The Baseball Project Home Run on Mountain Stage

I wanna see Dale Murphy in the Hall of Fame, Forget about the cheaters and all the steroid eaters... The Baseball Project - To The Veterans Committee

This was my 3rd time attending a live Mountain Stage, a radio show that is recorded in Charleston, WV.  The show is recorded for broadcast at a later date and featured a stellar lineup of Loose Cattle, Bob Mould, Chris Stamey, The Minus 5 & The Baseball Project.  The host of the show was Charleston's own Conor Knighton, an actor and correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning.

I am a major fan of the 1980's power pop/college rock band The dB's.  It was great to see the former leader of that band, Chris Stamey.  He performed side 1 of his latest album Anything is Possible.  His band included a string and flute section and sounded terrific.  One of the highlights was when Stamey and the band played a fine rendition of Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder), a cover of The Beach Boys' classic song from Pet Sounds.

The Minus 5 featured R.E.M.'s Peter Buck on bass guitar and Mike Mills on keyboards, along with Scott McCaughey on guitar and vocals, Steve Wynn on guitar and Linda Pitmon on drums.  The Minus 5 leaned heavily on their just released new album Oar on, Penelope!

playing 3 new songs including the power pop sound of Let the Rope Hold, Cassie Lee.  The band played 6 songs in total and after a short break came back on stage, with Peter Buck switching to guitar and Mike Mills on bass.  

Other than that, the exact same band as noted by the host, but under the name of The Baseball Project, who also played 6 songs as well.  Highlights included Mike Mills singing To the Veteran's Committee, his ode for Atlanta Brave's Dale Murphy and Disco Demolition, a song about Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park, Chicago back in 1979.

The Minus 5 Discography (Highlights):

• In Rock (2000)
• Down With Wilco (2003)
• Of Monkees and Men (2016)

The Baseball Project Discography:

• Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails (2008)
• Volume 2: High and Inside (2011)
• 3rd (2014)
• Grand Salami Time (2023)