Not long into it, you realize that this is not your run-of-the-mill radio show.

Mountain Stage, a two-hour radio program produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting, is more like a concert featuring independent artists ranging from household names to those you may have never heard of.

The popular program is coming to our backyard. Five musicians will take the stage at the West Virginia University Creative Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, as the show returns to Morgantown.

Hosted by Larry Groce, who wrote and sang many Disney favorites, Mountain Stage is considered a prime avenue for music lovers to experience a diverse blend of music all in one night, from the traditional to the modern.

The 16-year-old radio show records 26 live shows each year and prides itself on bringing both new and old bands to the masses.

“This will be unlike any concert you’ve ever been to before,” Groce said during one of the shows in Morgantown, W.Va., last spring.

Some of the best singer/songwriters have performed on the show’s stage, whether it be in its hometown of Charleston, W.Va., or traveling across the country. In recent months, musical artists such as Fountains of Wayne, Patty Loveless, Dierks Bentley, Little Big Town and Joshua Radin have performed on the show.

On the docket for the Morgantown show are many great artists, including Regina Spektor, Sonny Landreth, Yo La Tengo, Will Hoge and Great Lake Swimmers.

Spektor is best known for her ability to paint stories with her songwriting while creating haunting melodies in the process. Her third and most recent record, “Far,” showcases her powerhouse voice, hip-hop rhythm and pop/punk melodies. In June she performed “Laughing With,” the first single from “Far,” on “Good Morning America” and was featured on “The Late Show with David Letterman” just a few days later.

Entertainment Weekly called Sonny Landreth a “bona fide guitar hero” for being a slide-guitar wizard. On his latest album, “From the Reach,” he collaborates with legends such as Eric Clapton, Vince Gill and Jimmy Buffet and is said to be “one of the most underestimated musicians on the planet.”

Yo La Tengo’s new record, “Popular Songs,” shows that the band is trying to master a large range of musical styles. Playing songs that range from up-tempo to slow and soulful, this band is not new to the music scene. The husband-and-wife duo, Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley, will continue to challenge their music while keeping a sound that is distinctly theirs.

Will Hoge put out a new record, “The Wreckage,” after almost losing his life in a traffic accident a year ago. He has a new outlook on life and a renewed sense of his musical journey now that he has been to the edge and back.

The Canadian band Great Lake Swimmers was chosen for the short list of the esteemed 2009 Polaris Musical Prize. Their latest record, “Lost Channels,” debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart the first week. Critics have called this folk-rock band “starkly evocative and melodically melancholy.”

Every show at Mountain Stage begins the same way. Someone will come out and explain to you that it’s a radio show and when you see the applause sign light up to just go crazy. They want everyone listening on the radio to know just how much everyone is enjoying themselves.

“I liked that they made jokes with us,” said WVU senior Ariel Buric of a past performance. “It was a very personable and care-free environment.”

Each artist then performs a short set of about five songs. They interact with the audience, discussing stories behind their songs one isn’t likely to hear anywhere else.

Following the sets, all the artists reappear on stage to accompany Groce in the singing of a song. The song is handed to the musicians just a few hours before, leaving little room for practice that leads to what feels like a jam session as singers and instrumentalists pick up in time with the Mountain Stage band and play by ear.

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For more information, visit WVU Arts and Entertainment at www.-events.wvu.edu.