eTown

Patty Griffin / John Smith / Award: Jordan Kassalow (VisionSpring)

Veteran singer/songwriter Patty Griffin returns to the eTown stage after a long absence, and talented Brit John Smith brings his brilliant songwriting and gifted singing and playing to share during his first visit to eTown.

Plus, we’ll hear a truly awesome eChievement Award story about the founder of an organization that provides glasses (and a new lease on life) for thousands of people around the world who’ve been misdiagnosed as blind.

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Strand of Oaks / Anna Burch / Award: Murray Fisher (Billion Oyster Project)

One of our all time favorites, Strand of Oaks, returns to the eTown stage this week. This dynamic, gifted writer and singer (and one of the genuinely nicest people you’ll ever meet) brings his full band this time around.

Coming solo to round out the musical portion of the show is young Anna Burch of Detroit, Michigan.

And we’ll have an award interview with a young man who’s come up with a truly unique and natural way to clean up the polluted waters of New York Harbor.

Loreena McKennitt / Greg Laswell / Sue Lee (Sock It To ’em Sock Campaign)

This week’s encore program features the lovely Loreena McKennitt. McKennitt’s “eclectic Celtic” music has received critical acclaim worldwide; she’s won gold, platinum, and multi-platinum sales awards in fifteen countries across four continents. We’re happy to welcome her back.

Also with us, rising star and folk-pop singer/songwriter Greg Laswell.

Plus we’ll have a conversation with eChievement Award winner Sue Lee, founder of the Sock It To Em Sock Campaign, which provides much-needed socks to the homeless.

Darrell Scott / Kaia Kater / Award: Becca Stevens (Thistle Farms)

The seasoned and the new meet this week on eTown: veteran songwriter, guitarist, and singer extraordinaire Darrell Scott pairs up with our other musical guest, the bright, young, up-and-coming Canadian singer/songwriter Kaia Kater.

Plus we’ll share an eChievement Award story about a woman who has helped hundreds of women transitioning from prison into the every day world, a daunting task made easier by the support our winner provides.

Jack Johnson / The Weather Station / Interview: Jeff Orlowski (Chasing Coral)

This week brings a special encore broadcast featuring renowned singer/songwriter and avid environmental activist Jack Johnson. Jack shares some of his recent music as well as a few old favorites.

Canadian The Weather Station (folk artist Tamara Lindeman) joins us as well.

And we’ll hear from enviro-filmmaker Jeff Orlowski who discusses his latest film, Chasing Coral, which documents the pressing danger to the world’s crucial ecosystems housed in declining coral reefs. Its a climate-themed eTown classic, direct from eTown’s solar-powered performance space – eTown Hall.

Damien Jurado / Laura Gibson / Award: Charles Robbins of Project Angel Heart

Two ethereal singer/songwriters from the great Northwest join us this week: Damien Jurado, native to Seattle, Washington, but more recently relocated to Los Angeles, returns to eTown for his second visit;

and Laura Gibson, who grew up in Coquille, Oregon, a small logging town and now lives in Portland (a bit of trivia: Laura was the first performer on NPR’s Tiny Desk Series).

And our eChievement Award winner, Charles Robbins of Project Angel Heart, is a man who founded a nonprofit to provide medically tailored meals to critically ill people, providing ease, care, much needed nutrition and, in many cases, saving lives.

Tyler Childers / The Suitcase Junket / Chad Bernstein (Guitars Over Guns)

This week on the eTown airwaves we’re joined by Americana/country singer/songwriter Tyler Childers. Tyler fuses gritty original song lyrics with the folk, bluegrass and rock influences of his Appalachian upbringing.

Also with us is “one-man-band” The Suitcase Junket, with his one of a kind sound created from an array of instruments all played at once.

Rounding things out, we have a conversation with eChievement Award winner Chad Bernstein, founder of Guitars Over Guns, an organization that provides mentoring to at-risk youth through music and arts education as an alternative to the negative and harmful influences that typically dominate their environments.

The Waifs / Jim Lauderdale / Award: Andreas Karelas of RE-volv

Our musical guests this week have one thing in common: They’re all returning to the eTown stage after many years. First up are The Waifs, the dynamic Australian band headed up by sisters Vikki Thorn and Donna Simpson.

Also joining us is gifted singer/songwriter Jim Lauderdale, whose songs have been recorded by a Who’s Who of country stars over the years.

And we’ll hear from the Andreas Karelas young founder of RE-volv, a nonprofit that enables other nonprofits around the country to go solar, despite their modest budgets.

Michael Franti / Victoria Canal / Award: Dr. William Brown of One Medical Relief

Back by popular demand! This rebroadcast features prolific musician, humanitarian, filmmaker, and activist Michael Franti, well known for his amazing stage presence as well as using his music as a vehicle for positive change.

Also joining us, up-and-coming singer/songwriter Victoria Canal.

Rounding things out, Nick sits down with Dr. William Brown of One World Medical Relief who is using cosmetic surgery who works in 3rd world countries to give children with birth defects a chance at a normal life.

The Infamous Stringdusters / Molly Tuttle / Award: Maria Rose Belding of MEANS

The high energy, Grammy winning bluegrass band The Infamous Stringdusters return to the eTown stage this week for their third visit, bringing a fresh crop of original songs.

Also with us is Molly Tuttle, a California native who moved to Nashville a few years ago. Molly’s been performing since a young age (as a member of her family’s band, The Tuttles) and in more recent years she’s gone on to start her own solo career. Despite only being in her mid-twenties, she’s already won several awards, including as the first female recipient of the IBMA’s coveted Guitar Player of the Year Award.

Rounding out the hour is an award story about a young woman who founded an international online database that connects food donors with organizations that feed the hungry, saving edible food from the landfill in the process.