eTown

This week, we welcome genre bending multi-instrumentalist and vocalist extraordinaire Tyminski (you may remember him as a member of Union Station; he’s also familiar to many as the singing voice for George Clooney’s on-screen character in ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’ and, more recently, as lead vocalist on Avicii’s international pop hit “Hey Brother”). We’re also joined by up-and-coming, indie-folk singer/songwriter, Angel Snow. Rounding things out, our eChievement Award story this week features Native American Henry Red Cloud, who sits down with Nick to discuss his efforts to bring solar power, green technology and employment to reservations throughout the country.

We’re joined this week by rock/R&B/soul guitarist, singer/songwriter (and half of legendary duo Hall & Oates) John Oates! His new solo project Arkansas is inspired by the music and legacy of the legendary Mississippi John Hurt and encompasses 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. And Nick sits down for a conversation with renowned author Helen Thorpe, whose latest work, ‘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.

In this week’s encore broadcast, Grammy Award-winning bluegrass outfit Steep Canyon Rangers bring their energetic sound back to eTown to share music from their recent collection of songs, fittingly titled Radio. Also with us this week is Austin-based singer/songwriter Matt The Electrician who brings his unique and witty music to the eTown stage, where he joins forces with Nick, Helen and the eTones for a few numbers. All of this, plus a great eChievement Award story about a woman who found a way to provide shoes to underprivileged children in Nicaragua.

This week features an impressive line-up of bluegrass impresarios. The legendary band Hot Rize (whose members include Pete Wernick, Tim O’Brien, Bryan Sutton and eTown’s own Nick Forster) celebrates its 40th anniversary with special guests and bluegrass heavy hitters Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan and Jerry Douglas. Grounded in the bluegrass traditions of artists like Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, and the Stanley Brothers, the members of Hot Rize have forged a path and a sound all their own since forming back in 1978. This beloved and iconic band continues to create new and inspired music as showcased in their most recent album ‘When I’m Free’. Don’t miss this hour of classic bluegrass and a special audience Q&A with Hot Rize (led by eTown’s Helen Forster)!

In this week’s back-by-popular demand re-airing, eTown welcomes the incredibly gifted singer/songwriter and piano virtuoso Beth Hart to the solar-powered stage at eTown Hall. Plus our longtime friend John McEuen, iconic American musician and founding member of the beloved Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, returns to the show. And we’ll hear a great eChievement Award story about a woman in New York who’s headed up a highly successful ‘re-use and recyling’ program, repurposing everything from building materials to some of the most difficult of items that would normally end up in a landfill. Hope you’ll join us . . . in eTown!

This week’s eTown program features a deep dive into folk music styles from around the world. First up, the prolific Swedish folk band Väsen makes its first appearance on the show. Their musical collaboration has spanned decades; theirs is a rich, unique, beautiful sound, and their performance on eTown features rare, one-of-a-kind instruments. Joining us for his second visit to eTown is American folk artist and multi-instrumentalist Sam Amidon, who shares his recent stripped down musical explorations. Plus we’ll bring you a great eChievement Award story about an Ohio man who created a ‘pay what you can afford’ restaurant in his community to serve those in need, while bringing a wide variety of citizens, rich and poor, together to share a meal and connect each day.

In this popular re-airing, eTown welcomes back one of the most recognizable musical voices of our generation, Colin Hay (of Men at Work fame), who brings music from his latest collection of recordings. And Austin guitar virtuoso Doyle Bramhall II makes his eTown debut this week to share new songs plus discuss his illustrious musical path that includes working with Steve Ray Vaughan, Jimmie Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Roger Waters and many others. Plus Nick talks with a representative of a young farmer’s group about the challenges of starting out in agriculture today. That’s this week, in eTown!

eTown welcomes two newcomers to the fold this week for lots of great music and conversation. Indie-folk outfit Blind Pilot makes the trek to eTown’s solar-powered stage from Portland, Oregon to share music from their latest effort, entitled And Then Like Lions. Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Mirah also makes her first stop in eTown. You’ll learn more about her DIY approach to writing and recording music, plus her interesting life growing up in a family of traveling activists, during her interview with eTown host Nick Forster. All of this plus an excellent eChievement Award story about a group that is combating the negative health and environmental effects of primitive cooking methods in the Himalayas.

eTown hosts Nick and Helen Forster welcome up-and-coming, Portland, Oregon-based group Fruition for their first eTown appearance. Fresh off the festival circuit, Fruition is quickly building fans around the country with their unique take on acoustic-driven, high energy music. Also joining us for a first visit is the Swedish alt-Americana group Baskery, three multi-instrumentalist sisters who are each a musical force of their own. We’ve got lots of great music and conversation with our musical guests, plus we’ll check in with a young American woman currently living in Brazil who’s launched an innovative initiative there to combat deforestation in the Amazon. Don’t miss it!

eTown welcomes back long-time friend, singer/songwriter Dar Williams to the stage at eTown Hall to hear her latest musical creations, plus some great conversation with eTown host Nick Forster. English singer/songwriter and painter Piers Faccini also makes a return visit to eTown this week, plus a great eChievement Award story about a Colorado woman who developed a great program to help combat child hunger in her area.