The Great American Folk Show

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Next week on The Great American Folk Show: Hidden Gems.A collection of unreleased performances and conversations that, f...
08/16/2026

Next week on The Great American Folk Show: Hidden Gems.

A collection of unreleased performances and conversations that, for one reason or another, never made it to air—stemming all the way back to the show's pilot in 2019.

I'm especially grateful to share part of a conversation I recorded with the late Lloyd Omdahl, former North Dakota lieutenant governor, teacher, columnist, and one of the state's great storytellers. We spent two afternoons together back in 2022, and I'm thankful we turned on the recorder.

Also featured: old-time musician Andru Bemis; the Walz family singing an old Norwegian folk tune; Belfield resident Ruth Buckman Malm, who shares an endearing, homemade tune entitled "The Middle of the Rainbow"; French-born singer-songwriter Marianne Dissard; Bird (Janie Price); and Riley Downing, with a performance recorded especially for the show. Plus, actor John C. Reilly reading Willie Nelson's foreword to North Dakota attorney Sarah Vogel's The Farmer's Lawyer.

From the 2019 pilot to more recent sessions, these recordings finally get their turn.

Download our podcast wherever you get yours, and take it wherever you go. Alternatively, listen to Prairie Public on the radio across North Dakota, Saturday, August 22 at 5 PM CT.

Coming up this weekend on The Great American Folk Show...We'll continue our Summer from Medora series with a visit to th...
08/11/2026

Coming up this weekend on The Great American Folk Show...

We'll continue our Summer from Medora series with a visit to the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation's Badlands Chautauqua, featuring Justin Riner, a California musician whose fascination with Theodore Roosevelt brought him all the way to western North Dakota.

We'll also spend time with Merril Piepkorn, singer-songwriter and former North Dakota state senator, whose original song "Stanley" is a heartfelt tribute to his hometown.

From across the Atlantic, acclaimed English singer-songwriter Paul Jones joins us with songs from his latest recording, and we'll wrap up the program with Riley Downing of The Deslondes, whose unmistakable voice and thoughtful songwriting continue to shape the sound of modern American roots music.

It's another hour of music, stories, and conversation from some remarkable artists.

We're delighted to welcome Lindsay Lou to The Great American Folk Show next weekend.Guided by life experience, Lindsay's...
08/09/2026

We're delighted to welcome Lindsay Lou to The Great American Folk Show next weekend.

Guided by life experience, Lindsay's music continues to weave together sturdy bluegrass roots with progressive Americana and folk. Her songs are deeply personal, beautifully crafted, and sung with a voice that has made her one of today's most compelling Americana artists.

Also on the program: cowboy poet Bill Lowman, with a performance recorded at the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame; North Dakota songwriter Merrill Piepkorn; Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation Chautauqua performer Justin Riner; UK singer-songwriter Paul Jones; and Oh Boy Records recording artist Riley Downing.

Join us Friday, August 15, for music and conversation on The Great American Folk Show with host Tom Brosseau.

On this weekend's Great American Folk Show, we'll travel from Canada to the North Dakota Badlands, down to Salt Lake Cit...
08/03/2026

On this weekend's Great American Folk Show, we'll travel from Canada to the North Dakota Badlands, down to Salt Lake City, across the Atlantic to England, and back again.

Joining us is Spencer Krug, the Canadian singer-songwriter and member of Wolf Parade, with a live session. We'll also catch up with the cast of Rebels & Outlaws: Country Music's Best, Medora, ND's newest musical production. From Salt Lake City comes the Americana band Local Kin. From the United Kingdom, singer-songwriter Hannah Scott shares songs from her latest work. And we'll wrap things up with Michael Antelope, the Hamilton, Ontario duo of Lenny McGowan and Doug McBrien.

Download our podcast wherever you get yours, and take it wherever you go. Alternatively, listen to Prairie Public on the radio across North Dakota, Saturdays at 5 PM CT.

Leonard Cohen once called poetry “evidence of life,” and I suppose there’s a little of that running through today’s show...
08/01/2026

Leonard Cohen once called poetry “evidence of life,” and I suppose there’s a little of that running through today’s show. Over the next hour, we’ll hear musicians searching for something—in songs, in nature, on the road, and in the places they call home. We’ll travel from Prince Edward Island to Scotland, Toronto to Medora, with some live music along the way. And near the end of the show, I’ll share a song of my own in memory of a musician we lost here in Medora last week.

Singer-songwriters Ali Holder, Kari Lyn, Stephen McCafferty, Willem James Cowan, and Tim Hessessy.

Download our podcast wherever you get yours, and take it wherever you go. Alternatively, listen to Prairie Public on the radio across North Dakota, Saturdays at 5 PM CT.

182 broadcasts.Nearly 1,000 guest appearances.Six and a half years.One grateful heart.The final scheduled broadcast of T...
08/01/2026

182 broadcasts.
Nearly 1,000 guest appearances.
Six and a half years.
One grateful heart.

The final scheduled broadcast of The Great American Folk Show will air on the last Saturday evening in August.

Between now and then, every show will be a brand-new original broadcast.

Thank you for welcoming me into your Saturday evenings. Thank you to every listener, guest, sponsor, and friend who made GAFS what it became.

This may be the end of this chapter, but I don't believe it's the last page.

God bless...

I'll see you down the road.

—Tom

Tomorrow on The Great American Folk Show, we welcome Thomas Dolby for a conversation with producer Erik Deatherage. We'l...
07/24/2026

Tomorrow on The Great American Folk Show, we welcome Thomas Dolby for a conversation with producer Erik Deatherage. We'll also feature live sessions from the wonderfully expressive voices of Kristin McClement, V. Torres, and Matty Simpson. It's the perfect hour of thought and music.

Download our podcast wherever you get yours, and take it wherever you go. Alternatively, listen to Prairie Public on the radio across North Dakota, Saturdays at 5 PM CT.

This week on The Great American Folk Show: an interview with Thomas Dolby—the man behind "She Blinded Me with Science"—w...
07/21/2026

This week on The Great American Folk Show: an interview with Thomas Dolby—the man behind "She Blinded Me with Science"—who performs a rare concert in New Town, North Dakota, this August. Plus, new music from the incomparable English singer-songwriter Kristin McClement, Scotland's Donald WG Lindsay on the pipes, and Canadian singer-songwriter Matty Simpson.

Download our podcast wherever you get yours, and take it wherever you go. Alternatively, listen to Prairie Public on the radio across North Dakota, Saturdays at 5 PM CT.

This weekend's show features an interview with folk musician and songwriter Mason Jennings, who will be making a double ...
06/08/2026

This weekend's show features an interview with folk musician and songwriter Mason Jennings, who will be making a double stop in Fargo on Sunday, June 14. Jennings will lead a songwriting workshop at the Jasper Hotel at 3 p.m., then perform later that evening at Broadway Square at 7 p.m. Host Tom Brosseau will talk with him about his music, his creative process, and what audiences can expect from his Fargo appearances.

Download our podcast wherever you get yours, and take it wherever you go. Alternatively, listen to Prairie Public on the radio across North Dakota, Saturdays at 5 PM CT. See less

Today’s Great American Folk Show features live sessions from Grammy-nominated musician Courtney Hartman, Grand Forks sin...
06/06/2026

Today’s Great American Folk Show features live sessions from Grammy-nominated musician Courtney Hartman, Grand Forks singer-songwriter Dennis Herbeck, and West Virginia musicologist Chris Haddox. Plus, Benny Bleu shares his banjo tune “All I Want to Be,” and Marty Kolls takes you on a “Drive.”

Download our podcast wherever you get yours, and take it wherever you go. Alternatively, listen to Prairie Public on the radio across North Dakota, Saturdays at 5 PM CT.

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