Mountain Stage Wrap Back-To-Back Sold Out Nashville Road Tapings At The Franklin Theatre

This past weekend, NPR Music and West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s beloved live performance radio show Mountain Stage wrapped up back-to-back road shows in Nashville at The Franklin Theatre.

The sold-out tapings included special performances by artists making their first appearance, and many who have become regulars in the show’s forty year history. Returning guests Steve Earle, Jason Isbell, Sam Bush, Elizabeth Cook, Sarah Lee Guthrie, Chris Pierce, The Band of Heathens, and Tracy Nelson joined first time guests Hailey Whitters and Adeem the Artist. The episodes are slated to broadcast later this fall across nearly 300 public radio stations around the country.

Night one on Saturday kicked off with GRAMMY Award-winner Sam Bush performing songs from his latest album Radio John: Songs of John Hartford, a full-circle moment reminiscent of Mountain Stage’s tribute show to Hartford recorded in 2000 at Nashville’s War Memorial Theater and released as a compilation album on Oh Boy Records.

He was followed by Americana/soul singer-songwriter Chris Pierce fresh off his recent tour with Neil Young, folk royalty Sarah Lee Guthrie, and acclaimed country artist and SiriusXM Radio favorite Elizabeth Cook. Legendary troubadour Steve Earle closed out the evening performing several fan favorites, with highlights including a duet with his sister Stacey Earle, a ringing version of his newly-named official Tennessee state song “Copperhead Road,” and a moving tribute to his late son Justin Townes Earle with “Harlem River Blues.”

Sunday’s show for night two began with country/blues artist Tracy Nelson performing songs off her new album Life Don’t Miss Nobody, her first new album in over 10 years. The Band of Heathens, an Austin based five-piece took the stage next for a lively full-band performance.

Buzzing Americana/country singer Adeem The Artist showed their endearing force, gracing the show with a rousing performance of their song “Middle of a Heart.” The ACM Awards’ newest Female Artist of the Year Hailey Whitters followed fresh off her appearance at Franklin’s Pilgrimage Festival on Saturday. GRAMMY Award-winning star Jason Isbell capped off the evening performing cuts from his newest critically acclaimed album Weathervanes.

Mountain Stage kicked off their 40th Anniversary season at the top of the year and will continue with more surprises and festivities to come. The show has become the second longest running nationally distributed performance radio show, behind only the Grand Ole Opry. Their legacy has earned recent praise from NPR’s Here & Now, Relix, Pollstar, and Rolling Stone who raved, “40 years is not only a milestone.

It’s also a testament to the blood, sweat, and tears of building something from nothing - one listener and one station at a time,” while Garden & Gun lauded “the live performance show has been a must-stop for countless musicians in the American roots music scene and beyond.”

Photo Credit: Chris Morris