eTown

eTown welcomes Grammy-nominated artist Rufus Wainwright, who’ll talk with Nick and also share songs from his latest album release (nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album) called “Unfollow The Rules.” Other musical guests include the remarkable singer/songwriter Joan Osborne. Plus, we’ll feature a special one song collaboration between Rufus and Brandi Carlile. And our accomplished filmmaker friend Jeff Orlowski (of Chasing Ice and Chasing Coral fame) returns to etown to talk with Nick about his newest film The Social Dilemma.

Longtime eTown friend and talented artist Nathaniel Rateliff joins us for a stunning private performance at eTown Hall, featuring several beautifully written songs from his most recent musical project. Plus, he and Nick have an up close and personal conversation. We’ll also feature musical samples from various iconic New Orleans artists from a Soul Jazz Records compilation that Nathaniel highly recommends. And Nick chats with Colin Butfield, WWF’s Executive Producer of the Our Planet documentary project. Colin is also a member of the WWF UK executive team. He shares information about The Earthshot Prize, a new global project designed to incentivize innovative environmental change to help repair the planet over the next ten years.

One of our all time favorites, Strand of Oaks, returns to the eTown stage this week. This dynamic, gifted writer and singer (and one of the genuinely nicest people you’ll ever meet) brings his full band this time around. Coming solo to play with the eTones and Nick for the rest of the musical portion of the show is talented young Anna Burch of Detroit, Michigan. And, for this encore broadcast, we’ll have an eChievement Award story of a young man who’s come up with a truly unique and natural way to involve kids of all ages in cleaning up the polluted waters of New York Harbor.

When this eTown episode first aired last year, our musical guests had one thing in common: They were all returning to the eTown stage after many years. They include the dynamic Australian band The Waifs, which normally consists of sisters Vikki Thorn and Donna Simpson and their longtime collaborator Josh Cunningham; and gifted singer/songwriter Jim Lauderdale, whose songs have been recorded by a Who’s Who of country and pop music stars over the years. Plus, we’ll hear from the young founder of a nonprofit that, he feels, will help with global warming while acting as a bridge to heal the political division re: climate change in this country.

This week on eTown, after a very long election season, we wanted to think about the White House in a different way – as the people’s house – and celebrate music being a part of it for decades. Many of the artists who’ve joined us at eTown have played for Presidents, too, and we’ll revisit their eTown performances along with some memories of their visits to the White House. We’ll hear from folks like Loretta Lynn, who played for every administration from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama, Mavis Staples, Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Los Lobos, Doc Watson, Judy Collins, Keb Mo, Christone Kingfish Ingram. eTown Host Nick Forster talks with Bill Flanagan, who recently wrote the screenplay for Jimmy Carter: Rock and Roll President. Nick also chats with James Taylor, who played frequently at the real White House, and once at the fictional White House in the TV series The West Wing, with a rendition of A Change Is Gonna Come.

This week on the eTown airwaves we’re joined by Americana, country singer-songwriter Tyler Childers. Tyler fuses gritty original song lyrics with the folk, bluegrass and rock influences of his Appalachian upbringing. Also with us is “one-man-band” The Suitcase Junket, with his one of a kind sound created from an array of instruments all played at once. Rounding things out, we have a conversation with eChievement Award winner Chad Bernstein, founder of Guitars Over Guns, an organization that provides mentoring to at-risk youth through music and arts education as an alternative to the negative and harmful influences that typically dominate their environments.

Rock, R&B, soul guitarist, singer-songwriter (and half of legendary duo Hall & Oates) John Oates joins us. His solo project Arkansas is inspired by the music and legacy of the legendary Mississippi John Hurt, as well as other artists and styles that represent the dawn of American popular music. Also with us is Tennessee-based singer-songwriter Lilly Hiatt (daughter of John Hiatt), who has become a fixture of the indie scene in Nashville. Nick also sits down for a conversation with renowned author Helen Thorpe, whose book, “The Newcomers,” is a powerful and moving account of how refugee teenagers, many of whom have left extremely dangerous situations in their homelands, come to America to learn a new language and a new culture, in the hopes of finding a new beginning.

Legendary guitarist, composer, and long-time friend of the show Bill Frisell visits our solar-powered stage to share music from his collection of recordings inspired by television and film. Also joining us is independent folk artist Sam Amidon, who began cutting his musical teeth as a young person in a musical household. Plus an inspiring eChievement Award story about a nonprofit that has created several much needed mobile shower units, providing a much needed, private, safe, and dignified opportunity for the homeless. Be sure to tune in!

In this week’s episode, we’re joined by the incredibly talented singer-songwriter and producer John Paul White (formerly of the popular musical duo The Civil Wars). Our longtime friends in the genre-bending Americana group Marley’s Ghost also stop in for another visit to eTown Hall’s solar-powered stage. This episode features lots of great music and conversation with our musical guests. Plus, we’ll check in with a hard working nonprofit restaurant that’s providing organic and nutritious meals in their community, regardless of someone’s ability to pay.

Watch videos at eTown.org

eTown hosts Nick and Helen Forster welcome Texas singer/songwriter Hayes Carll to eTown Hall’s solar-powered stage for lots of great music, collaborations with eTown’s house band and conversation about both the craft of songwriting and influences that have inspired him along the way.

Also with us for another visit is the uber-talented Austin-based indie musical entity known as Wild Child.

Plus an interview with an Iraqi veteran, now an anti-war activist, who is fighting for the conservation of our natural lands. That’s this week, in eTown!

Watch videos at eTown.org