SHADOWLANDS, Tae & The Neighborly, Ken Yates, and more on Mountain Stage

We are excited to return to the WVU Canady Creative Arts Center in Morgantown, WV as part of the .

Since 1983, Mountain Stage has been one of the most beloved programs in public radio history. Eclectic, authentic and unpredictable, the show’s varied guests have included iconic artists from John Prine and Townes Van Zandt to Wilco and Phish. Under the leadership of Grammy Award-winning country and bluegrass star Kathy Mattea since 2021, Mountain Stage continues to bring surefire energy and music discovery to parts known and unknown.

Produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting and distributed by NPR Music, each two-hour episode is recorded in front of a live audience and can be heard every week on nearly 300 stations across America, and around the world via NPR Music and mountainstage.org

AUG 6 at 10am ET: Subscription packages starting at four shows go on sale to current subscribers.

AUG 11 at 10 am ET: Subscription packages starting at four shows go on sale to general public.

AUG 22 at 5pm ET: Last chance to purchase a season subscription by phone at 304-293-SHOW (7469).

AUG 24 at Midnight ET: Online subscriptions close.

AUG 25 at 10am ET: Single ticket sales begin.

Shadowlands - Featuring S. Carey + John Raymond

John Raymond and S. Carey have been playing music together for close to twenty years since their time studying music at the University of Wisconsin. While they both received training in jazz and classical music, their careers would soon head in very different directions. S. Carey would become the right-hand man to Justin Vernon as a part of Bon Iver; collaborate as a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer with the likes of Sufjan Stevens, Low, and Bruce Hornsby among others; and release four albums of his own to critical acclaim from Pitchfork, NPR, and more. John Raymond, on the other hand, would become a Grammy-nominated trumpeter and composer “steering jazz in the right direction” (Downbeat Magazine); release eight albums garnering praise from the New York Times, Stereogum, and others; and teach on faculty at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.

In 2019, the two reunited and began experimenting on what their artistic voices would sound like together. Producer Sun Chung (formerly with ECM Records) came on board shortly after, and together they enlisted a cast of A-list musicians to help flesh out the music including pianist Aaron Parks (Terri Lyne Carrington, Terence Blanchard), bassist Chris Morrissey (Norah Jones, Mark Guiliana), and guitarist Dave Devine (Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band), as well as Australian indie-pop songwriter Gordi.

Their self titled album “Shadowlands” released in 2023 to critical acclaim from the , , , , and more. Book them now while you have the chance.

“[John and Sean] finally found the space to merge their talents and curiosities into one beautiful vessel.”

-Paste magazine

“Carey’s vocals combined with Raymond’s lyrical horn creates a duo-symphonic experience, blending acoustics of musical interplay.”

-Under the radar

Tae & The Neighborly, a Wisconsin based Soul-pop R&B group, found themselves playing music together in a very unconventional way.

They were all neighbors, each one living alone on one floor of a five-story flat. Cake baking is a shared passion of the five member group, but in the sugar shortages early in the 2020 pandemic, they found themselves so continually knocking on each other's doors asking for a single cup of sugar that a group decision was made to all move in together and share cake-baking resources. And since everyone knows all good rhythms begin in the kitchen, it wasn’t before long that the group began to write and perform together across the nation.

Critics hail the group as “having more kick than a bagged-up mule” (Rotary Times) and their live show “...going down smoother than a can of [beans] warmed on the campfire” (Cowboy Gazette). All in all, if you are looking for a dense show that will give you more inspiration fuel for self lovin’, world changin’, and consideration havin’ meet them where the music is made to be shared.

ABOUT TAE

Born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin, TAE (writer/singer/guitarist/artist), utilizes the universal language of music as a vessel; with means to inspire social change, encourage exploration of inner dialogue, and to advocate for self love. TAE weaves between the genres and styles to mirror the topics on display, however, many of her original works are in the directions of Soul/ R&B/ Pop-Rock.

TAE has performed mainly as a one-woman-band since 2012, until she joined forces with four other creatives in 2020 (Which was also when her solo, debut album “What Love Is” was released). This new project she has been working on {along side with Andy Welsch, Daniel Pingrey, William Deblaey, and Kelvin Kaspar} is called TAE & The Neighborly - they released their debut album, "Self Help" in 2024.

Ken Yates is an award-winning singer-songwriter known for his introspective storytelling and his signature blend of folk, indie, and rock influences. His latest album, Total Cinema (2025), marks a defining evolution in his sound. Working with producer Dan Ledwell in Halifax, Yates explores themes of gratitude and self-awareness with characteristic precision and emotional depth.

His new music has already captured critical attention, with NPR's Ann Powers declaring, "I'm obsessed with this song by Canadian troubadour Ken Yates,” while Atwood Magazine declared the new music a “bright, cathartic reckoning.” Total Cinema features eleven tracks that showcase an artist who has found clarity in his creative vision, embracing both the shadows and light of human experience.

Total Cinema follows Yates’ 2022 album, Cerulean, which earned him a Contemporary Album of the Year nomination at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. Recently selected as an Official Showcasing Artist at SXSW and Americanafest 2024, Yates continues to grow his audience, opening for artists including Madison Cunningham, Passenger, and Kathleen Edwards, and collaborating with respected songwriters Trousdale, Katie Pruitt, Tiny Habits, and Lori McKenna. With the release of his new album, Yates continues to assert his place as one of the most incisive voices in rising indie music.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

WVU Creative Arts Center - Lyle B. Clay Theatre, 1436 Evansdale Dr. , Morgantown, United States