Award-winning bluegrass group Balsam Range made their first appearance on Mountain Stage last March with songs from their newly released album Aeonic. Our Song of the Week, “If I Needed Someone,” finds the band blending bluegrass with The Beatles, which helps explain why the band was awarded the prestigious “Entertainers of the Year” at the 2018 International Bluegrass Music Association’s awards and honors.
Credit Brian Blauser/ Mountain Stage
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Gathering for the finale song are members of Yonder Mountain String Band, Balsam Range, Oh Pep!, Le Poules a Colin and Peter Case.
You can hear the entire set from Balsam Range, as well as sets from jam-grass innovators Yonder Mountain String Band, Australian roots-pop group Oh Pep!, plus Quebec’s Les Poules à Colin (now known as Rosier) and alt-folk luminary Peter Case, on this week’s encore episode of Mountain Stage.
We’re reflecting on past Mountain Stage appearances from some of the gifted musicians who we lost in 2019.
We marked the passing of several influential musicians and some home-grown treasures in 2019, and hope you can enjoy the memories shared here.
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George Daugherty, a.k.a The Earl of Elkview
George Daugherty- The Earl of Elkview A beloved performer in West Virginia, Daugherty was The Earl of Elkview and served as guest host in the early period of Mountain Stage. He would play the musical saw and added humorous flavor with his witty, comedic skits and songs. Daugherty was an ambassador for West Virginia and beloved by so many, throughout our state and beyond.
Read the Charleston Gazette-Mail’s remembrance of Daugherty here.
Credit Brian Blauser/ Mountain Stage
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Kofi Burbridge, left, along with Derek Trucks and Mike Mattison of The Derek Trucks Band, February 2009.
Kofi Burbridge visited Mountain Stage three times as a member of the Derek Trucks Band, most recently in February of 2009. You can revisit that set via NPR Music below.
Credit Brian Blauser/ Mountain Stage
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Yonrico Scott, February 2009.
Credit Brian Blauser/ Mountain Stage
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Kofi Burbridge on keyboards, Yonrico Scott on drums, February 2009.
Yonrico Scott (Drummer, Derek Trucks Band- 2009; Royal Southern Brotherhood- 2016) Another past member of the DTB, Yonrico Scott also appeared along with Trucks and company during his long tenure with that band. Scott’s most recent performance on Mountain Stage was alongside Cyril Neville and the Royal Southern Brotherhood in 2016. You can revisit that show in our archives.
The captivatingly mysterious tunesmith Leon Redbone made six appearances on Mountain Stage between 1990 and 2007. His mystique was matched by his expert song choice and comedic timing. Check out his 2007 appearance via NPR Music.
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Dr. John– The night tripper made three appearances on Mountain Stage dating back to 1989. We just revisited his set as part of our “Class of ‘89” Special, in which you can hear his legendary performance, accompanied by members of the Mountain Stage Band. Their version of “Such A Night” was also included in the “Best of Mountain Stage” CD series which you can hear on Spotify. You can hear his entire 1989 set in this post on WVPublic.org, which we updated with a quote from our host, Larry Groce.
Credit Brian Blauser/ Mountain Stage
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Jeff Austin photographed in 2015 on Mountain Stage.
Jeff Austin- In June we joined many music lovers and music makers in mourning the loss of journeyman mandolinist and songwriter Jeff Austin. He was on Mountain Stage in 2006 alongside Yonder Mountain String Band, a group he helped co-found. In 2015 he brought the Jeff Austin Band to the show for the first time, which you can revisit via NPR Music.
Credit Brian Blauser/ Mountain Stage
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Russell Smith on Mountain Stage, 1992.
A highly admired songwriter and guitarist, Russell Smith appeared on Mountain Stage four times in three configurations. Twice with the Amazing Rhythm Aces (1996 & 1999), once as a solo performer (1992) and once with the legendary Run C&W (1993). After Smith’s passing, our host Larry Groce compiled this set of highlights from his various appearances, remarking “If all he had written was “Third Rate Romance,” he would be in my personal Hall of Fame, but he did so much more.”
Art Neville (The Neville Brothers, 10/11/1994)- Art Neville, of quintessential New Orleans group The Neville Brothers, appeared with that band on Mountain Stage in October of 1994. Their performance of “Ayiti” was included in the compilation Louisiana Live on Mountain Stage. Click to listen on Spotify.
Credit Brian Blauser/ Mountain Stage
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Neal Casal soloing on the finale song, March 2017.
Neal Casal – Revered guitarist, producer and songwriter Neal Casal appeared on Mountain Stage as a member of Ryan Adams’ Cardinals in 2007, and he joined us in March, 2017 as part of the Chris Robinson Brotherhood. His tone and fretwork were one of the most distinguishable characteristics of that set, which you can revisit below via NPR Music.
Credit Brian Blauser/ Mountain Stage
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Old time musician Mark Payne, 2003.
Mark Payne -A stalwart member of the old-time music community in West Virginia and beyond, Mark Payne appeared on Mountain Stage as part of the popular string band Gandydancer in 2001 and again in 2003. In addition to countless concerts, festival appearances and recordings, the band also appeared at the Library of Congress in 2007, which you can watch here.
Credit Brian Blauser/ Mountain Stage
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Kelley Looney photographed on Mountain Stage in 2017.
Kelley Looney was a loyal member of Steve Earle’s band since the mid-1990s, and appeared several times alongside Steve on Mountain Stage. His last visit was just earlier this year in June, before his untimely passing later that Summer. Revisit Steve Earle & The Dukes set of songs from Guy via NPR Music below.
Exciting things are on tap for our fall schedule of live Mountain Stage events. There are five shows scheduled and we just made some exciting new additions that you can read about below.
We’ve added the “first family of banjo,” Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn, to our October 26 live recording at the Culture Center Theater on the capitol grounds here in Charleston. Tickets are available online, at Taylor Books or by calling 800.594.TIXX(8499). Here’s a recent write-up from Rolling Stone Country.
This event will be a part of FestivALL FALL, which runs October 24-26.
Also scheduled to appear on October 26 are Australian pop sensation Kate Miller-Heidke, power-house blues vocalist Janiva Magness and Irish duo Storyman, who have appeared twice on Mountain Stage as Guggenheim Grotto.
In other live-show news:
October 5 is SOLD OUT! We are excited to welcome Puss N Boots, a country-tinged trio featuring Sasha Dobson, Norah Jones and Catherine Popper, to our show in support of their debut album, “No Fools, No Fun,” which is out now. As you might guess, advance tickets sold out VERY quickly. We also sold the remainder of our “Fall Access Ticket Packs,” which included a ticket to each of the five shows.
Any available tickets will be put on sale on show day, starting at 5p.m., for $25 at the Culture Center Theater. Also appearing October 5 are Blake Mills, The Duhks, Jill Barber and Curtis McMurtry.
Credit PiperFerguson
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The Devil Makes Three, who opened shows recently for Alison Krauss & Willie Nelson, are appearing on Mountain Stage in Charleston Sunday November 2.
Visit our Live Show Schedule for the entire list of upcoming events and make plans to join us. All shows are at the Culture Center Theater on the state capitol grounds. Doors open at 6:30p.m. and shows start at 7p.m. Keep up on the latest news by following our show on Twitter and be sure to “like” us on Facebook.
Yonder Mountain String Band join the line-up for Mountain Stage in Charleston on Sunday, November 2 at the Culture Center Theater.
