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)

Miller, Holsapple & Stamey: Not Attorneys At Law

And in these times, in these times, in these lonely, lonely times, I will sing along... (Rhett Miller - Sometimes)

Sometimes you get a nice surprise from a new CD release that maybe you weren't expecting. Case in point: 2 recent releases have me humming along; Rhett Miller's Rhett Miller and Peter Holapple and Chris Stamey's Here and Now. These CDs don't grab you by the throat and say listen to me, but they subtly tickle your ears and echo in your head.

Rhett Miller is the lead singer for the The Old 97's, the fantastic Texas alt-country band. This is his 3rd major solo release; the first was 2002's The Instigator, a superb and lively affair; his second, 2006's The Believer, was a bit of a let down for me; and now his 2009 release is a return to form. The CD's high points are many; Happy Birthday Don't Die is simply one of the best songs of the year; Caroline, If It's Not Love, Like Love, No One Say I Love You Anymore are strong compositions; Haphazardly and Sometimes are softer tunes that stay with you.

Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey were the main song writers and singers of The dBs, the outstanding 1980's college rock band from North Carolina. The dBs were on the cutting edge of the '80s southern pop tidal wave led by R.E.M., Lets Active, The Windbreakers, The Reiveres, etc... The dB's broke up in the late '80s, but in 1992, the duo reunited for Mavericks, their acoustic-folk debut. Mavericks was an excellent and memorable release. Now the guys are back with Here and Now. The high points are the hauntingly beautiful Santa Monica, the title track Here and Now, Early in the Morning and A Song For Johnny Cash. The CD also includes a couple of bonus tracks with the guys updating some DBs classics.

Mountain Stage: Holsapple & Stamey

If there ever was a time we had better get it right it had better be tonight, right here and now... (Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey - Right Here and Now)

I got to see a live taping of the Mountain Stage show this past weekend! The live radio show from out of Charleston, WV is hosted by Larry Groce. The show features 5 artists that may range from rock, blues, folk, bluegrass, gospel or whatever. Each artist plays about 5 or 6 songs with the headliner maybe getting an extra one or so. They close out the show with all the artists performing a standard. It is a very nice show and I recommend the show if you have the opportunity.

This was my second Mountain Stage show in the last few years. The first show that I saw was back in May 2008 and the headliner was Kim Richey. That show is in the Mountain Stage archives here.

The show this past weekend featured Nanci Griffith, Todd Snider, The Greencards, Ashleigh Flynn & Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey. I've been a fan of Nanci Griffith since I fist heard her Other Voice, Other Rooms; her album of covers from 1993. I've wanted to see Todd Snider for a while now and his set was a treat. The Greencards and Ashleigh Flynn played fine sets as well. I was most excited about seeing Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey.

Back in the summer of 1984 I was studying in Colorado. One of my classmates that I traveled out west with introduced me to a new band, The dB's. Their sound was fresh, their songs, mostly love gone bad, were clever and funny. Their singers had unique voices. Their main singer/song writers were Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey. They had (and still have) a kind of Lennon-McCartney thing going on; a kind of yen and yang. The dB's made 2 great records 1981's Stands For Decibels and 1982's Repercussions. Chris Stamey left the band just as they had landed a bigger record deal. Although The dB's continued for a few more records without Stamey, the band suffered without his songs and vocals.

I followed Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey from afar. I have actually seen Peter a few times as he was a sideman with R.E.M. and Hootie and the Bowfish. Peter has recorded several albums with the Continental Drifters, a collection of like minded artists including Vicki Peterson formerly of The Bangles and Susan Cowsill of The Cowsills. Chris has recorded as a solo artist and has worked as a producer with such artists as Whiskeytown and Alejandro Escovedo among others. In 1992 Holsapple and Stamey released their first duet CD Mavericks; a very underrated and solid album.

Holsapple and Stamey are back with a new collection of songs entitled Here and Now. I read a very good review of the CD here. During the Mountain Stage taping they performed 5 songs (I think), all from Here and Now. They opened with "Early in the Morning" and the powerful "Santa Monica". They also played "Long Time Coming" and "A Song For Johnny Cash". A short but very nice set. These guys really gel together and here's to hoping they play together for many more years. Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey - Here and Now

1980’s: Back To Rockville

I know it might sound strange, but I believe you'll be coming back before too long…(Don’t Go Back To Rockville – R.E.M.)

I was in college in the 1983; a college friend had just returned home from Europe (Germany I think) and the first song he said he heard when he arrived back was Radio Free Europe by R.E.M. Soon after he loaned me his copy of Murmur and I played it over and over. I tried to understand the lyrics and to figure out exactly how many guitar players that I was hearing. The album sounded like something new.

At this time rock radio seemed a little stale. Very few new rock bands were being played on classic rock stations; pop music was dominated by MTV bands and then College radio began to emerge. For me this was a music revolution and the influence of R.E.M. and U2 could be heard throughout.

I began hearing band from the Paisley Underground; a term associated with young Californian bands that were influenced by the 60’s psychedelic and pop music; bands like The Three O’Clock, The Long Ryders, Rain Parade, The Bangles, The Dream Syndicate, 28th Day, The Chesterfield Kings and others. I began hearing Jangle Pop bands from out of the south; a 60's pop sound with chiming rock guitars with folk overtones; led by R.E.M. and bands like The dB's, Let's Active, Guadalcanal Diary, The Windbreakers, Love Tractor, Game Theory, The Reivers, and others. I began hearing country influenced bands like Lone Justice, Rank & File, Los Lobos, The Beat Farmers, Beat Rodeo, etc...

This was a great period in music. Too bad a lot of people didn't hear these bands.

10 Great Songs That You’ve Never Heard From 10 Great Bands That You’ve Never Heard Of

1. The dB’s – Amplifier
2. The Long Ryders – I Had a Dream
3. Rain Parade – This Can’t Be Today
4. The Three O’Clock – Simon in the Park
5. The Reivers – Things Don’t Change
6. Windbreakers – That Stupid Idea
7. Let’s Active – In Little Ways
8. Rave-Ups – Positively Lost Me
9. Lone Justice – Sweet, Sweet Baby (I’m Falling)
10. The Beat Farmers – Bigger Stones


REM - Sittin' Still

The Long Ryders - I Had a Dream

Lone Justice - Sweet Sweet Baby (I'm Falling)