Adam Harris Published

Mountain Stage Live Show News: Robert Earl Keen, Martin Sexton, Southern Avenue and More

REK - 2022 Promo

The Road Goes On Forever…until it doesn’t. Legendary Texas songwriter and entertainer Robert Earl Keen will wrap up 41 years on the road with his 2022 Final Tour, I’m Comin’ Home: 41 Years On The Road. Retiring from performing at the top of his game, Keen’s final public concert will be September 4 at John T. Floores Country Store in Helotes, Texas, followed by a fan appreciation party at the same venue on September 5. Keen will perform a special extended set on Mountain Stage at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, W.Va. on Sunday, July 24. Tickets are available now via Eventbrite.

Mountain Stage artistic director and co-founder Larry Groce will return as guest-host, and Eastern North Carolina-based gospel group The Dedicated Men of Zion are scheduled to appear as well. More guests will be announced in the coming weeks. Sign up for our e-mail updates for the latest.

Get your tickets for July 24 here.

Keen, who has visited Mountain Stage ten times since 1989, made the announcement in January with a personal video posted on his social media accounts. “I’ve been blessed with a lifetime of brilliant, talented, colorful, electrical, magical folks throughout my life,” Keen said. “This chorus of joy, this parade of passion, this bull rush of creativity, this colony of kindness and generosity are foremost in my thoughts today. It’s with a mysterious concoction of joy and sadness that I want to tell you that as of September 4, 2022, I will no longer tour or perform publicly.”

Robert’s personal video announcement HERE.

Mountain Stage has just announced two other additions to the live show schedule- Larry Groce will return to host on Sunday, May 22 when soulful songwriter, guitarist and performer Martin Sexton returns to Mountain Stage for the fifth time since 2009. South Eastern songwriter and visual artist Abe Partridge will appear as well. On Sunday, June 19, host Kathy Mattea welcomes Grammy-nominated R&B and Soul band Southern Avenue, Ireland’s beloved roots group We Banjo 3, and New Orleans “folk soul diva” Lilli Lewis. Tickets to both events are on sale now to Mountain Stage Members, and will be available online starting Friday, March 25 at 10a.m. EST. Mountain Stage Members make a recurring gift of $10 a month or more, and receive early access to tickets for our Culture Center Shows before they go on sale to the public. Browse our levels and sign up for by clicking “Membership” at MountainStage.org.

Take a listen to Keen’s 2013 performance from Morgantown, W.Va., which helped Mountain Stage kick off its 30th Anniversary year.