Mountain Stage to make its Pittsburgh debut
Kaia Kater (photo above), Billy Bragg and Joe Henry and Robert Ellis will be featured when NPR’s Mountain Stage with Larry Groce makes its Pittsburgh debut at the Byham Theatre, 7 p.m. Sept. 25 presented by Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and 91.3 WYEP. Tickets: ($25-$38) TrustArts.org.
Lau
Jacob Blickenstaff
Billy Bragg and Joe Henry will be featured when Mountain Stage with Larry Groce makes its Pittsburgh debut at the Byham Theatre, 7 p.m. Sept. 25 presented by Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and 91.3 WYEP. Other featured artists for the show which will be recorded live for NPR program are Kaia Kater, Lau and Robert Ellis. Tickets: ($25-$38) TrustArts.org.
Robert Ellis
Pittsburgh, with its rich music scene, is the perfect setting for a live performance radio program that features experienced and emerging music artists.
Mountain Stage with Larry Groce will be presented by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and 91.3 WYEP at 7 p.m Sept. 25 at the Byham Theater featuring Billy Bragg and Joe Henry, Lau, Robbert Ellis and Kaia Kater.
The National Public Radio Program, which has been on the air for more than 32 years, can be heard across the country on 170 NPR stations each week and is distributed by NPR Music. Mountain Stage is the longest running radio program of its kind. Recording with a live audience, Mountain Stage with Larry Groce is making its Pittsburgh debut.
“Pittsburgh has a wonderful culture of arts that we appreciate and admire,” shared host, artistic director and co-founder of Mountain Stage, Larry Groce.
On September 25, Larry Groce will be hosting episode 879. The show is produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
Mountain Stage with Larry Groce is typically recorded in Charleston, West Virginia, however the show has also recorded in Wheeling and Morgantown. The show features an array of music featuring genres such as folk, blues, country, indie rock, synth pop, alternative and more.
“The most common comments we get is they came to see one artist — they went away with one or two other artists they really liked a lot but didn’t know about before the show. We try to do five each show for a nice mix of things. We see each show as a piece of art in and of itself,” Groce said in an interview with GO! Magazine and podcast in April.
During this Pittsburgh recording, the show will feature a diverse group of musical artists.
“Getting to bring ‘Mountain Stage’ to a new city in our third decade of recording the show is exciting for us. We know music lovers in the area will be excited about this lineup,” Groce said.
Billy Bragg and Joe Henry will play songs off of their album Shine A Light: Field Recordings From The Great American Railroad. The album, to be released on September 23, is inspired by American train travel and the music that was created around it. The duo spent four days traveling via train from Chicago to Los Angeles, recording their new album along the way.
Lau, comprised of Kris Drever (vocals, guitar), Martin Green (accordion, wurlitzer, keys, electronics) and Aidan O’Rourke (fiddle), is regarded as the epicenter of the UK’s folk boom. Formed in Edinburgh in 2004, the group has won several awards and collaborated with artists such as Jack Bruce (Cream), Adem, Karine Polwart, Joan As Police Woman and Northern Sinfonia.
Few are more conscious in their journey through Appalachian histories and the Canadian musical landscape than Kaia Kater. Born in Montreal, Kaia has lived Winnipeg, Wakefield and, most recently, West Virginia. She now resides in Toronto. Her old-time banjo-picking skills, deft arrangements, and songwriting abilities have landed her in the spotlight in North America and the UK, garnering critical acclaim from outlets such as Rolling Stone, CBC Music and The Roots Music Report. Often praised for her capacity to sound new and old at once, Kaia anchors her music the space where tradition and innovation intersect.
Robert Ellis is a singer-songwriter originally from Lake Jackson near Houston.
His new self-titled album tells the story of his career.
This new album is fueled by Ellis’s respect for the so-called traditional artists who were constantly taking risks.
Ellis’s music comes out as a mix between his country roots and pop.
Tickets ($25-$38) are on sale now and available for purchase at TrustArts.org or 412-456-6666.