We’ve got a fantastic eTown rebroadcast for you this week, featuring the return of a long-time eTown favorite, John Gorka. Hosts Nick & Helen Forster welcome this honored icon of the folk tradition as he shares new and classic material, delivered with his warm, rich baritone voice. Rolling Stone calls him “the preeminent male singer-songwriter of the new folk movement.” Also, the tasty Northern California band, Hot Buttered Rum, makes their very first eTown visit. They have a hip and fresh sound that weaves together the traditions of folk and bluegrass with modern influences of rock ‘n roll, reggae and more. Plus, there’s an inspiring E-Chievement Award story waiting for you this week, right here in eTown.

This week we bring you a rebroadcast of a fantastic eTown road show taped in Colorado Springs. Our old friend, ultimate singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III, returns to eTown. Loudon shares a set of both hilarious and touching songs, as only he can do, with Nick & Helen Forster and the eTones backing him up here and there. Then, it’s legendary soul singer Bettye LaVette in her return to the eTown stage. A force to be reckoned with, Bettye sings, teases and taunts the audience into tapping their feet to her dynamic set of tunes, all backed up in top-notch style by the eTones. There’s also an inspirational ‘in-person’ E-Chievement Award winner, all for you, here in eTown!

This week’s show, when originally broadcast in 2008, happens to be the eTown debut of two talented musical guests. First, multi-cultural singer-songwriter Lila Downs joins us along with her amazing band. Lila was raised in the Mixtec region of Oaxaca, Mexico and in Minnesota, and her music reflects her diverse roots. We also welcome emerging artist Gregory Alan Isakov, a fantastic singer and songwriter who shares some of his original tunes, with musical and vocal support from Nick & Helen Forster and the eTones. Also, we welcome back to eTown national radio commentator, public speaker, author, and “America’s #1 Populist”, Jim Hightower. There’s a moving E-Chievement Award story from Texas, too. It’s all right here, this week, in eTown!

eTown treats you to an eclectic and exciting musical journey this week. Hosts Nick & Helen Forster welcome for their first visit, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals. Grace and her band are emerging as one of the nation’s foremost rock bands with a rabid fan following. (Rolling Stone named them one of the Best New Bands of 2010!). There’s also the acoustic driven duo of Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore, featuring Ben on cello and vocals and Daniel on guitar and vocals. “Sollee’s deft stringwork adds an uncommon dimension to his songs about life and love.” (Paste Magazine). And Nick & Helen and the eTones add their tasty musical and vocal layers to the duo’s sound on a cut or two as well. The E-Chievement Award goes to a New York State woman who founded an effective grassroots volunteer effort to help those in need in her community. Tune in!

We offer a very special eTown rebroadcast this week, featuring the return of popular bluegrass legends, The Del McCoury Band. Del (at the time of the original airing celebrating his 50th year in bluegrass) and his amazing band (sons Ronnie & Robbie, plus Alan Bartram and Jason Carter) deliver their signature stellar musicianship and harmony vocals. Also with us, powerful singer and superb songwriter (he’s also a fan of both Del McCoury and eTown), Eddie Kowalczyk, stepping out from his multi-platinum, alt-rock band LIVE to perform some rare solo acoustic songs (Eddie receives stellar musical and vocal accompaniment from Nick & Helen Forster and the eTones. And wait until you hear the finale – wow! As always, there’s also an inspiring E-Chievement Award story waiting for you, too, this week in eTown.

It’s Part Two of eTown’s special ‘Green Rocks at Red Rocks’, originally taped in 2007. Join hosts Nick & Helen Forster for more great music and conversation, recorded live at the exquisite Red Rocks Amphitheatre in front of a packed house of 9,000 attendees. eTown’s ‘Green Rocks’ show brings recycling, zero waste zones, renewable energy use, biodiesel bus transportation, carpool incentives, and more to Red Rocks for the very first time. You’ll hear exciting live performances and intimate, ‘behind-the-scenes’ artist interviews; this week there’s more music from Michael Franti & Spearhead plus a great live performance from and conversation with the John Butler Trio. Tune in to eTown!

In this encore broadcast, eTown returns to the stunningly beautiful natural amphitheatre Red Rocks, with this special two-part broadcast taped in front of a packed house of 9,000 attendees. (Originally aired in 2007, this show was, at the time, the greenest event ever held at Red Rocks; eTown brought for the first time ever recycling, zero waste zones, carbon offsets, renewable energy use, biodiesel bus transportation, carpool incentives, and more to Red Rocks at the time and we’re happy to say that it inspired the management there to instill recycling and other green practices at this famous venue on a regular basis ever since.) Part One of this two-part program brings you exciting live performances and intimate, ‘behind-the-scenes’ artist interviews with Mavis Staples and Michael Franti. And, there’s the presentation of the E-Chievement Award to a dedicated national park ranger who has spearheaded the impressive effort to green the world’s first national park, Yellowstone. Tune in to this special show this week (and be sure not to miss Part Two next week!)

eTown celebrates the return one of the world’s most respected recording artists, Natalie Merchant. Backed by her band, Natalie shares both brand new tunes and beloved favorites. It’s been ten years since she was last with us, so this is a very special show indeed. Hosts Nick & Helen Forster also welcome the Horse Flies for their first-ever eTown appearance, bringing their mesmerizing blend of rock, roots, folk, bluegrass and ethnic grooves. And the E-Chievement Award this week honors noted oceans expert, award-winning journalist, author, filmmaker, and adventurer, Jon Bowermaster, who joins us in person. There’s something for everyone waiting for you this week, in eTown!

Hosts Nick & Helen Forster welcome back the beloved duo Indigo Girls, Emily Saliers and Amy Ray, in this show from the Lincoln Center in Fort Collins, Colorado, with a bit of intrigue thrown in: when Amy misses her plane, Nick, Helen, and the rest of the eTones are enlisted to fill in in her absence. While they make beautiful music with Emily in the first set of the show, the question arises: Will Amy make it to the theater in time to join Emily for their second set in the show? Tune in and find out. Also on the program for their first visit is up-and-coming singer-songwriter Nathaniel Rateliff along with his fine band. And this week’s E-Chievement Award honors a dedicated Fort Collins citizen who shares his story with us in-person.

A fantastic only-in-eTown pairing of artists comes to you this week. Hosts Nick & Helen Forster welcome back guitarist and songwriter Dan Hicks. No one at all sounds like him. And of course he brings those great back up singers, The Hot Licks. His eclectic style and counter-culture appeal, driven by sharp-tongued and dry-witted lyrics, has twice landed him on the cover of Rolling Stone! “Dan Hicks is fly, sly, wily and dry!” says Tom Waits. Also with us in this encore airing is pianist and singer-songwriter Vienna Teng. She’s a Stanford computer science grad and software engineer whose career took a sharp turn several years ago, when she ditched that world to pursue her musical passions. She has since released two critically acclaimed independent albums which landed her on the Billboard album charts and Amazon’s bestseller list. Her “engaging voice, insightful lyrics and reflective piano-driven chamber folk packs quite the punch…simmers and soars.” (LA Weekly). All this, plus an inspiring E-Chievement Award interview, awaits you this week, in eTown.