We began a beautiful friendship with public radio music discovery machine VuHaus. We created a new, bite-size podcast called Mountain Stage 2 Go.

And across nine venues in four states, we recorded over 100 live sets that showcased the best and brightest musicians in the world today. (Of course, none of this would have happened without your support!)

Before we embark on our 33rd musical year around the sun, Larry Groce and the Mountain Stage crew have picked out 27 performances that deserve another listen and another round of applause. From A to Z, these are our favorite Mountain Stage performances of 2015. (Hint: click the Episode # for their Mountain Stage podcast episode, where available.)

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Allen Toussaint (Keith-Albee Theater in Huntington, WV on February 15, 2015 – Episode #838)

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Bahamas (June 14, 2015 – Episode #846)

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Craig Finn (November 1, 2015 – Episode #857)

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Darlingside (University of Ohio in Athens, Ohio with WOUB on October 18, 2015 – Episode #855)

Credit Mountain Stage / Brian Blauser
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2015-11-13_darlingside-god_of_loss.mp3
Darlingside – "God of Loss" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Dawes (June 7, 2015 – Episode #845)

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Drive-By Truckers (West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV on March 15, 2015 – Episode #841)

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Earls of Leicester (March 8, 2015 – Episode #840

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Field Report (June 14, 2015 – Episode #846)

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Jimmy LaFave (North House Folk School in Grand Marais, MN with WTIP, KUMD and MPR on September 18, 2015 – Episode #853)

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Joe Pug (May 5, 2015 – Episode #844)

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John Mark Nelson (North House Folk School in Grand Marais, MN with WTIP, KUMD and MPR on September 18, 2015 – Episode #853)

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2015-10-30_john_mark_nelson-dream_last_night.mp3
John Mark Nelson – "Dream Last Night" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Josh Ritter (December 6, 2015 – Episode #860)

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Kentucky Headhunters (August 30, 2015 – Episode #851)

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Kinky Friedman (November 8, 2015 – Episode #858)

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Kristin Andreassen (West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV on January 18, 2015 – Episode #835)

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Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys (December 6, 2015 – Episode #860)

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Mac McAnally (West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV on January 18, 2015 – Episode #835)

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Malcolm Holcombe (February 8, 2015 – Episode #837)

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Martha Scanlan (North House Folk School in Grand Marais, MN with WTIP, KUMD and MPR on September 17, 2015 – Episode #852)

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The Milk Carton Kids (West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV on April 12, 2015 – Episode #843)

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Nellie McKay (Barter Theatre in Abingdon, VA with WETS on August 16, 2015 – Episode #850)

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Pokey LaFarge (May 5, 2015 – Episode #844)

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Ray Wylie Hubbard (February 8, 2015 – Episode #837)

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Sam Gleaves (Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, WV on August 8, 2015 – Episode #849)

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Tift Merritt (North House Folk School in Grand Marais, MN with WTIP, KUMD and MPR on September 17, 2015 – Episode #852)

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2015-10-23_tift_merritt-bramble_rose.mp3
Tift Merritt – "Bramble Rose" – Live from Mountain Stage

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Turnpike Troubadours (November 1, 2015 – Episode #857)

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Tyler Childers (July 26, 2015 – Episode #848)

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Mountain Stage After Midnight: Tift Merritt, Hot Club of Cowtown, David Lindley

Did you hear? Our good friend Tift Merritt is returning to Mountain Stage this fall! Since we have such a “Sweet Spot” for the singer-songwriter, we’ll look back at one of her last performances (in Alaska, no less!) on this week’s Mountain Stage After Midnight

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 32 year history and shares their memories and songs with our late-night listeners.

Stay up late this Saturday August 1 and Sunday August 2 for some spectacular sets on Mountain Stage After Midnight.

We’ll hear our set of 2012 shows from the Davis Fine Arts Center in Fairbanks, Alaska. One featuring Hot Club of Cowtown, Horse Feathers, Tim Easton, Melissa Mitchell and The Whipsaws.

Credit Todd Paris/Mountain Stage
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Hot Club of Cowtown on a special Fairbanks, Alaska broadcast.

The other featuring David Lindley, Bearfoot, Tift Merritt, Pat Fitzgerald & Robin Dale Ford, Steve Brown  & the Bailers and Susan Grace.

Want to hear more from Mounain Stage? Check out our live show schedule and be a part of our next recording! Listen to our 24-7 stream of archived shows (that you can’t hear anywhere else!). You can also keep up with our travels on social media (find and follow us on FacebookTwitterTumblr and Instagram). And if want Larry and the Mountain Stage crew to bring the party to you, contact your local public radio station and request the show be recorded in your neck of the woods.

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