When the country-folk band The Ghosts of Johnson City step up on stages around town, they’re not just getting ready to perform, but also to archive history. It’s impossible to label them as just a country band, because of their varied influences and unique musical mission: to give voices to the disadvantaged folk of the 19th century.

The Ghosts of Johnson City — Amos Libby (lead vocals, banjo), Douglas Porter (guitar), Erik Neilson (baritone ukulele), Erik Winter (harmonium) and Ian Riley (upright bass) — are riding the wave of popularity folk-revival and traditional styles have seen in the past decade, but they’re doing so with a sense of authenticity, and a keen attention to historical detail.