August 9, 2009 - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Setting the Stage
Mountain Stage® from NPR
Live Performance August 9, 2009
Sunday, Aug. 9 at The Clay Center, Charleston, WV
Show begins at 7:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
This live performance will
be distributed by NPR on
October 9, 2009.
Advance tickets are $12.50
(service charges apply)
At the door: $18
Check your local public radio
station’s schedule for when to
listen in your area.
All seats RESERVED
Tickets for this performance available at
(304) 561-3570 or
www.theclaycenter.org
only.
Marcia Ball
Other Lives
Hill Country Revue
Maia Sharp
(Guests, ticket prices and dates may change
without notice.)
August 5, 2009
Cracker
Behind the Scenes
Marcia Ball - Drawing from masters like Professor Longhair and Etta
James, Texas-born Marcia Ball has
patented a blend of rolling New Orleans piano, Louisiana Swamp rock
and smoldering Texas blues.
After becoming one of the standard bearers of the Austin music
scene, she went on to play clubs
and festivals throughout the U.S.
and Europe. The singer/pianist
has also recorded with Irma
Thomas, Tracy Nelson, Lou Ann
Barton and Angela Strehli, and
appeared on NBC’s “Today Show” and “The Late
Show with David Letterman.” She also was featured
in the Clint Eastwood-directed “Piano Blues” which
was included in Martin Scorsese’s “The Blues” series
which aired on PBS in 2003.
Released in 2008, “Peace, Love & BBQ” (three of
Ball’s favorite things) was produced by the late Stephen Bruton and featured guests Dr. John, Wayne
Toups, Tracy Nelson and Terrance Simien. Ball
penned eight of the disc’s 13 tracks.
Hill Country Revue - While the Mississippi Allstars take a much-deserved break, members Cody
Dickinson and Chris Chew have embarked on
a project called Hill Country Revue. Formed by
Cody in 2008, it features Chew, Kirk Smithhart, Ed
“Hot” Cleveland and Dan Coburn.
The band’s debut, “Make a Move,” features material written by Garry Burnside, youngest son of
legendary Mississippi bluesman R.L. Burnside. With
a mix of raw blues and classic Southern rock, the
band has labeled itself “the modern blues band for
the new generation.”
Cracker - Combining a post-punk mind set with
country-tinged roots rock, Cracker emerged as one of the first great bands of the ‘90s.
Signed to Virgin Records, the group made the mainstream market with songs like “Low,”
from 1993’s gold-certified “Kerosene Hat.” After nine releases, the current lineup features longtime drummer Frank Funaro and bassist Sal Maida.
August 5, 2009
Behind the Scenes,
continued from page 2
“I See the Light” (from Cracker’s 1992
self-titled release) is currently featured in the new
Jack Black spoof, “Year One.” Meanwhile, “Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out”
from the band’s new release, “Sunrise In The Land Of Milk And Honey,” is
nearing the Top 10 on the Triple A chart.
Maia Sharp - Before she was a teenager, Maia Sharp was already mastering
piano, guitar and saxophone and, following in the footsteps of her father,
country songwriter Randy Sharp. She captured the attention of manager/
record label mogul Miles Copeland who, in 1977, signed her to his new Ark
21 label.
Since then, her tunes have been recorded by Cher, Kim Richey, Bonnie Raitt, Carole King, the Dixie Chicks,
Art Garfunkel, Keb’ Mo’, Terri Clark, and Trisha Yearwood. In 2005, Bonnie Raitt’s “Souls Alike” contained three
of Sharp’s songs including the single “I Don’t Want Anything To Change.”
Other Lives - Based in Stillwater, OK, Other Lives draws inspiration from modern classicists like Johann Johannsson and Arvo Part to folksy, Midwestern rock.
Together for five years, Other Lives signed to the California-based TBD label (whose small roster includes Radiohead and Underworld). With production by long-time Beck producer Joey Waronker, the band’s first single
“Black Table” was used in the 2008 season premiere of “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Photo Credits:
A note from the Editor
“Setting the Stage” is a newsletter for Mountain Stage® fans and is intended for informational
purposes only. West Virginia Public Broadcasting provides links to artist Web sites as provided
by the artists, many of whom use MySpace, Facebook and similarly non-secure sites which
may include cookies, pop-ups, viral marketing, etc. Please be aware of this possibility when
choosing to go to any of the links provided.
Unless otherwise noted all photos
are from the artists’ Web sites or
press kits.
Thank you,
Shawn Patterson, “Setting the Stage” editor
August 5, 2009
Even More Ways to Listen
Click on the link above to
hear this week’s Mountain
Stage Song of the Week
as featured each Friday
on West Virginia Public
Radio’s West Virginia
Morning with Beth
Vorhees.
Upcoming Live Shows
Check the Mountain Stage® Web site for ticket
information.
August 16 at 7 p.m.
Paramount Center for the
Arts, Bristol, TN/VA
Birthplace of Country Music
Alliance Fundraiser
ON SALE NOW at
(423) 274-8920 or the
Paramount Center
Tickets are $25
Robert Cray Band
Flatlanders
Robin & Linda Williams
Kasey Chambers & Shane
Nicholson
August 30 at 7 p.m.
Culture Center Theater,
Charleston, WV
Jason Isbell & 400 Unit
Poco
Ben Sollee
Jill Sobule
Madeleine Peyroux
Mountain Stage®. is
heard on West Virginia
Public Radio Sundays at
3 p.m. and Saturdays at 8
p.m.
Visit our Web site for the
broadcast schedule, play
lists and the list of stations that broadcast Mountain
Stage®.
Thank you sponsors!
Thanks to these companies and organizations
for their financial support of Mountain Stage®:
National Sponsors:
Chesapeake Energy
Additional support provided by:
Charleston Marriott Town Center
National Public Radio, NPR
Local support provided by:
The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation
State of West Virginia
Mrs. Groovy’s Kitchen
Mountain Stage® is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting and
distributed by NPR
August 5, 2009