Big lineup of acts to play "Mountain Stage" at OU
By Stephanie Laird
Athens NEWS Campus Reporter
March 3, 2008
Mountain Stage,” a two hour radio special recorded live-to-tape for future broadcast, returns to the Ohio University Memorial Auditorium this evening with internationally acclaimed artists Ani DiFranco, moe., Big Head Todd & the Monsters, Paul Kelly and George Stanford.
The OU Performing Arts Series and WOUB Radio Network are hosting the return of “Mountain Stage” with Larry Groce, the founder of this live music broadcast who remains the voice of the program as its host while also fulfilling the role of artistic director.
Groce developed this show 22 years ago to feature national and international acts representing nearly every style of music. Today, “Mountain Stage” is broadcast on more than 100 radio stations through West Virginia Public Broadcasting and Public Radio International.
Each two-hour special features four of five guests performing three to six songs spanning about a half-hour each, and is recorded in front of a live audience.
This evening’s performance offers listeners a diverse blend of musical styles ranging from improvisational progressive rock to contemporary folk infused with blues.
Artist DiFranco took the music industry by storm in the 1990s, with her powerful issue-based songs that attracted a massive grassroots following, according to a university release on the show. DiFranco has remained dedicated to her independent musical attitude over the years, and continues to issue recordings on her own Righteous Babe label, which was formed in 1990, and now includes a dozen other artists.
One of the top acts on the jam-band circuit, moe.’s improvisational approach to progressive rock has made them a favorite at music festivals nationwide. Formed in the late-1980s in upstate New York, moe. has grown into one of the most inventive and captivating performance-art rock bands of our time.
The band blends an array of musical genres in its improvisational approach to rock music, said Chuck Garvey, guitarist and vocalist for moe., who explained that the band’s willingness to take chances sets it apart from other progressive-rock bands on the music scene. “We take chances, leaving things up to reacting in the moment to create something new every night on stage and in our recordings…”
“The band playing together live in front of an audience is like a major social contact sport,” continued Garvey. “Everybody gets together and brings a certain energy – a certain willingness and open-mindedness… For us, it’s like making our own little world for a short period of time, and having the best society you can at that point in time.”
In addition to playing Tennessee’s Bonnaroo music festival for the past three years, moe. hosts two festivals of its own, “moe.down” and “snow.down” and headlines Summer Camp, another premier music festival featuring some of the top jam bands in the land.
Garvey finds that both festivals and indoor venues have their attractive qualities. “Playing Bonnaroo in front of 80,000 fans is a killer experience, but so is playing in small clubs where the energy is contained in a smaller vessel,” he said. “It’s all about the particular vibe of what’s happening at that point in time.”
In its extended musical career, moe. has released 17 albums. Following a four-year break from studio recording, they released “The Conch” in 2007, shortly followed by their most recent album, “Sticks and Stones,” the beginning of this year. For this evening’s performance, which is part of their Sticks and Stones tour, some of their favorite songs from the new release will be performed, said Garvey.
While they’re used to playing a three-and-a-half-hour set, cutting down to 30 minutes means they have to select the songs that convey the range of musical styles featured on the new album. “We want to show what we’re capable of, and try to represent the whole spectrum of styles in our performance,” said Garvey.
The new album is less progressive and less structured with more of a ’70s feel to it, stated Garvey, who believes “Sticks and Stones”’ overall feeling is reminiscent of a recording from the golden age of rock ‘n roll in the sound, arrangements and musical instruments.
In addition to DiFranco and moe., Australian singer/songwriter Paul Kelly will take the stage this evening. Since the late-1970s, this renaissance man has amassed a catalog of experiences celebrating his extensive career. According to an OU release, Kelly has produced a release by aboriginal songwriter Archie Roach, collaborated with Australian band Yothu Yindi and recorded with Australian country star Kasey Chambers. His recent releases include the bluegrass-inflected “Foggy Highway” (2005), “Dirt” (2006) and “Stolen Apples” in 2007.
Colorado-based Big Head Todd & the Monsters has been treating audiences to their interesting blend of folk, blues, country, rhythm and blues, soul, contemporary, indie, and alternative, along with a little bit of everything in between, for more than two decades.
Most recently, NASA asked the band to write a song in support of the Space Shuttle program. The result — “Blue Sky” and the accompanying video — were featured at the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery. Their band’s newest release is titled “All the Love You Need.”
The final artist performing at this evening’s “Mountain Stage” performance is George Standford, formerly of Townhall.
Tonight’s show begins at 7 in Memorial Auditorium. Tickets are available at the auditorium’s ticket office, which is open from noon to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and one hour prior to the beginning of the show.
For tickets or additional information, call 593-1780 or visit: www.ohio.edu/performingarts.
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