Setting the Stage - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Setting the Stage
Mountain Stage® from NPR
Live Performance - April 22
Wednesday, April 22 at the Charleston Civic Center - Little Theater
Show begins at 6:30 p.m. Advance tickets are $12.50, at the door $18.
Call 800-745-3000, order online or visit Taylor Books in Charleston.
Vic Chestnutt
Neko Case
Sonos
Greg Brown
Crooked Fingers
April 15, 2009
Behind the Scenes
Neko Case - Over more than a decade, singer/songwriter Neko Case has
refined her dark, roots-tinged sound to become one of the most popular
members of neo-country scene. Born in Alexandria, VA, and raised in
Tacoma, WA, Case left home at age 15. She moved to Vancouver to attend
art school and became immersed in the city’s punk scene. In 1997, Case
released her first solo debut, “The Virginian,” co-founded the old-timey
side project the Corn Sisters and began a long-running affiliation with the
popular New Pornographers. It was 2002’s dark “Blacklisted” that made
a number of critic’s “best of” lists and landed her a tour opening for Nick
Cave. In 2006, “Fox Confessor Brings the Flood” continued introducing her
music to a wider audience. “Live from Austin, TX” followed
a year later. Released in 2009, “Middle Cyclone” was
partially recorded in a barn at her farm in Vermont.
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Greg Brown - The prolific, Iowa-born singer/songwriter
has become one of the elder statesmen of the new folk
scene. Brown got his start when he won a contest to play
an opening set for singer/songwriter Eric Andersen. After
running a hootenanny at Gerde’s Folk City in NYC, and
appearing regularly on “Prairie Home Companion,” Brown
founded the successful Red House Records label. He’s
recorded his songs, which are, by turns, dark, humorous
and sad, with folks like Bill Morrissey and Beausoliel’s
Michael Doucet. In 2002, “Going Driftless: Tribute to Greg
Brown,” featured artists Lucinda Williams, Mary Chapin
Carpenter, Iris Dement, Ani DiFranco and Shawn Colvin,
interpreting their favorite Brown songs. All proceeds from
the record went to the Breast Cancer Fund.
Vic Chesnutt - If Georgia singer/songwriter Vic Chesnutt started his
career as a quirky, ever endearing misanthrope - brought on in part by
an accident that left him paralyzed - he’s evolved into one of “rock’s”
most unique and articulate songsmiths. Championed by R.E.M.’s
Michael Stipe (who produced his first two records), a 1996, “Sweet
Relief Two,” paid tribute to Chesnutt’s unique songs, with versions
performed by Madonna, Hootie & the Blowfish, Smashing Pumpkins
and R.E.M. “Ghetto Bells,” released in 2005, featured guest spots by
guitarist Bill Frisell and multi-instrumentalist/arranger Van Dyke Parks.
In 2007, he issued “North Star Deserter,” produced by film-maker Jem
Cohen. He followed with “Dark Developments,” a collaborative record
with Athens, GA indie-rock luminaries Elf Power.
This live performance is will broadcast on West Virginia Public Radio and NPR in June.
(Scheduled guests, ticket prices and dates may change without notice.)
April 15, 2009
Behind the Scenes,
continued from page 2
Crooked Fingers – This
band is the solo project
of former Archers of
Loaf front-man Eric
Bachmann, a onetime
saxophone major at
Appalachian State
University. Bachmann
co-founded AoL in
Chapel Hill, NC, in late
1991. The band was a
timely entrant into the
noise pop genre and
issued a number of
acclaimed releases. After
AoL disbanded in 1998,
Bachmann founded
Crooked Fingers and
released a number of CDs in the early 2000’s. In 2005, he
penned “Dignity and Shame,” a conceptual piece based
on the life of legendary bullfighter Manolete and his
lover, Spanish actress Lope Sino. He released “Forfeit/
Fortune” in 2008.
Sonos - This young, a cappella sextet from Southern
California reinvents a 21st Century songbook with bold reinterpretations of songs by indie artists including
Rufus Wainwright, Fleet Foxes, Imogen Heap, Lewis Taylor and Bjork. Among the songs is a trip-hop version
of the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” and a cover of Radiohead’s “Everything In Its Right Place.” A live CD
recorded at KCRW will mark the group’s debut. The disc features a guest appearance from the platinumselling Sara Bareilles on a version of her exquisite song “Gravity.”
On page 2 (top to bottom) -- Neko Case, Greg Brown
On page 3 -- Vic Chesnutt, Crooked Fingers, Sonos
Photo Credits:
Onless otherwise noted all photos are from the artists’ Web sites or press kits.
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 nonsecure 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.
Thank you,
Shawn Patterson, “Setting the Stage” editor
April 15, 2009
Thank you sponsors!
Thanks to these companies and organizations for
their financial support of Mountain Stage®:
More Live Shows
Check the Mountain Stage® Web site for locations
and ticket information.
May 3 at 7 pm
Cultural Center Theater
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
Pat McGee
Hoots & Hellmouth
Colin Linden
Tim Easton
Meg Hutchinson
May 10 at 7 pm
Cultural Center Theater
Martin Sexton
Ruthie Foster
Yarn
Rocco DeLuca and the
Burden
Meaghan Smith
June 7 at 7 pm
Chuck Mathena Center
- Princeton, WV
Steve Earle
Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver
King Wilkie
Sara Watkins
Lovell Sisters
June 19 at 8 pm
The Clay Center
FestivALL Charleston
Kick-Off Special
Mountain Stage®. is heard on West Virginia Public
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Visit www.mountainstage.org for the broadcast
schedule, play lists and the list of stations that broadcast Mountain Stage®.
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Duke Robillard
Mountain Stage® is a production of West Virginia Public
Broadcasting and distributed by NPR
April 15, 2009