Larry Keel & Jon Stickley Tear Up The Stage
By WTJU
Date: 03/04/2026
Time: 4:00 pm
Flatpicking wizards Larry Keel and Jon Stickley will stop by WTJU to tear up the Stage ahead of their gig that evening at the Southern in Charlottesville. No strangers to playing at WTJU, this will be the first time we have gotten in at the same time so come on out and be part of the studio audience as they celebrate their self-titled EP out now!
This is a free event, open to all. You can also listen on the radio (91.1 FM) or on our web player, and even video stream it at WTJU’s YouTube channel. But live sessions always sound better with you as part of the studio audience. WTJU is located at 2244 Ivy Rd in Charlottesville, right next door to Vivace.
The Larry Keel & Jon Stickley Duo features two of the finest flatpicking guitarists of this generation. Both share a lifelong love of acoustic bluegrass guitar music made famous by influential duets Doc and Merle Watson, and Tony Rice and Norman Blake. Keel, Stickley, and other modern flatpickers like Billy Strings grew up studying these legends. These masters were role models who provided inspiration to both Larry and Jon to pursue careers as professional guitar players. Each has gone on to pioneer his own distinct interpretation of the bluegrass artform, as well as fusing genres from roots, jazz, prog, and beyond. Now, Keel and Stickley have themselves become new masters of acoustic guitar. With this act, the two celebrate the pure joy of playing acoustic guitar music as a duo, effortlessly complementing each other’s rhythm and lead playing while never losing their own individual personality. Their sophisticated and awe-inspiring performances suit an array of venues including festival stages, listening rooms, private functions, and nightclubs. At the core of the Keel/Stickley Duo is an intimate conversation between two guitars and voices, done with superior skill and taste, with more than a hint of explosive late-night-jam vibe.
