Railroad Earth teamed with Peter Rowan on Saturday night for a tribute to Old & In The Way at The Mission Ballroom in Denver. Rowan and RRE performed all of Old & In The Way, the legendary bluegrass act’s self-titled 1975 debut album, which was originally recorded at the Boarding House in San Francisco on October 8, 1973.
Old & In The Way featured Rowan, Vassar Clements, Jerry Garcia, John Kahn and David Grisman. The tribute came after a performance from opening act Horseshoes and Hand Grenades that included a cover of Talking Heads’ “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)” and a bevy of originals. “Pig In A Pen” began the tribute as it does Old & In The Way. RRE and their guest then made their way through Rowan’s “Midnight Moonlight,” Grisman’s “Old & In The Way,” the traditional “Knockin’ On Your Day” and “The Hobo Song” by Jack Bonus. Next, Peter led Railroad Earth on his own “Panama Red” ahead of The Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses,” Clements’ “Kissimmee Kid, Carter Stanley’s “White Dove” and a set-closing rendition of the Rowan-penned “Land Of The Navajo.”
RRE ended the night with a career-spanning set that included the geographically-appropriate “Colorado,” a run of “The Forecast” into “Mighty River” into “Runnin’ Wild” and more. Peter Rowan returned to add to “The Cuckoo.” Last night’s encore featured “RV” and “Railroad Earth.” Watch Horseshoes & Hand Grenades set followed the Old & In The Way tribute and another RRE performance below via nugs.tv:
Setlist (via RRE FB)
Set One: Pig in a Pen*, Midnight Moonlight*, Old & In The Way*, Knockin’ On Your Door*, The Hobo Song*, Panama Red*, Wild Horses*, Kissimmee Kid*, White Dove*, Land of the Navajo*
Set Two: Mission Man, Happy Song, Peace on Earth, Walk Beside Me > The Cuckoo*, Colorado > Captain Nowhere, The Forecast > Mighty River > Runnin’ Wild, Like A Buddha, The Great Divide
Encore: RV, Railroad Earth
*with Peter Rowan on vocals and guitar
Notes: This show featured Matt Slocum on keys and Mike Robinson on pedal steel, guitar, and banjo
