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Came Up Smilin’: Railroad Earth Opens Winter Tour With A Pair Of Poignant Denver Shows

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As if it had to be said: music heals. Following the untimely passing of the inimitable Andy Goessling, Railroad Earth has chugged along, finding solace in continuing to share the music with each other and with all of us in Andy’s memory. And so with heavy hearts, but also a ferocity not seen in some time, Railroad returned to Denver, Colorado for two nights at the Ogden Theatre this weekend. For Friday night’s show, the group was joined by multi-instrumentalist and Elephant Revival alumnus Charlie Rose on banjo, guitar, and pedal steel.

Friday’s first set featured a career-spanning selection of Railroad classics, opening with the one-two punch of “Lordy Lordy” and “Dance Around Molly.” Lead singer and guitarist, Todd Sheaffer, along with fiddler and guitarist Tim Carbone, took the reins early on as the band graciously and seamlessly adjusted to their new lineup. The instrumental “Molly” saw the band quickly trading off solos, with Rose getting a chance to strut his stuff and work his way into the folds. The boys kept the momentum going, dropping into “Dandelion Wine” before a breathtaking rendition of “Grandfather Mountain.” While the band has stressed that they are going to take their time filling Andy’s role, the addition of Rose, particularly on pedal steel, took many of the songs into new realms and added a unique country tinge to the greater Railroad mixing pot. “Raven’s Child” and “Only by The Light” calmed things down a bit before a raucous late-set “Head.” Fittingly, they closed the set with “Storms,” a fan-favorite about enduring hard times together and a seemingly poignant tribute to Andy.

The second set kicked off with the first material and first track off of 2008’s Amen Corner, “Been Down This Road.” A perfect set opener, the song set up the real meat of the evening, beginning with an impossibly tight and ferocious take on the traditional Bill Monroe number, “Old Dangerfield” and the new-ish “Blazing a Trail” off of 2017’s EP Captain Nowhere. “Mourning Flies” allowed the audience and band to take a collective deep breath before digging into a five-song medley beginning with “Warhead Boogie.”

Once again, the addition of Charlie Rose opened up the jams in new directions, led by his interplay with mandolinist and keyboardist John Skehan. The expectedly dark jam took some even more sinister turns before the band brought it all back home, slipping into the timeless classic, “Mighty River,” followed by “Jupiter and the 119.” Another unique jam gradually and delicately segued into the opening staccato notes of “Like A Buddha,” which the band naturally took for quite the ride before closing the set with a heartfelt “Give That Boy a Hand.” With time to spare, the band encored with their take on Tom Waits’ “Cold Water,” ending the night on a high-note and leaving the Hobos begging for more.

For Saturday evening, the band was also joined by Leftover Salmon/Coral Creek keyboardist and organist, Bill McKay. Bringing yet another dynamic element to the sound, McKay stood out immediately on “Walk Beside Me” and “The Hunting Song,” a song which has grown lovelier, darker, and deeper over recent years with the support of bassist Andrew Altman and drummer Carey Harmon. “Chasin’ A Rainbow” followed, the first of many songs off of 2014’s “Last of the Outlaws,” along with “Adding My Voice” and “Came Up Smilin’.” Laced with themes of perseverance and finding joy, “Smilin’” took on some new meaning for many and worked effortlessly into the first set. Two tunes from 2010’s eponymous album Railroad Earth came next, “Potter’s Field” and “Lonecroft Farewell.” Closing the set with a barn-burning take on their classic “Long Way to Go,” the band was firing on all cylinders and noticeably more comfortable than the night before.

A short set break gave way to “Black Elk Speaks” before another pair of songs off of “Last of the Outlaws,” a very rare “Monkey” that morphed into “When the Sun Gets in Your Blood.” The boys then welcomed a little bit more Elephant Revival on stage, inviting Bonnie Paine onto the stage for a hauntingly beautiful number featuring Bonnie on the musical saw, “Wayfaring Stranger.” The set then kicked into high gear, with a bust out of the quasi-fable, “The Butterfly and The Tree” and a highly anticipated “Elko,” with seemingly more playing cards showing up and getting tossed around at the glorious refrain of “I need a card, I need a card, hit me!” than ever before. Hardly letting up, the band followed with two newer tunes, an infectiously danceable, bass-led “12 Wolves” and a very heavy take on the increasingly popular epic, “Captain Nowhere.” A “Seven Story Mountain” of orchestral proportions wrapped up the set, with Skehan, McKay and Rose joining forces on keyboards and pedal steel to bring the conclusion of the song (and set) to new heights.

While the pre-requisite “Colorado” is still to come, the band encored with “Donkey for Sale,” which contains a few brief Colorado references. Capping off an incredible two-night run in Denver, Railroad Earth will head up into the mountains tonight and tomorrow night. And though healing takes time and Andy’s role has yet to be officially filled, Railroad Earth proved one thing (among others) on Friday and Saturday night in Denver. They’re artfully adaptable and are taking their music, particularly newer music, into uncharted territories; the band plays on and the music never stops.

Railroad Earth continued their winter tour in Frisco, CO on Sunday night and will return to the stage tonight (1/21) before picking things up again in Nevada and California at the end of the month. Tour dates and full details can be found here.

Setlist: Railroad Earth | Ogden Theater | Denver, CO | 1/18/19

Set 1: Lordy Lordy, Dance Around Molly-> Dandelion Wine, Grandfather Mountain-> Raven’s Child-> Only By The Light-> Head, Storms

Set 2: Been Down This Road, Old Dangerfield, Blazin’ A Trail, Mourning Flies, Warhead Boogie-> Mighty River-> The Jupiter and the 119-> Like A Buddha-> Give That Boy A Hand

Encore: Cold Water

Notes: Entire show featured Charlie Rose on banjo, pedal steel, and acoustic guitar

Setlist: Railroad Earth | Ogden Theater | Denver, CO | 1/19/19

Set 1: Walk Beside Me-> Hunting Song-> Chasin’ A Rainbow, Adding My Voice, Came Up Smilin’, Potter’s Field-> Lonecroft Farewell, Long Way To Go

Set 2: Black Elk Speaks-> Monkey-> When the Sun Gets in Your Blood, Wayfaring Stranger*, Butterfly and the Tree, Elko, 12 Wolves, Captain Nowhere-> Seven Story Mountain

Encore: Donkey for Sale

Notes:
* Bonnie Paine on vocals and musical saw
Entire show featured Charlie Rose on banjo, pedal steel and acoustic guitar, and Bill McKay on keys and organ

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