Mountain Blog

It’s a new month with a line-up of encore episodes of Mountain Stage coming up on your public radio station. Check out our Radio Newsletter for a look at this month’s schedule.

This week you’ll hear Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit with songs from their self-titled release, which was nominated for Album of the Year at the Americana Music Awards in 2009. Also on the bill are jazzy songstress Madeleine Peyroux, innovative cellist Ben Sollee, 70s hit makers Poco and singer-songwriter Jill Sobule.

Sobule is the subject of our “Song of the Week” feature with a performance of her “Love song for the end of the world,” called “It’s a Good Life.” It appears on her most recent album “California Years.”

Find a station in your area to look for when you can tune in for another episode of Mountain Stage. We thank you for tuning in and telling your friends.  

Our own Mona Seghatolaslami at WV Public Radio did an interview with Judy Collins that you can hear below. She talks about her latest CD "Paradise" and her approach to interpreting songs in her own, classic style.

 

Judy joins us for the fifth time this Sunday at The Clay Center along with Josh Ritter & Royal City Band, Mary Gauthier, Serena Ryder and Megan McCormick. For more check out our new "Setting the Stage Newsletter." (PDF format)

Showtime is 7pm and tickets are available HERE and locally at Taylor Books. Charge by phone at 800.594.TIXX.

We're gearing up to record episode #723 in Charleston, WV this Sunday at The Clay Center. Our guests will be Josh Ritter & Royal City Band, Judy Collins, Serena Ryder, Megan McCormick and Mary Gauthier.

Check out the latest "Setting the Stage" newsletter for the latest on this show, including links to artist websites and ticketing info.

Check out this amazing video for Josh's "The Curse," which premiered at NPR a few weeks back. The track is from Ritter's critically acclaimed latest CD "So Runs the World Away," also out on Vinyl and Mp3.

We'll head to Bristol, TN/VA on Sunday, August 15 for another trip to the historic Birthplace of Country Music. Our guests are Doc Watson, David Holt, Laura Boosinger, Bob Livingston and Justin Townes Earle.

Watson and Holt's Grammy winning duo CD "Legacy" is jam-packed with recorded conversation and song, as well as a 32-page informative booklet with photos, stories and interviews. Get a copy today via this link to Amazon and a portion of your purchase goes to WV Public Broadcasting at no extra charge. (Learn more here)

Tickets for August 15 are available at the Paramount Center Box Office, 518 State Street, by phone at 423.274.8920 or online. We hope you can come see us in Bristol.

Our latest segment at NPR Music features Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson with songs from their first CD as a duo, "Rattlin' Bones." You can see our interview with Kasey & Shane Backstage at Mountain Stage and hear how country music fits into their influences.

We also have an interview with Robert Cray, who you can also hear at NPR Music. Stay tuned for sets by Robin & Linda Williams and Riley Baugus.

We're just a little over two weeks away from our next trip to The Birthplace of Country Music, Bristol, TN/VA. Our radio listeners can relive our last visit this weekend as we present an encore episode of last year's program featuring The Robert Cray Band with songs from his latest, This Time. You'll also hear the world renowned Texas troubadour troupe The Flatlanders, Australian alt-country darling Kasey Chambers & Shane Nichols, Robin & Linda Williams and old-time banjo man Riley Baugus.

Check out our "Backstage at Mountain Stage" interview with Robert Cray from our YouTube Channel below, and be sure to watch our conversation with Kasey Chambers & Shane Nichols there as well.

We've also got a track by The Flatlanders as a preview for our Song of the Week; the Texas trio of troubadours sing Joe Ely's "Homeland Refugee," from their 2009 CD "Hills & Valleys."

If you'd like to join us for this year's trip to the Paramount Center for the Arts on historic State Street in Bristol, you can get tickets ONLINE, by phone at 423.274.8920 or by stopping by the box office. Our guests will be Doc Watson, David Holt, Justin Townes Earle, Laura Boosinger and Bob Livingston.

We've finalized our lineup for August 15 in Bristol with the additions of North Carolina-based banjo gal Laura Boosinger and Texan outlaw singer Bob Livingston. They'll appear alongside Doc Watson, David Holt and Justin Townes Earle. Visit the Live Show Schedule for more ticket info and useful links.

Tickets are on sale online, at the Paramount Box Office or by phone at 423.274.8920. This show is presented by The Birthplace of Country Music Alliance.

We've added authentic country pioneer Gene Watson to our August 29 show, also featuring The SteelDrivers and Abigail Washburn. Tickets for this show at the Culture Center are on sale now online, by phone at 800.594.TIXX or at Taylor Books. Watson has been at it since his debut in 1969, and the dozens of records he's release since have held true to his country roots ever since.

You can stream an mp3 of his duet with Bluegrass Queen Rhonda Vincent "Staying Together," recently nominated for The ACM Awards' Vocal Event of the Year and then go get your tickets for August 29 online, by phone at 800.594.TIXX or locally at Taylor Books.

Josh Ritter & the Royal City Band, who will join us in Charleston on August 1, have been into some neat things lately.

Before embarking on a hugely successful trip to Ireland they did a gig with a pretty prestigious back-up band, the Minnesota Orchestra.

Check out this review of the show and take a look at some photos from the Ireland shows on his website.

Ritter premiered a new music video for "The Curse" at NPR's All Songs Considered Blog, directed by drummer and puppeteer Liam Hurley. (Click to Purchase the song on Amazon). It appears on Ritter's critically acclaimed latest CD "So Runs The World Away." ($8.99 on Amazon). He talks more about it in this Morning Edition interview.

Ritter & the Royal City Band join us Sunday, August 1 at the Clay Center, along with folk music icon Judy Collins, balladeer Mary Gauthier, newcomer Megan McCormick and big-voiced Serena Ryder.

Get tickets ONLINE, by phone at 304.561.3570, or locally at Taylor Books.

We're happy to announce the addition of violinist/singer/guitarist Tracy Bonham to the line-up for next Sunday's recording at the Culture Center Theater. She joins Dar Williams, Appalachian Voices: featuring Yim Yames of My Morning Jacket, Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore, Jeff Daniels  and newcomer Carsie Blanton. For more on each guest and ticket information read the latest "Live On Stage" Newsletter (pdf reader required).

Bonham just released her new CD, "Masts of Manhatta" on July 13 (on sale at Amazon for $8.99!) and was on The Tonight Show Monday evening. Her influential 1996 debut, "The Burdens of Being Upright" garnered Grammy nominations for "Best Female Vocalist" and "Best Alternative Rock Performance."

She's released four more albums since and has been involved in several different projects over the years, including singing and playing in the touring band of the Blue Man Group on their "Complex Rock Tour Live." She's an innovative performer and we're looking forward to seeing what she has in store for us on July 25.

Tickets are going fast! Get yours online, at Taylor Books here in Charleston and by phone at 800.594.TIXX.

Over at NPR Music we have sets from Dierks Bentley & and the Travelin' McCourys featuring songs from his bluegrass influenced album "Up On the Ridge." The NPR Music set includes their version of "Feel That Fire," not heard on the radio broadcast.

Then John Jorgenson and his Quintet bring the Hot Club of France straight to your speakers. If you like his set of swingin' hot jazz then his latest "One Stolen Night"  is the stuff for you.

Stay tuned to NPR Music for sets from Fred Eaglesmith, "Titan of the Telecaster" Bill Kirchen and West Virginia's own Country Music Hall of Famer, Charlie McCoy & the WV Super Pickers.

Stay tuned for next week's encore presentation featuring Marcia Ball, Hill Country Revue, Maia Sharp, Cracker and Other Lives.
Read the playlist and find a station in your area so you can tune in on the radio. As always you can see the Broadcast Schedule for a look at the radio shows for the weeks ahead.

We've just completed the line-up to our August 1 recording at the Clay Center in Charleston with the addition of Serene Ryder.

She was with us once before in Morgantown and she's released two records since; the latest is called "Is It OK." You can preview the record on her website or Amazon and get your tickets for August 1 online, by phone at 304.561.3570 or at Taylor Books in downtown, Charleston.

We hope to see you there.

Tickets are on sale this Friday, July 9, for three of our upcoming live recordings. Visit the Live Show Schedule for more info.

On Sunday, August 1 we return to The Clay Center for a show with Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band, Judy Collins, Mary Gauthier and, just added, Nashville new-comer and ETSU alum Megan McCormick.

Tickets for August 1 are $14 in advance and $20 at the door, and they go on sale Friday July 9 at 10am via The Clay Center's website, by phone at 304.561.3570, and Taylor Books in downtown, Charleston.

Also on sale Friday, at 9am, are tickets for our Sunday, August 15 return to Bristol, TN/VA and the Parmount Center for the Arts, with our friends in the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance.Doc Watson, David Holt and Justin Townes Earle have already signed on to appear.

Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Get yours online, by phone at 423.274.8920 or at the Paramount Box Office on the Tennessee side of State Street in beautiful, historic Bristol.

And while we're making announcements, we're happy to let you know that The SteelDrivers and Abigail Washburn will join us at the Culture Center Theater on Sunday, August 29, for a 7pm show. The SteelDrivers are gearing up to release Reckless on September 14 and Abigail's latest, City of Refuge, is due August 31. She has some new digital releases on her website as well. Tickets are available Online, by phone at 800.594.TIXX, or at Taylor Books in downtown, Charleston.

We are happy to announce our fifth trip to the Birthplace of Country Music, the border town of Bristol, TN/VA, on Sunday, August 15. Our friends at the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance are welcoming us back for our sixth recording in five years at the Paramount Center for the Arts.

Everything about Bristol is vibrant and historic. If you aren't familiar with the place where, in 1927, Ralph Peer made some of the first commercially successful recordings of The Carter Family, Jimmy Rogers and more, then you can do a little reading to catch up and watch a video from our HD-TV series below.

We've got three esteemed guests lined up already, including the legendary roots guitarist Doc Watson, another roots music luminary in David Holt, plus singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle.

Tickets will go on sale Friday, July 9 and will be available ONLINE, by phone at 423.274.8920, or the Paramount Box Office at 518 State Street, Bristol, TN. We're looking forward to returning to Bristol.

We've got two exciting live shows in the works. Sunday, July 25, we return to the Culture Center Theater for a show featuring Dar Williams, Appalachian Voices: Yim Yames (of My Morning Jacket), Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore, and we've just added singer/songwriter and actor Jeff Daniels to the line-up.

Daniels was with us when we recorded in his home state of Michigan. We're looking forward to welcoming him to our home state of West Virginia for his second appearance. His latest is called "Grandfather's Hat" and features his thoughtful and insightful songs.

Tickets are on sale NOW online, at Taylor Books and by phone at 800.594.TIXX.

Doors open at 6:30pm, showtime is 7pm. We'll announce additions to the line-up here as they are confirmed.

On Sunday, August 1 we return to The Clay Center for a show featuring Josh Ritter & Royal City Band, Mary Gauthier and folk-
icon and authorJudy Collins. This will be Ritter's third appearance, Gauthier's fourth and Collins' fifth appearance. Tickets will be on sale soon, so stay tuned to the Mountain Stage Blog  for that announcement.

Ritter's latest CD "So Runs the World Away" is also out on Vinyl and Mp3. You can get a free Mp3 on his website. It's already received some great reviews.