West Virginia University Arts&Entertainment and the WVU Office of Social Justice present the internationally-renowned Mountain Stage live at the WVU Creative Arts Center on Friday, Oct. 12, at 7:30 p.m. This evening of Appalachian music celebrates Diversity Week on the WVU campus. Tickets are on sale now.
p. Larry Groce and the Mountain Stage Band will host Hazel Dickens, Johnny Staats, Gandydancer, Scott Miller, and Danny Barnes&Thee Old Codgers. Each group stems from Appalachian roots and brings a remarkable blend of musical styles and cultures to contemporary music.
Hazel Dickens, a traditional Appalachian singer, recorded her first album in 1965. Her songs reflect her love of family, home and respect for honest toil. Her music achieves a strength and conviction that is not easily forgotten. Some of her songs include”West Virginia My Home,”“Theyll Never Keep Us Down”and”Mamas Hand.”
Johnny Staats was born and raised in West Virginia. He established his home-turf dominance during Charlestons Vandalia Gathering during the mandolin competitions which he won in 1996, 1997 and 1999. A devoted husband and father, Staatsmusical accomplishments are more impressive for having been achieved around family, job responsibilities and his passion for hunting.
Gandydancer is West Virginias premiere mountain string band. The band delivers traditional mountain music to listeners in a way they appreciate and remember. Scott Millers songs are straight-forward but open to personal interpretation, which makes them more powerful. Danny Barnes&Thee Old Codgers will bring their own style of banjos, fiddles and dobros to the Concert Theatre stage. They feature a varied collection of acoustic, old-time sounding tunes with modern lyrics.
Mountain Stage, a two-hour live musical performance is produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting. Tickets are $6 for the general public if purchased in advance and $8 on the day of the show. Tickets for WVU students are $6. Tickets are on sale now at the Mountainlair and CAC Box Offices, all Ticketmaster outlets and on-line at www.ticketmaster.com .To charge by phone, call 293-SHOW or 292-0220.
For more information, call 293-SHOW or visit WVU Arts&Entertainment on the Web at www.events.wvu.edu .