Pokey LaFarge and his backing band The South City Three make their first appearance on Mountain Stage, recorded live at the Paramount Theater in the border town of Bristol, Tenn./Va., in partnership with the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance. Hailing from St. Louis, LaFarge mixes the sounds of a bygone era: early string-band music, ragtime, country blues and Western swing. Given that each member of his band The South City Three looks like an extra from an episode of HBO's Boardwalk Empire, it should come as no surprise that one of the group's songs was recently featured on that show.
LaFarge is quick to credit heroes like Jimmie Rodgers, to whom his sound is inextricably linked, but he's not content to merely play older material; four out of five songs in his set are original compositions. LaFarge joined forces with The South City Three in 2009; that trio includes Ryan Koenig on harmonica, Adam Hoskins on guitar, and Joey Glynn on upright bass.
Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three are followed by the Mountain Stage band's pianist, Bob Thompson, with the pop standard "Can't Help Falling in Love."
Set List
This installment of Mountain Stage was first published on Nov. 9, 2012.
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