eTown

This week we’re joined on the air by the  Nashville, TN-based bluegrass band The Travelin’ McCourys. As the sons of the legendary Del McCoury, Ronnie and Rob McCoury continue their father’s legacy of stellar bluegrass music (along with fiddler Jason Carter and bassist Alan Bartram). We’re also visited by Gospel, soul, and R&B vocalist Liz Vice who’s been making quite a name for herself around the country. We’ll round  things out with an eChievement Award story about a woman bringing sustainable support to those suffering from the war in Syria.

This week, hosts Nick and Helen Forster welcome the eclectic, Latin/country/jazz/rock  influenced sound of Arizona-based music veterans Calexico to the eTown airwaves. And Texas music legend Ray Wylie Hubbard shares some great music and hilarious stories. Our eChievement Award story this week focuses on a young Detroit woman who’s found a brilliant way to provide warmth for the homeless during the bitter winters in her town. It’s a great hour of music and conversation – this week in eTown!

In this week’s ‘back by popular demand’  broadcast/podcast, Punch Brothers’ band member and banjo impresario Noam Pikelny shares some of his original songs from his latest  CD as a solo artist. Also with us is the Miami-based “sacred steel” band The Lee Boys, who bring their powerhouse, gospel-influenced sound to eTown’s solar-powered stage. And Nick has a conversation with New York-based entrepreneur, environmentalist and author Jonathan Rose about his latest book, The Well-Tempered City, which covers the benefits of repurposing old buildings into sustainable structures.

This week on the air, we’re joined by up-and-coming bluegrass artist Billy Strings. Whether sharing stages with acoustic music royalty, crisscrossing the nation playing as a solo artist or performing high-energy, jaw-dropping sets at festivals, the reaction to Billy Strings tends to come in two varieties: “Who is this guy?” and “That kid can play!” Also with us is the progressive instrumental group, the Jon Stickley Trio. Plus we’ll have a conversation with our eChievement Award winner of the week, Arif Khan, founder of the nonprofit Depave, a group that’s transforming abandoned paved places into urban gardens, parks and more.