For a duo called the Secret Sisters, Laura Rogers and Lydia Slagle let their relationship hang right out there on stage. At a packed late April show at Nashville’s Basement East, amid masterful renditions of their new and familiar songs for a spellbound audience, the sisters niggled each other, rolled their eyes, and came off at times like siblings who’d maybe been cooped up together in a van too long. And at the same time, this banter, which gets laughs, is an endearing part of their show and their relationship with their fans. On record and in performance, the Secret Sisters have been all about harmony since launching on their rollercoaster ride in the music business around 2010. But in Episode 283 of the String, we get into the unique challenges and blessings of sharing everything with each other and the audience, year in and year out.
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There are countless reasons to pay homage to the legacy of country music and almost as many different ways to do so. Canadian artist Bahamas and Nashville’s Kelsey Waldon are doing just that in their own ways with recent projects. At a time when country traditions are strong across the Americana landscape, Bootcut by Bahamas and There’s Always A Song by Waldon demonstrate the power of devotion to a craft on one hand and celebration of heroes on the other.
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Gallagher Guitars, a boutique luthier in tiny Wartrace, TN that had earned the loyalty of Doc Watson and other important acoustic musicians, was all but left for dead a few years ago. Middle Tennessee native David Mathis took over the brand and moved its equipment and legacy to Murfreesboro. Now it's back on track to make more guitars this year than ever in its history, and it's throwing its first-ever festival in the street outside its shop next Saturday, May 4. A day of instrument contests and performances is capped by a ticketed show featuring bluegrass star Dan Tyminski and his band.
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It's taken decades for the nature and impact of Jerry Garcia’s formative years as a musician and band leader to emerge and become semi-common knowledge, because for many, his devotion to old-time string band and bluegrass music between 1961 and 1964 doesn’t square with the quantum jams he’d be leading just a few years later. But because of the Dead, we have jamgrass, a popular branch of the family tree where instrumental interplay coexists with preservation of classic songs. And at last, this connection is made, and this story is told, in a new museum exhibit set for a two-year run, Jerry Garcia – A Bluegrass Journey, at the Bluegrass Music Hall Of Fame & Museum in Owensboro, KY. Episode 280 of The String takes you there with sound and voices from its grand opening weekend in late March.
LINER NOTES
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Jade Bird sits down with Jessie Scott at the Fitting Room in Madison.
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A closer look at the three bands performing Wednesday night from 7 to 9pm at Tennessee Brew Works for WMOT's Local Brew Fifth Anniversary show.
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Jessie Scott sat down with Willi Carlisle at The Fitting Room Studio in Madison, as he is getting ready to play the Basement East on April 13.
WMOT VIDEO: LIVE SESSIONS ON NPR MUSIC
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Click here to watch Sarah Jarosz and John R. Miller LIVE at Riverside Revival for WMOT's Wired In series on April 3rd at 7 p.m. CST.
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Last week, Alex Harris and Katie Pruitt performed new music at Riverside Revival for WMOT's Wired In series. Watch highlights from their sets here.
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Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams performed "Desert Island Dreams", "A Little Better" and "The Way You Make Me Feel" at a beach house turned studio in Florida for WMOT's 2024 30A Songwriters Sessions.
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Grace Potter performed "Something That I Want", "Little Hitchhiker" and "Ready Set Go" at a beach house turned studio in Florida for WMOT's 2024 30A Songwriters Sessions.
NPR Top Stories
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Dr. Adam Hamawy is a former U.S. Army combat surgeon currently in Gaza. He said he's treating primarily civilians, rather than combatants: "mostly children, many women, many elderly."
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The ultimatum by war cabinet member Benny Gantz reflects discontent among Israel's leadership about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the Gaza war and his far-right political partners.
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McCloskey's story has both deep roots and burgeoning relevance. He died this month at 96 and had long been out of the limelight, but the issues he had been willing to champion are as salient as ever.
Win a pair of tickets to Shelby Lynne at the Ryman Auditorium on September 26, 2024
Win a pair of tickets to The Mavericks at the Ryman Auditorium on December 6, 2024.
Win a pair of tickets to Steve Poltz at City Winery on May 23, 2024.
All good things don’t have to come to an end! Give your used vehicle new life when you donate it to WMOT. Donating is easy, the pick-up is free, and your gift is tax-deductible.
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