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. Previous live performers include Dom Flemons, Connie Kaldor, Bonnie Koloc, Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards, Jim & Susie Malcolm, Abby Posner, and many more. Additional episodes feature selections from 45 years of archival performances, including from the Old Town School of Folk Music. Become a Folkstage supporter today.
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.
Ariane Lydon From the Archives
June 6, 2026, 8:00 pm
Music wafts like a summer breeze through a greening garden in a 2005 performance by Ariane Lydon.
New Year’s Eve 2004 from the Archives
January 10, 2026
Turn back the clock to a Midnight Special New Year’s Eve concert on December 31, 2004. John McCutcheon, Peggy Seeger, and Tom Dundee performed live at The Looking Glass Theatre.
Anne Hills Sings Michael Smith Live on WFMT
January 3, 2026
Anne Hills helped introduce the world to the songs of the late Michael Peter Smith, Chicago’s most poignant balladeer. On her recent album, she has newly adapted classics such as “…Elizabeth Dark,” “Crazy Mary,” and “Spoon River” that she will perform on this intimate Folkstage broadcast.
New Year’s Steve III with Sons of the Never Wrong Live on WFMT
December 27, 2025
Sons of the Never Wrong and friends present Words We Can Dance To, Bruce Roper’s musical based on Steve Goodman songs. The rom-com radio play is set in a typical Chicago corner bar.
Guy Mendilow Band from the Archives
December 20, 2025
The international Guy Mendilow Ensemble with Tomoko Umora, Andy Bergman, and Shannon Lambert played live at WFMT in 2007. Their set illuminated Hanukkah and rang with sounds from around world.
Archie Fisher from the Archives
December 13, 2025
This broadcast of excerpts from Archie Fisher’s Folkstage performances honors the memory of Scotland’s quintessential folksinger, songwriter, and folk radio host who died on November 1, 2025.
Anne Heaton and Sean Kiely Live on WFMT
December 6, 2025
Chicago native now based in Milwaukee, Anne Heaton takes a freewheeling approach to create unique piano-based folk. She scales emotional peaks like a musical mountain climber. Synching up with Anne will be a newcomer from New Jersey. Sean Kiely writes vivid songs that stretch feelings and suspend words with strings.
The Brother Brothers from the Archives
November 29, 2025
Twins Adam and David Moss, The Brother Brothers, started out in Peoria and landed in Brooklyn. On the way, they played at WFMT’s Folkstage in 2018.
Harpeth Rising from the Archives
November 22, 2025
Timeless strings and seamless harmonies characterize Harpeth Rising. Hear their 2011 Folkstage concert.
The Oh Boys Live at St. Tim’s Coffeehouse
November 15, 2025
Fresh and retro, The Oh Boys are a ChiTown trio who honed their harmonies in musical theatre. Their originals draw on doo-wop as well as the spirits of Buddy Holly and Phil Ochs. Concert at St. Tim’s Coffeehouse in Skokie starts at 7PM. Live broadcast at 8PM.
Diana Jones From the Archives
November 8, 2025
With an elegant style and rich voice, Diana Jones brings the human condition into focus through the lens of her own complex heritage. She played Folkstage in 2018.
C. Daniel Boling & Ben Bedford Live at Acoustic Renaissance
November 1, 2025
C. Daniel Boling from Albuquerque and Ben Bedford from Springfield, Ill., are two masterful songwriters who come at folk from different, intersecting angles. Join us live at Acoustic Renaissance Concerts in Hinsdale. First set, 7PM. Broadcast at 8PM.
Folkstage Highlights from the Archives
October 25, 2025
Sample some of the fun enjoyed by Folkstage members with highlights from the past year. Folkstage members get exclusive access to live broadcasts.
Phil Ochs Song Night from the Archives
October 18, 2025
In 2009, Phil’s sister Sonny Ochs presented Josh White, Jr., Bonnie Koloc, Greg Greenway, and more recorded at the Old Town School of Folk Music.
The Dangling Participles Live at St. Tim’s
October 11, 2025
Watch your language! The Dangling Participles, a witty duo from Lansing, Michigan, make their Folkstage debut at St. Tim’s Coffeehouse (Skokie). First set at 7 PM, live broadcast at 8 PM.
Betty Soo from the Archives
October 4, 2025
The powerhouse that is BettySoo filled the airwaves with her rich vocals and uncompromising songs when she came from Austin, Texas, to play live on Folkstage in 2009.
Haiku Milieu Live on WFMT
September 27, 2025
A Folkstage first, Jenny Bienemann leads an evening of music inspired by her evocative haiku with songsters Naomi Ashley, Robin Bienemann, Anne Heaton, Emily Hurd, Aaron Kelly, and Andrew Sa. Tune in to see where 17-syllables can take you!
Jackson Emmer from the Archives
September 20, 2025
Charming, powerful and modest, California Jackson Emmer came to WFMT in 2023 enthusiastically recommended by Tom Paxton with sideman Martin Gilmore, a 2025 Kerrville New Folk winner.
Jackson Emmer with Martin Gilmore from the Archives
September 20, 2025
On his first trip to Folkstage in 2023, Jackson Emmer swept in from the American West and galloped into the hearts of the audience. He brought along his bluegrass-pickin’ pal Martin Gilmore who has gone on to win 1st place in the 2025 Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Competition.
Sam Robbins Live from St. Tim’s
September 13, 2025
Up-and-comer Sam Robbins plays live on WFMT from St. Tim’s Coffeehouse in Skokie. Eloquent songs, elaborate guitar stylings, and bottomless charm ensure that Sam’s star will continue to rise. Join us in person at 7PM at St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church. Live broadcast at 8PM/Central.
Anais Mitchell from the Archives
September 6, 2025
Anais Mitchell, currently of Bonny Light Horsemen, appeared solo on Folkstage years before her Hadestown musical became a Broadway phenomenon. Hear her distinctive voice as captured in 2010.
