LIVE: RAILROAD EARTH – March 8, 2018

Venue: Royal Oak Music Theatre

City: Royal Oak, MI

Date: March 8, 2018

Review and Photographs by: Kevin Alfredo

It was a grand evening in Royal Oak, Michigan, as Railroad Earth, with special guest Roosevelt Collier, stopped by on the tail end of their winter tour together.  This was my first time seeing “The Dr.” Roosevelt Collier, and, what a show he put on!  From the Jimi Hendrix cover, “Third Stone from the Sun” to the Beatles cover “Come Together”, Roosevelt put his own spin on each song.  I especially enjoyed the lead up to “Third Stone from the Sun”, as he kept the melody in the background and teased it continually until he fully embraced Hendrix’s riffs, taking the song to a level that only his pedal steel could create.  To close out the set, Tim Carbone and John Skehan from Railroad Earth joined in the fun, much to the delight of the early comers. Roosevelt Collier released his debut album, Exit 16, the day following the show.  If you have the means, I highly recommend it.

Railroad Earth.  Just hearing the band’s name brings back so many good memories.  From their many appearances at High Sierra Music Festival (in Quincy, CA) to their infamous show at Red Rocks in 2014 (which was released on DVD as Live at Red Rocks), this band has never disappointed.  For those of you who are not familiar, Railroad Earth hails from New Jersey…yes, a bluegrass band from New Jersey.  They came up quick in the Bluegrass scene in 2001, appearing at Telluride Bluegrass weeks after releasing a demo containing 5 songs…and the rest, as they say, is history.  Touring behind their latest EP, Captain Nowhere, the band is “Blazin’ a Trail” once again. The show started off strong with “Mighty River”, touched on one of my personal favorites, “1759”, and finished the first set with Roosevelt Collier on pedal steel for “Elko”.   Watching the end of the first set from the rear of the hall, there were smiles all around as Todd exclaimed, “I need a card, I need a card!” and the playing cards went a flying.  The second set had a little bit of everything…pulling on your heartstrings with songs like “The Old Man and the Land” and “Grandfather Mountain” but never letting the crowd get too comfortable, with barn burners like “Colorado” and “Like a Budda”.  Closing out the show with “Cold Water”, the crowd walked out of the venue with visions of summer in their head. Much the same way you feel before meeting up with a friend after a long hiatus, I was slightly reluctant and nervous to see these guys again after being away for three + years.  But, in the end, it was like old times again…so much so, I wouldn’t mind meeting up with them again as they start up the second leg of their winter tour on April 18th in Fayetteville, Arkansas!

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Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries