Great Northern Radio Show is your holiday soundtrack

Aerial view of the stage as Earl the Cowboy saves Christmas in Bigfork

Another edition of the Great Northern Radio Show hit the airwaves last Saturday, broadcast live from the Edge Center for the Arts in Bigfork. This one was titled "Christmas on Edge" and strove to combine the trappings of a holiday special with a down-home vibe from the unique culture of the Bigfork valley.

I live in the woods not terribly far from Bigfork and this was the first show where I left my garage in the woods and drove further into the woods to get to the show. I really can't say enough about the talented people who make the "Edge of the Wilderness" a really special place.

Though a major ice and snow storm made it difficult for people to get there, our show regulars made it and we pulled off a fine program. The Edge Center wrote a blog post about the show.

William Kessler as our wise old elf.

If you missed it, and I know several did because of the weather and busy holiday season, you can catch the full rebroadcast on Northern Community Radio (91.7 Grand Rapids/Iron Range, 89.9 Brainerd, 90.5 KBXE Bemidji, kaxe.org) at 9 p.m. this Saturday, Dec. 22, and noon on Christmas Eve.

Later I'll post the link to the podcast version of the show, which should be available by the end of the week.

This is a really great soundtrack to any sort of Christmas gathering and a great companion soundtrack for what's going on these next few days. We tried to fit in a little bit of something for everyone.

You can find some pictures by our stage director Shelly Nowak here and below the jump (click on the headline). Lots more at Great Northern Radio Show page on Facebook.

Jerry Hagen and Marshall Oelmann (as Earl) play "Taie-Taio"

In 2000 I bought this charcoal suit from JC Penney so I could get married that summer. Thing still fits.

Terry Price plays banjo in Celebration of Grace; he also played an original song about the origins of the name for the nearby "Jack the Horse Lake"

Harold Boege plays accordion in the Celebration Of Grace polka/gospel band.

Alycia Johnson, Bigfork's music teacher, sings "O Holy Night"

The Great Northern Radio Players perform "Whispering Pines," a sketch about a public radio ice fishing documentary disrupted by militant eel pout.

Singer songwriter Kim Harrington

Host Aaron Brown interviews Howard Pitzen, a real cowboy and founder of the famed Northstar Stampede rodeo in Effie.

The Sam Miltich Trio of Sam Miltich, Matthew Miltich and Gary Schulte anchored the show's musical mix.

Maggie Anderson, a youthful cello phenom, and her mother Kristen Anderson on guitar were a show highlight with some Celtic selections.