If you missed the Oct. 18, Mountain Stage show at the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center, you are in luck.

At 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, the show, which featured a Mountain State flavors with Kathy Mattea, The Songcatchers and The Ahs, will air on WVWV 89.9-FM out of Huntington.

The show also features two steel-guitar-fueled sets by Shannon Whitworth (formerly of the Biscuit Burners) as well as the infectious energy of the seven-piece band, Or, The Whale, out of San Francisco.

If you miss the show Sunday, Mountain Stage, heard 'round the world on National Public Radio, will also air the show at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28.

Mountain Stage is in the heart of its taping season and has got a couple good ones coming up this Sunday and next. At 7 p.m. Nov. 22, at the Culture Center is Mike Doughty, Langhorne Slim, Dala, Dawes and Diana Birch. Tickets are $12.50/$18.

Mountain Stage gets in the holiday spirit at 7 p.m. Nov. 29, at the Culture Center with a unique holiday mix from outstanding Canadian vocalist Holly Cole (who performed here in Huntington in June 2002 as part of Jazz-MU-Tazz) and Winterbloom featuring Antje Duvekot, Anne Heaton, Meg Hutchinson, Natalia Zukerman, John Cowan's Christmas Show, Cory Chisel & the Wandering Sons and Pianafiddle. Tickets are $12.50 and $20.

Go online at www.mountainstage.org for more info and tickets.

Acoustic Appetizer at the Keith

Speaking of the Keith, a reminder that the Jamie Oliver-fueled food festival is getting by with a little help from his friends.

Country superstars Rascal Flatts, a band that's booked for a full concert at the Charleston Civic Center on Jan. 23, with Country Music Association New Artist of the Year Darius Rucker, will be giving an acoustic appetizer with a 30-minute set at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21.

Angela Jones, of the Marshall Artists Series, said there will be about 500 more tickets given away Saturday at the fest, which takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For those who don't get free tickets, the show will be broadcast live on 3rd Avenue.

Dang right we got the blues

The blues are moving in all over the region this weekend and that's a great thing.

You can hear some smoking homegrown blues Saturday cooked up by local guitar hero Bud Carroll as he celebrates the release of his latest CD cut with Eddie Ashworth (Sublime, Dio, Great White and Pennywise) in Athens, Ohio.

Armed with his original Southern Souls band (assembled for the gig) and featuring Jimmy Lykens, bass, John Cavendish on keys, guitar and vocals, Steve Barker, drums, and Carroll, has never sounded better. That's saying something. Carroll has shared the stage with such acts as The Allman Brothers, Tom Petty, Los Lobos, Drive-By Truckers, Gov't Mule, Robert Randolph and the Family Band and John Fogerty when he was playing with Jive Records artists.

Carroll and the Southern Souls are playing at Shamrock's Pub, 2050 3rd Ave., Huntington, Saturday night with Ohio cult rocker Bill Fox (formerly of The Mice) and a sought-after songwriter who's had bands such as Guided by Voices and Superchunk cover his songs. Doors open at 8 p.m. The show will get going about 10 p.m. Cover is $12 and folks get a copy of the new CD, "Wasted Words and Best of Intentions" as well as a live DVD of the band recorded at the Paramount Arts Center.

If you're up for a road-trip, there are a couple good national bluesmen rolling on the river.

Armed with his trombone, Big James Montgomery has played with everyone from Albert King to Buddy Guy. Friday, Nov. 20, Montgomery and his Chicago Playboys roll those blues on up the Ohio River to the historic Lafayette Hotel in Marietta, Ohio.

Tickets are $10 for members and $20 for non-members, or $25 for admission and a 1-year membership, available only at the door. For more information, visit www.bjfm.org

Playing Friday and Saturday at 10 p.m. at The Court Street Grill, in Pomeroy, Ohio, is the one and only Johnny Rawls.

A big nod to West Virginia Blues Man Nat Reese, the Bluefield resident who is one of the seven inductees going into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame on Saturday at the Culture Center Theater.

Go online at www.wvmusichalloffame.com for more info.

Dave Lavender writes about music for The Herald-Dispatch. Contact him at 304-526-6686 or lavender@herald-dispatch.com.