Railroad Earth

The Doug Fir show, the second of gigs, was a tiny, intimate venue and sold out. The crowd anticipated a memorable performance, and the band delivered. One of the highlights of the night, and there were many, was Fruition's Mimi Naja joining in on guitar and vocals for the song 'I Am a Mess.'

There’s a great scene in The Last Waltz – the documentary about The Band’s final concert – where director Martin Scorsese is discussing music with drummer/singer/mandolin player Levon Helm. Helm says, “If it mixes with rhythm, and if it dances, then you’ve got a great combination of all those different kinds of music: country, bluegrass, blues music, show music...

To which Scorsese, the inquisitive interviewer, asks, “What’s it called, then?” “Rock & roll!”

Railroad Earth’s, “Captain Nowhere,” falls like a beautiful tear on the tumultuous face of humanity.  Exposing a wonderful maturity throughout, Todd, Tim, John, Andy, and Andrew each freely offer one another all the space they need to create a multidimensional experience, while at the same time bringing about a singular effect.  I marveled over, and deeply appreciated, the openness in which this small sample of songs (6) was delivered.  Not afraid to look directly at what ails us, Railroad Earth sees right past the p

Railroad Earth | Fox Theatre | 12/30/17
Railroad Earth | Fir e on the Mountain | Fox Theatre | 12/30/17

On the weekend preceding Halloween, a tie-dye-colored witches’ brew of imaginative seasonal costumes worn by attendees and musicians, vibrant autumn hues, and a couple of dozen improvisational bands of psychedelic rock, progressive bluegrass, funk, and more defined the 2017 version of the Hangtown Music Festival in Placerville, California.

There's a great scene in The Last Waltz – the documentary about The Band's final concert – where director Martin Scorsese is discussing music with drummer/singer/mandolin player Levon Helm. Helm says, "If it mixes with rhythm, and if it dances, then you've got a great combination of all those different kinds of music: country, bluegrass, blues music, show music…"

To which Scorsese, the inquisitive interviewer, asks, "What's it called, then?"

"Rock & roll!"

Railroad Earth | Mighty River | Red Rocks Amphitheatre | 7/14/17

The last day of Music on the Mesa 2017 was bright and sunny as I walked over to the Patio Stage to hear local Norteno singer/songwriter Chris Arellano. I’m embarrassed to say, though I follow Nuevo Mexico ranchera music, I hadn’t heard Chris’ work before. He and his brother Rodney, along with local pedal steel player Scott Harris, treated us with more music than his one-hour set because Western Centuries broke down and couldn’t make their time slot.

Acclaimed genre-defying band RAILROAD EARTH will release a new EP, Captain Nowhere, Friday, July 14 in conjunction with their performance at Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre.  Recorded late last year during short breaks from their arduous touring schedule, the six-song collection captures the group at their rock/country/bluegrass best.

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