Weekly broadcasts of the
Best of Bound for Glory
Every week we feature a recording from our archive of live
Bound for Glory shows. Spend Sunday nights with us
on your radio at 93.5 FM or through the Internet.
Click here for ways to listen to the show.
Is there something you would like to hear? Email us here
Coming this Fall—
the return of LIVE Bound for Glory
shows at a new venue and time.
See below for more details!
On your radio July 20—
Phil Shapiro & Terry Kelleher
Originally broadcast 7/15/18
What happens when you run a live radio show and the scheduled performers end up not arriving at the last minute? You get two great performers, like Phil Shapiro and Terry Kelleher (who also happen to work on that show), to perform! That’s how this concert came about.
Besides being the host of North America’s longest-running live folk concert broadcast, WVBR’s Bound for Glory, Phil Shapiro is a folksinger and guitarist who chooses fascinating, energetic songs from the last couple of hundred years of American traditional folk song, plus newer songs written squarely in the folk tradition. Shapiro has been entertaining folk audiences throughout New York State–and beyond–for over 40 years. He is a fine finger-style guitarist; creative and lively, good at getting his guitar to “talk”, to be part of the song and the story.
Terry Kelleher can usually be found near a sound mixer, at Ithaca Contra Dances and at other folk venues. He’s been the “head techie” at Bound for Glory for the past 25 years or so. But he is also a singer, songwriter and musician who occasionally performs in public around Ithaca and Binghamton. He has a deep appreciation of story songs and is highly attracted to humorous songs. He performs a wide range of contemporary folk music in addition to his own originals.
Terry has been described as “an interpreter of the strange”, with a great love of songs by Steve Goodman and John Prine, getting ample inspiration from these fine songwriters. He gathers songs from many sources, covering topics from alien abduction to cannibalism and from pirates to broken appliances. His original songs offer a view of life from a perspective colored with humor and an appreciation for the strange twists of life. Terry’s wife has said that his mind must be a peculiar place to live.
On your radio July 27—Brendan Taaffe
Originally broadcast 10/3/10
“Come Sit By My Chair offers a seamless blend of fiddling, traditional and new songs, contemporary folk, and a sampling of Taaffe’s songwriting skills and his infectious voice.”—The Rutland Herald
Lauded for “playing with heart as well as virtuosity,” Brendan Taaffe is a prominent guitarist, fiddler and singer in New England’s thriving contra dance and Irish music community. Brendan honed his driving guitar style and deep knowledge of the Irish tradition while living in Limerick and playing regularly in sessions. Now based in Vermont, Brendan has played at festivals, concerts and dances throughout North America and Europe with his band Magic Foot and other ensembles.
With Magic Foot, Brendan has released two albums (Stomping Ground in 2009, an eponymous E.P. in 2008), recorded with Northern Harmony in 2005, and has two solo albums. His debut solo album, Come Sit By My Chair, was released in 2003. He is also the author of Handy with the Stick, a book about Irish fiddling, and the founder of Turtle Dove, an organization that sponsors harmony singing for adults.
On your radio August 3—
Jonathan Byrd & the Pickup Cowboys
Originally broadcast 11/22/15
“So deeply rooted in tradition, yet growing in his own way.”—Tom Paxton
“I thought I was listening to a young Doc Watson.”—Jay Moulon, Southeast Magazine
Jonathan Byrd is “one of the top 50 songwriters of the last 50 years,” says Rich Warren of WFMT in the Chicago Tribune. Scott Alarik of the Boston Globe says, “This rootsy North Carolinian may be the most buzzed-about new songwriter in folkdom. He displays John Prine’s gift for stark little songs that tell big, complex stories, Guy Clark’s lean melodicism, Lyle Lovett’s wry mischief, and Bill Morrissey’s knack for the revealing image.”
Byrd grew up singing in the Southern Baptist church, where his father preached and his mother played piano. After four years in the Navy, he returned to home to play in rock bands. It was at an old-time fiddle festival in the mountains of southwest Virginia where his writing began to change. Assimilating the sounds of southern traditional music, Byrd wrote new songs in an ancient style. After 10 years as a full-time touring songwriter and 7 acclaimed albums, it seems this native of Cackalacky is getting the attention he deserves.
On your radio August 10—Tom Pacheco
Originally broadcast 6/28/09
His songs have been covered by Jefferson Starship, the Band, Rick Danko, Ritchie Havens, Scott Petito and Leslie Ruler, John Hall and dozens of European artists, many becoming number one hits in England and Norway. His albums have sold well in Europe. One became platinum in the mid 90’s. He played folk rock in Greenwich Village, NY in the late 60’s and alternative country in Austin Texas in the early 80’s. He walked out on the Nashville songwriting factories and spent 10 years in Dublin Ireland recording and touring extensively in Europe. He now lives in Woodstock, NY and tours both America and Europe. He is admired by critics, fellow performers and perceptive music lovers who have bought the imported copies of many of his albums. Andy Hardin, Tom Russell’s long time guitarist, called him “the best solo performer he’s ever seen.” He released his 19th album Rebel Spring in 2005.
Live Bound for Glory Shows
Are Coming Back This Fall!
We are starting a new series of live Bound for Glory shows, at a new time (afternoon!) and a new venue—the Lansing Area Performance Hall—starting in September!
These once-a-month live shows will be recorded for broadcast on a future Sunday’s WVBR’s Bound for Glory radio show. The Lansing Area Performance Hall is a wonderful, acoustically rich converted church on Auburn Road in Lansing. We have chosen a mid-afternoon time to make it easier for everyone to come join us in the live audience, and the shows will be hosted by our dear friend Travis Knapp. We’ve pulled together some of our favorite performers to kick off our first season:
- Sunday, September 28, 2025, 2 pm—Mustard’s Retreat
- Sunday, October 26, 2025, 2 pm—Tim Ball with Alex Fortier
- Sunday, November 23, 2025, 2 pm—Anne Hills
Come be a part of Bound for Glory’s new series of live shows starting in September at the Lansing Area Performance Hall at 1004 Auburn Road, North Lansing, NY.