Minnesota Public Radio Cancels ‘Live From Here With Chris Thile’

This past weekend’s episode of Live From Here With Chris Thile was the last new installment of the variety show that replaced A Prairie Home Companion. Home station Minnesota Public Radio and syndicator American Public Media canceled the program due to budget cuts stemming from the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

Chris Thile took over hosting duties from Garrison Keillor in 2016. The next year the name of the program was changed from A Prairie Home Companion to Live From Here. Last September, the show announced Town Hall in New York City was its new home venue. Jeff Tweedy, Norah Jones, Paul Simon, Trey Anastasio, Sarah Jarosz and Vulfpeck are among the acts that performed on Live From Here in recent seasons.

Read a statement from Live From Here:

Live from Here has always been about bringing people together.

It has been a joy to connect with you in person, on the radio, and online. However, as gatherings have become increasingly complicated, we are sad to announce that we will no longer be producing Live from Here. This past week’s broadcast was our final new show. COVID-19 has deeply impacted live events, from Broadway to concerts. With that uncertainty, we simply cannot continue to make the show we want to make and host Live from Here the way it was intended.

We are happy to say that we are going out on top – the show has never been better, thanks to the irrepressible genius of Chris Thile, our spectacular house band, the guest artists who have graced our stage in person and virtually, and the team making it all work behind the scenes. We have loved every minute of bringing you along for our shared moments of discovery, entertainment, creativity, and surprise. We thank you all with all our hearts for coming together with us.

Thile shared thoughts on the news via his social channels:

And again I say AHOY!!! This message is for anyone out there who has made Live from Here a regular part of their listening lives. Not one live broadcast has gone by where I didn’t thank my absurdly lucky stars for your wide open ears and hearts. Over the weekend, I was informed that American Public Media will no longer be producing the show. While this news fills me with sadness, I understand the decision, as my extraordinary teammates and I conceived of Live from Here as a celebration of live, collaborative audible art, and there’s just no telling when it could be that again.

Speaking of my teammates (both on-air and behind the scenes), nothing you’ve heard over the last four seasons would have been possible without their boundless ingenuity, and inexhaustible drive. I’ve been in awe of them every step of the way, and will forever be grateful to have shared the stage AND the office with them.

Though it turns out this past episode of Live from Here was our last new show, I know we’ll have many, many more music-filled evenings together by and by, and I’d like to propose a toast: to all you listeners out there. Thank you. It’s time for this noise-maker to follow your lead.

Love y’all, stay safe!

Tweedy appeared as a guest on the December 16, 2017 episode of Live From Here. The Wilco frontman was joined by Thile and members of the Live From Here band for a performance of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot ballad “Poor Places.” Watch the version below for an example of the “only on Live From Here” performances that will be missed: