Steve Seel and Jill Riley talk to Radio Heartland's program director Mike Pengra about the music on Radio Heartland and about its five-year anniversary party scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 11, at the Aster Cafe in Minneapolis.

Radio Heartland is a 24-hour service featuring acoustic, Americana and roots music. Radio Heartland is available in the Twin Cities on KNOW-FM 91.1 HD2 and worldwide on the Internet.

Mike explains how Radio Heartland emerged following the retirement of Jim Ed Poole (the late, great Tom Keith) and subsequent sunset of The Morning Show, which was hosted by Dale Connelly and Jim Ed Poole. Because The Morning Show featured a lot of roots artists, Radio Heartland continues in that musical tradition. Some artists cross over with The Current's playlist, particularly with that of United States of Americana, hosted by Bill DeVille.

To celebrate Radio Heartland's fifth anniversary, a party will be held at the Aster Cafe in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Dec. 11.

The event features live music by Steve Kaul and the Brass Kings, Peter Mayer, and The Pines. There will be giveaways — CDs, mugs, shirts — between sets, and the Aster will be serving a signature drink, the Prairie Sun Cocktail, so named for the Sons of the Pioneers song played every Monday at 7 a.m. on Radio Heartland.

Tickets go on sale this Friday, Nov. 15, at 10 a.m., and can be purchased through the Brown Paper Tickets link on our event page.