Tony Trischka's EarlJam, and more on Mountain Stage

All tickets to this show are e-tickets and will be emailed to you upon purchase. Open up the pdf and the QR code on your ticket will be scanned at the door. This event will also be offered as a livestream.

• Member Tickets on sale - April 10, 10 am ET
• Public Tickets on sale - April 17, 10 am ET

Mountain Stage livestreams are free, however, there are some incredible folks out there who’d like to show their support through a donation-based, pay-what-you-want “ticket” for the livestream. This is a donation-based “ticket” to show some love for the program and is not a ticket to the live event.

You’ll be able to catch the show from the comfort of your home (or wherever you wish) Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026 – at 7 PM ET at mountainstage.org.

Click here to learn more about Mountain Stage and the live show experience!

"Tony Trischka is known as the father of modern bluegrass" - NY Times.

Tony Trischka is considered the consummate banjo artist and perhaps the most influential banjo player in the roots music world. For more than 50 years, his stylings have inspired a whole generation of bluegrass and acoustic musicians with the many voices he has brought to the instrument.

Tony will be honoring the music of Earl Scruggs, pioneer of the three-finger banjo style and one of the most important musicians in bluegrass, or, in Tony’s opinion, in any genre.

Trischka recently came into possession of extremely rare recordings of jam sessions with Scruggs and John Hartford, and he’s transcribed and recorded Scruggs’s note-for-note solos from a number of these. Many songs that Earl had never recorded.

An album of this music is in production with a new label formed by some of the founders of Rounder Records and includes a number of bluegrass luminaries.

Together with his ace band—Michael Daves on vocals and guitar, fiddler Alex Hargreaves and bassist Jared Engel— they will trace the story of Scruggs from his childhood to his final years. This show debuted at Joe’s Pub in New York City which drew lots of interest including an appearance on the Grand Ole Opry, a rarity for a banjo player these days.

“Earl is my North Star, a lifetime pathway. And I’m not alone,” says Trischka, a banjo innovator and educator who has influenced everyone from Béla Fleck to Steve Martin. “Through his music, this shy kid from Flint Hill, North Carolina went on to enrich countless thousands of lives. At the age of 13, when I first heard 16 notes of Scruggs style banjo playing, I put down my folk guitar and mercilessly pestered my parents to buy me a banjo. Once in my hands, that 5-string became my obsession and has been for 60 years.”

He adds, “the depth of his genius becomes ever more apparent when I transcribe his solos, which I’ve been doing my entire musical life and with renewed vigor. Discovering new twists and turns in his playing is pure joy and in fact the inspiration for this tribute show and album.”

Buffalo Wabs and the Price Hill Hustle hail from Cincinnati where they have been crafting a sound that is both rooted in tradition and refreshed by modern sensibilities. This four-piece ensemble confronts the raw expanse of American music, fashioning a live music experience more akin to a bygone era of sweltering summer tent revivals and introspective meditations of the human condition.

Leaning into the foundation of folk, old-time, and early country and bluegrass, the Hustle has molded a unique blend of these traditions with contemporary influences of psych rock, raucous performative gyrations, and a growing catalogue of personal storytelling to offer a product solely their own. Strong vocal leads from Casey Campbell, the drummer, and Matt ‘Wabs’ Wabnitz, the guitarist, anchor a sonic landscape full of lilting harmonies and powerful counter-melody; and with the multi-instrumental leads of Scott Risner and Bill Baldock abounding the audience is guided through a show that defies most genre labeling and denominations. The Hustle aims to take its’ legions to a churc experience regardless of an individual’s origins; all are welcome and encouraged to embark on the journey.

The group’s upcoming recordings and albums expand on the already thick palette by adding new voices and layers, sometimes leading the group to perform as a six-piece ensemble. New music slated for mid-Spring 2026 promises to be both a departure from previous endeavors while holding fast to the core of the passion and performance that has laid the foundation for the past thirteen years, leading to a devoted and committed fanbase across the globe. Jumping from banjos, to fiddles, to electric guitars, to four-part harmonies keeps the audience wholely enthralled with what may be coming next... And with the growing directions of the Hustle, that anticipation will lead folks on a most exciting mission of new music exploration.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Culture Center Theater, 1900 Kanawha Blvd E, Charleston , WV, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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