Railroad Earth – January 24th – Ogden Theater

The Scene: Railroad Earth played for a packed house last Saturday night. On a sold-out night, the Ogden Theater can be tricky to navigate for a prime view. Security could be heard scolding people for blocking aisles and stairwells. Concert-goers were stern and unyielding, but wildly giddy to see their favorite Jersey Bluegrass band.

Railroad Earth: The sextet dubs their style “Americana newgrass” and their execution is just that—devoted to their roots, yet superbly fresh. Railroad kicked off the evening with “Long Way To Go,” a track that bounces like amber waves of grain. The troupe continued playing from their 2004 album, The Good Life with the killer “Bread and Water” – cue the do-si-do. “Potter’s Field” stormed into a mean “1759” and then a few tracks later, the crowd favorite “Bird In A House” elicited the night’s first all-out sing-along. Tim Carbone absolutely destroyed it, while Todd Shaeffer’s voice bellowed beautifully. The first set ended with an unfinished “Dance Around Molly” that grooved right into “Dandelion Wine.” The bluegrass boys exited the stage for a moment, leaving their kaleidoscope backdrop alone with their instruments.

The second set began with a newer song, “Chasin’ a Rainbow,” an ode to being alive and enjoying the beauty of now. Up-tempo tracks like “Bringin’ My Baby Back” and “Butterfly and the Tree” were rapid fire crowd-pleasers and everyone was awed by the Traffic gem, “Glad,” which the band debuted.

Railroad Earth ended with a few wonders, particularly “Colorado” and their encore, “Roadhouse Blues,” which closed out the night on a high note. Not a soul in the audience was still and the seemingly harsh crowd let their hair down to dance with one another, proving that Bluegrass is the solution to the harsh and the unsympathetic. Don’t miss these guys when they come back around.

Railroad Earth – January 24th – Ogden Theater
Set I: Long Way To Go, Bread and Water, Potter’s Field > 1759, Old Dangerfield, Just So You Know, Bird in a House, Dance Around Molly > Dandelion Wine
Set II: Chasin’ a Rainbow, Old Man & The Land, Bringin’ My Baby Back Home, Saddle of the Sun > Tuba Mirum, Butterfly & The Tree, Hangtown Ball, Glad > Warhead Boogie > Face with a Hole, Colorado
Encore: Roadhouse Blues

Energy: A+
Musicianship: A
Sound: A
Stage Presence: A+
Set/Light Show: B

Overall: A