Saturdays at 8:00 pm
Put yourself in the room where live folk music thrives
Folkstage is a one-hour concert series featuring the finest traditional and singer-songwriter talent in folk music. Each year, some two dozen concerts come to you live from local venues or WFMT's studio. Additional episodes feature selections from 45 years of archival performances, including from the Old Town School of Folk Music.
You might also like The Midnight Special, a thematic mix of folk music and more every Saturday night from 9 pm to midnight after Folkstage.
Folkstage is available for free streaming in two different ways – live during the broadcast and on demand via the rights-compliant 5-hour, non-interactive player below within two weeks of the broadcast.
WLS Barn Dance Centennial Recorded Live at The Hideout
WFMT airs an exclusive hour of music, history, poetry, and comedy showcasing Chicago’s role in a century of country music. Artists include Tara Betts, Paul Collins, Girls of the Golden West, Kelly Hogan, Nikki Morgan, Hawk Nebula, Lawrence Peters, Andrew Sa, and more with Barry Irving as emcee.
Katie Oates Trio Live from WFMT
Katie Oates is a preacher’s kid with a rich voice and a warm heart worn proudly on her sleeve. Katie, Parker Foley, and Mathew Tully come to Folkstage to showcase the new album, Edge of a Hurricane.
Dylan Covers on Folkstage from the Archives
A collection of Dylan songs performed live on Folkstage by a wide range of artists from Ed Holstein to Antje Duvekot, Robin Greenstein to Kevin So and more.
Terry Klein Live from WFMT
Hailing from the epicenter of Texas songwriting, The Austin American-Statesman calls Terry Klein “one of Austin’s top singer-songwriters…” Klein writes piercing songs populated with compelling characters, some from true life.
Giulia Millanta Live From WFMT
Texas singer/songwriter and cookbook author Giulia Millanta composes smoky indie-folk with a Florentine flavor. By turns raw, humorous, or introspective, she’s equally creative in the kitchen or on stage.
Kristina Olsen from the Archives
In 2004, Kristina Olsen performed a stirring set at WFMT, including one of her signature songs, “My Father’s Piano.” Her immensely fluid voice cannot be contained by a single descriptor, ranging from folk to blues to impressionistic and lyrical.
Kevin So Live at WFMT
A strong sense of story and a mastery of blues styles sets Kevin So apart. His current project is creating folk-style interpretations of songs made popular by the late Taiwanese music icon Teresa Teng.
