Mountain Blog

Ladies and gentlemen, Mountain Stage is BACK at the Culture Center, for what we here think of as our last show of the fiscal year, but what you might think of as our last show in Charleston until sometime this fall. We’ll be joined by Dar Williams, Ray Wylie Hubbard, The dB’s, the New Rope String Band, and Arthur Alligood. And we’re thrilled to be a part of FestivALL Charleston. A few tickets are still available, but man-oh-man, is it getting tight. If you want to come, you need to get tickets now, online, at Taylor Books, and by phone. Expect a packed house.

If there was ever an artist who needs no introduction to Mountain Stage audiences, that man would be Tim O’Brien. But if there’s another artist who needs no introduction, it might be the lovely and talented Dar Williams. Her new CD, In the Time of Gods, marks her ninth studio recording.

And if you still don’t know who Ray Wylie Hubbard is – well, you no longer have an excuse. Hubbard (a high school classmate of Larry Groce) is perhaps best known for his proto country party anthem “Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mothers.” But lately – well, just expect to hear people yell out “SNAKE FARM!” a few times. Snake Farm. It’s a reptile house.

We had a long description of The dB’s written out – but suffice it to say, The dB’s are the missing link between REM and Big Star. If you like either of those two legendary bands, The dB’s are right in the middle, and you own it to yourself to check them out. One of the more creative and enduring indie pop groups of the early ‘80s, North Carolina’s dB’s featured a lineup - Chris Stamey, Peter Holsapple, Will Rigby and Gene Holder - that helped change the course of guitar-driven power pop for years to come. The band’s stellar new album Falling Off the Sky represents their first new album with the original lineup in 30 years.  

The New Rope String Band are gifted musicians, singers, songwriters – and on the vanguard of clowning, all at the same time. Combining superb musicianship with side-splitting comic genius, the three members of the New Rope String Band combine elements of circus, vaudeville, slapstick and Python-esque absurdist humor with beautiful acoustic music from various world traditions. Based in the U.K., the group’s resume includes performances in Borneo's Sarawak rainforest, the Shetland Folk Festival and tiny village halls.” There might be ladders, PVC pipes, seagull impressions, barbershop harmonies and even mime. Will it work on the radio? You’ll have to be there to find out.

Finally, Tennessee born singer-songwriter Arthur Alligood won grand prize honors at the 2011 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest for performing songwriters. Sessions with producer Mikal Blue (Colbie Caillat, Jason Mraz) included in-demand session musicians Jim Keltner on drums, Leland Sklar on bass and Michael Ward on guitar. The resulting album, “One Silver Needle” was released to high praise on the NewSong Recordings label.  

Get your tickets now.

This week’s encore broadcast of Mountain Stage represents one of our most exciting shows of 2011. Recorded live in the border town of Bristol TN/VA, in partnership with our friends at the  Birthplace of Country Music Alliance, you’ll hear from country music icon Vince Gill, along with Jim Lauderdale, the David Mayfield Parade, Red Molly, and John Lilly.

Click here to find a list of stations and times where you can listen. Click here to check the playlist and find out when your favorite tune is coming up. And as always, you can catch a preview of this week's show via our Mountain Stage Song of the Week.

One of the top-selling country music artists of all time, Vince Gill appears on Mountain Stage in support of his first studio album in five years, Guitar Slinger. Gill cut his teeth in the 70’s as a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist with outfits like Ricky Skaggs’ Boone Creek before joining country rockers Pure Prairie League – a group his high school bluegrass band had opened for – in 1979.

He left in 1981 to join Rodney Crowell’s renowned backing band The Cherry Bombs. By the late 80's, Gill was a bona fide superstar, releasing multiple Top 10 platinum-selling albums, and hosting the CMA awards a record-setting 12 consecutive times.

You can see part of his Mountain Stage performance, and hear him talk about his new album and musical roots via our Backstage at Mountain Stage above.

You’ll also hear from the David Mayfield Parade. A Mountain Stage veteran already, Mayfield has appeared with Cadillac Sky, Among the Oak and the Ash, and alongside his sister Jessica Lee Mayfield. David Mayfield’s solo project builds on his solid roots in bluegrass, combining it with folk, indie rock, and his trademark humor and showmanship. See Mayfield and his band in action, and hear him talk about his new record via our Backstage at Mountain Stage above.

Jim Lauderdale also stops by. A multi-talented performer and songwriter with successes in both country and bluegrass music, Jim Lauderdale’s career has taken him all over America’s musical landscape.

He’s among Nashville’s “A” list of songwriters, with tunes recorded by artists such as Patty Loveless, George Jones, The Dixie  Chicks, and Vince Gill. Not content to just write hits for the stars, he’s toured with the likes of Lucinda Williams, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Elvis Costello. His latest release is Patchwork River.

Red Molly makes their first appearance on Mountain Stage. This bluegrass and old-time trio began around a campsite at the 2004 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in upstate New York.

After six years of touring, the New York-based group has expanded its audience and performed at events like Merlefest and the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion. Founding members Laurie MacAllister and Abbie Gardner were recently joined by Austin-based singer/songwriter Molly Venter. Their latest is Light in the Sky.

Finally, you’ll hear from West Virginia’s own John Lilly. The editor of Goldenseal Magazine since 1997, John Lilly’s music recalls the sounds of a different era. Bluegrass Unlimited called 2000's Broken Moon one of the "most unusual and interesting acoustic disks of the year" while 2005's Blue Highway was a collaboration with legendary Tennessee fiddler Ralph Blizard. His current release is John Lilly: Live on Red Barn Radio.

Click here to find out when and where you can hear this show in your area. 

Don’t forget to check us out on Facebook for the latest news about our upcoming live shows and premier broadcasts.

Thanks for listening to Mountain Stage.