Mountain Stage Song of the Week

On this West Virginia Morning, we’ll learn about the name of the town of Odd, West Virginia in Raleigh County. Also, in this show, we hear a conversation with a professor in Appalachia who works to lift the voices of LGBTQ authors in rural spaces, and we hear this week’s Mountain Stage Song of the Week brought to us by the John Pizzarelli Trio.

Renowned jazz singer and guitarist John Pizzarelli brings his trio to Mountain Stage in this week's encore episode.

On this West Virginia Morning, we hear an update from Gov. Jim Justice who is warning of mandating face masks in public. Also, in this show, we hear how colleges and universities in the state are reacting to financial challenges brought on by COVID-19; we hear the latest on the unprecedented numbers of unemployment claims in the region; we hear about a federal spending bill that may help improve infrastructure in coal-reliant communities, and we hear this week’s Mountain Stage Song of the Week.

On this West Virginia Morning, while some statues of confederate generals have been toppled or ordered down in some cities and towns, the debate carries on in other places. We hear about one man’s mission to bring down a statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee in Murray, Kentucky. Also, we hear about Appalachia’s connection to Wales through music, and we listen to this week’s Mountain Stage song of the week.

Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale are the singers, songwriters and guitarists that comprise the modern folk duo The Milk Carton Kids. Hear their 2019 performance on "Mountain Stage" starting this Friday.

On this West Virginia Morning, we conclude our week of youth-themed coverage with a father who shares the memory of meeting his daughter just after she was born. Also, we hear another winning student writer – this time from kindergarten. We also have a discussion on how the coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately affected black Americans, and we bring you this week’s Mountain Stage Song of the Week.

This week’s broadcast reflects on some of our favorite performers who appeared on Mountain Stage in recent years during FestivALL Charleston, the city-wide arts celebration that helps our hometown become a work of art throughout the year, including their summer and fall festivals.

Do you remember the 18th of September, 2016? If you were at Mountain Stage you sure do. It was a ladies’ night and the feeling was oh so right.

Our Song of the Week is a modern-day blues original by the incomparable Adia Victoria.

On this West Virginia Morning, it's election season, and in West Virginia that used to mean everyone and their dead brother was casting a vote. Have times changed? We talk with a historian about voter fraud. Also, we hear a report on high numbers of cases of COVID-19 in the Eastern Panhandle, and we bring you this week’s Mountain Stage Song of the Week.

Our Listeners’ Choice series of special broadcasts continues this weekend with a 2016 episode featuring Indigo Girls, Patty Larkin, Lydia Loveless and country mega-star Wynonna & the Big Noise.

This week’s broadcast continues our Listeners' Choice series with a 2015 episode we recorded at The Clay Center in Charleston, W.Va. during FestivALL Charleston. We’ll hear performances by Chris Stapleton, Joan Osborne, Joe Ely, and a collaboration between The Fairfield Four and The McCrary Sisters called “Rock My Soul.”

It’s a certifiable all-star line-up on this week’s show with performances by acclaimed soul troop Robert Cray Band, gospel legends The Blind Boys of Alabama, blues torchbearer John Hammond, and Dumpstaphunk, recorded in Charleston, W.Va. on March 23, 2014.

On this West Virginia Morning, 19-year-old banjo player Trevor Hammons never met his musical ancestors, but he’s determined to make sure their legacy lives on. We also hear a report about the upcoming primary election in West Virginia, and we bring you this week’s Mountain Stage Song of the Week.

Our Listeners' Choice episodes of Mountain Stage continue this week with a classic show from 2011 featuring Dawes, Jason Isbell & 400 Unit, Blitzen Trapper, James McMurtry and Matthew Sweet.

Check out the playlist here and find out where you can listen on these public radio stations starting Friday.

On this West Virginia Morning, the front porch is a traditional gathering place for Appalachian families, and in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, one reporter shares how those practices have become even more important. We also hear a report about the increased risk for coal miners due to COVID-19, and we bring you this week’s Mountain Stage Song of the Week.

This week's Listeners' Choice episode of Mountain Stage comes from a road-show recorded in Bristol, TN/VA with the Birthplace of Country Music.

On this West Virginia Morning, we visit a music camp in Whitesburg, Kentucky that is empowering young people. We also hear an update about unemployment numbers across the Ohio Valley during this coronavirus pandemic, and we bring you this week’s Mountain Stage Song of the Week.

On this West Virginia Morning, we explore how to stay connected to one’s faith while houses of worship are closed. We also bring you a few moments of Zen, courtesy of the West Virginia Botanic Garden, and we listen to this week’s Mountain Stage Song of the Week.

This week we're looking back to a 2010 episode we recorded at the Clay Center as voted on by our listeners.

On this West Virginia Morning, we visit Charleston’s historic Triangle District, a community forever changed by urban development. We also bring you an update from the Ohio Valley region on unemployment claims filed due to the coronavirus pandemic, and we bring you this week’s Mountain Stage Song of the Week.

Letha Mullins is a nurse who lives in Logan County, West Virginia. She was diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 24 and spent more than two weeks in self-isolation. In this audio postcard she talks about how the virus took a toll on her body and her spirit.

This week we are revisiting a special edition of Mountain Stage that our host Larry Groce originally compiled in the wake of September 11, 2001. "Songs of Hard Times and Hope" includes uplifting and inspirational songs from Sarah McLachlan, R.E.M., Billy Bragg, The Band, June Tabor, Richard Thompson and more.

For our Song of the Week, Larry chose Rodney Crowell's "Love Is All I Need," which originally appears on Crowell's 2001 album Houston Kid.

On this West Virginia Morning, modeling can help show health officials when the coronavirus is expected to peak in West Virginia. And you had questions about COVID-19; we have answers.

Songwriter Joe Pug has made six appearances on Mountain Stage since 2008. His ability to paint a scene is among his greatest gifts, as you can hear in our song of the week, "After Curfew."

On this West Virginia Morning, food pantries across the state cope as the coronavirus turns life upside down – we’ll explore regional food security in the Mountain State. We also bring you this week’s Mountain Stage Song of the Week.

One of the most awarded groups in bluegrass history sings one of the Mountain State’s most beloved anthems.

On this West Virginia Morning, we have a few stories about how best to cope with anxiety – both for kids, and adults. We also bring you this week’s Mountain Stage Song of the Week.

West Virginia has an aging population, and concerns over the novel coronavirus are gathering momentum as surrounding states identify more and more cases. On this West Virginia Morning, we hear how the state is preparing.

Hear Glen Phillips makes his eighth appearance on Mountain Stage this weekend and enjoy this preview with his performance of "Held Up."