Mountain Stage Radio Show celebrates 41st Anniversary
PRESS RELEASE:
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Mountain Stage Radio Show will celebrate its 41st anniversary with two shows at the Culture Center Theater. The celebration starts on Dec. 1 with guest host Conor Knighton and continues Dec. 8 when guest host David Mayfield returns. Each live show begins at 7:00 pm, and doors open at 6:30 pm.
As West Virginia’s calling card to the world, Mountain Stage has over 200,000 annual listeners on 260 NPR stations around the nation and across the globe via the Mountain Stage podcast. Produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting and distributed by NPR Music, the show has been the home of live music on public radio for over 40 years.
On Dec. 1, Charleston, WV native and CBS Sunday Morning correspondent Conor Knighton will guest host, welcoming Stephen Kellogg, Jill Sobule, Mindy Smith, David Mayfield Parade, and Caleb Caudle & The Sweet Critters. In 2016, Knighton launched On The Trail, a year-long, cross-country look at America’s National Parks, which became a New York Times bestseller.
Knighton stated, “This past year, I’ve been everywhere from Ireland to Idaho reporting for CBS Sunday Morning, but it’s a Sunday evening in West Virginia that I’m looking forward to the most. I’m thrilled to be heading back home to Charleston to guest host Mountain Stage at the Culture Center. I’ll be celebrating the show’s 41st anniversary alongside an impressive group of artists—it’s going to be a fantastic show.”
On Dec. 8, bluegrass artist and official guest host of Mountain Stage David Mayfield returns for the final live show of the season. Mayfield will welcome Kip Moore, Maya De Vitry, Brad Tursi, Joy Clark, and Andrew Marlin Stringband.
These December shows will air as part of our premiere broadcast season in Spring 2025.
With an average annual production of 24 live events with over 110 guest artists, Mountain Stage has grown from a state-wide, regional music experience to a showcase of world-renowned talent. Today the show features performances from seasoned legends like Colin Hay from Men at Work, Betty LaVette and Patti Smith, and emerging stars like Sierra Ferrell, Sarah Jarosz, and Maggie Rose in genres ranging from folk, blues, and country to indie rock, synth pop, world music, alternative, and beyond.
In 2024 Mountain Stage partnered with Oh Boy Records, the Nashville record label founded by John Prine, to release a double vinyl compilation titled “Live on Mountain Stage: Outlaws & Outliers,” featuring songs recorded on Mountain Stage from the likes of Wilco, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Indigo Girls, and previously unreleased music from Sierra Ferrell and Tyler Childers. 18 of the album’s 21 songs enjoyed radio airplay on commercial and public radio stations across the country.
Most episodes of Mountain Stage are recorded at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, West Virginia; however, in the past two years alone, the program has received invitations to perform in Harrisonburg, VA, Pittsburg, KS, Washington D.C., Blacksburg, VA Rohnert Park, CA, Walnut Creek, CA, Franklin, TN. In 2023 the show collaborated with the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra for a first-of-its-kind broadcast featuring vocalist Judy Collins. The show has also been recorded throughout the region- with regular appearances in Morgantown, Clarksburg, Huntington and Lewisburg, WV, and Athens, OH.
Mountain Stage was created by Andy Ridenour, Larry Groce, and the late Francis Fisher as a monthly, state-wide broadcast that began regular production in December 1983. All three of the show’s founders continued in their original roles until 2011 when Executive Producer Ridenour retired after 28 years, passing his role down to Adam Harris, who began his tenure with the program as an intern in 2005. In 2021, long-time host and artistic director Larry Groce handed over hosting duties to West Virginia native, country music star, and Grammy-award-winning musician Kathy Mattea. Larry Groce continues in his role as Artistic Director. Chief Broadcast Engineer Francis Fisher, whose mix was heard weekly across the country for nearly 40 years, passed away in 2021.
