Setting the Stage

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Live Performance - April 22Wednesday, 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.

April 15, 2009

Mountain Stage® from NPR

Neko Case

Sonos

Vic Chestnutt

Greg Brown

Crooked Fingers

http://www.mountainstage.musictoday.com/MountainStageRadio/calendar.aspxhttp://www.taylorbooks.com/http://www.nekocase.comhttp://www.myspace.com/sonosingshttp://www.vicchesnutt.comhttp://gregbrown.orghttp://www.crookedfingers.com

�  April 15, 2009

Behind the Scenes

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.)

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.

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.

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http://www.nekocase.comhttp://gregbrown.orghttp://www.vicchesnutt.com

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.

Thank you,

Shawn Patterson, “Setting the Stage” editor

�April 15, 2009

Behind the Scenes, continued from page 2

On page 2 (top to bottom) -- Neko Case, Greg BrownOn page 3 -- Vic Chesnutt, Crooked Fingers, Sonos

Photo Credits:Onless otherwise noted all photos are from the artists’ Web sites or press kits.

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 platinum-selling Sara Bareilles on a version of her exquisite song “Gravity.”

http://www.crookedfingers.comhttp://www.myspace.com/sonosings

Thanks to these companies and organizations for their financial support of Mountain Stage®:

Thank you sponsors!

National Sponsors:Chesapeake Energy

Additional support provided by:Charleston Marriott Town Center

National Public Radio, NPRLocal support provided by:

The Greater Kanawha Valley FoundationState of West Virginia Mrs. Groovy’s Kitchen

Mountain Stage® is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting and distributed by NPR

May 3 at 7 pmCultural Center Theater

Pat McGeeHoots & HellmouthColin LindenTim Easton Meg Hutchinson

May 10 at 7 pmCultural Center Theater

Martin SextonRuthie FosterYarn Rocco DeLuca and the BurdenMeaghan Smith

June 7 at 7 pmChuck Mathena Center - Princeton, WV

Steve EarleDoyle Lawson and Quick-silverKing Wilkie Sara WatkinsLovell Sisters

June 19 at 8 pmThe Clay CenterFestivALL Charleston Kick-Off Special

Buddy Guy Shemekia CopelandLil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials Duke Robillard

�  April 15, 2009

More Live ShowsCheck the Mountain Stage® Web site for locations and ticket information.

Mountain Stage®. is heard on West Virginia Public Radio Sundays at 3 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 p.m.

Visit www.mountainstage.org for the broadcast schedule, play lists and the list of stations that broad-cast Mountain Stage®.

Listen for the “Mountain Stage® Song of the Week” each Friday during West Virginia Morning on West Virginia Public Radio between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m.

The featured song is from the next scheduled broad-cast of Mountain Stage®. You can also hear it or download it from the Web site; or subscribe to the RSS feed.

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