As 2016 marks the 15th year for Railroad Earth, the band continues to improve with each passing performance. There’s just something magical about their unique brand of bluegrass, between the whimsical jamming and the soul-drenched vocals from Todd Sheaffer, backed by an impressive blend of musicianship and compositional prowess. The band’s sound is potent, enjoyed by anyone who witnesses their display.
Last night, RRE brought their soul-jam-grass out to NYC’s PlayStation Theater, delivering a barnburner in midtown Manhattan. The band Cabinet opened up the show, bringing their upbeat brand of Pennsylvania bluegrass to the table. Cabinet never fails to deliver, and they even commented that they were supporting Railroad Earth ten years prior at Penn’s Peak. Things are coming full circle, as RRE is headlining the Cabinet-hosted Susquehanna Breakdown this May.
Listen to their set below, courtesy of taper Jeff Fuchs:
After a bouncing set from Cabinet, Railroad Earth came out firing with “The Jupiter and the 119.” The spacey odyssey took fans on a journey, before they got a taste of some “Cold Water” from the band. Some great jamming went down throughout the first set, and RRE called on Gov’t Mule keyboardist Danny Louis to help out on two numbers, “Goat > Seven Story Mountain,” to close out the first half. The latter especially featured some tight-knit improvisation from the whole band, with the crowd seemingly hanging on every note. It was beautiful.
Set two was more of the same fiery passion, as the band came out swinging with “Bread and Water.” After a fun version of “Monkey,” the band once again welcomed Danny Louis for the remainder of the set. And what a set it was! The group went into “Elko” and “Bird,” two classics done justice with the seven musicians on stage. “Mourning Flies” came next, a soulful rendition, before the bouncy “Like A Buddha” kept things rocking. After “The Forecast,” the group dove into “Mighty River” with a strong “River Intro Jam,” and the fans could not have been more passionate. This was the jam of the night, as everyone was firing on all cylinders. Some great fiddle work from Tim Carbone sent this show into orbit!
The final number of set two came in the form of “Chasin’ A Rainbow” from the band’s 2014 release, The Last Of The Outlaws. Finally, the show closed with “When The Sun Gets In Your Blood,” complete with Danny Louis and some feel good jamming throughout. It was quite the performance, as the setlist will tell you. Until next time, RRE.
Listen to the full show below, courtesy of taper tim in jersey:
Setlist: Railroad Earth at PlayStation Theater, New York, NY
Set One: The Jupiter and the 119, Cold Water, Lordy, Lordy, Been Down This Road, Grandfather Mountain, Walk Beside Me, Goat (A) –> Seven Story Mountain (A)
Set Two: Bread and Water, Monkey, Elko (A), Bird (A), Mourning Flies (A), Like a Buddha (A), The Forecast (A) –> River Intro Jam (A) –> Mighty River (A) –> Chasin’ a Rainbow
Encore: When the Sun Gets in Your Blood (A)
(A) with Danny Louis on keyboards
and trombone during “Like a Buddha.”