Photos: Jon Angel
Words: Slade Rand
Railroad Earth expertly played its vibrant, original music under a tapestry of stained glass at Washington’s on Sunday night.
The hyper talented septet closed its winter run through Colorado with two sets of warm tunes on a zero-degree night in Fort Collins.
Railroad Earth mixed new songs with crowd favorites, including a raucous tear through ‘Head’ where keyboardist Matt Slocum riled an extended clavinet solo midway through.
Click here to view a full gallery from Railroad Earth’s winter tour closer in Fort Collins.
Slocum shone from his bench stage right, frequently complimenting the rapid-fire picking surrounding him with responses from the organ.
Railroad Earth features Slocum on keyboards, Tim Carbone on violin and electric guitar, Todd Sheaffer on guitar and lead vocals, Mike Robinson on banjo, pedal steel and guitar, John Skehan on mandolin and keyboard, Dave Speranza on bass and Carey Harmon on drums. The band from Stillwater, NJ played five blistering shows in the Rockies this week to start its new year on the road.
Everyone onstage took a turn steering the ship during the second of a two-night stand at Washington’s in Fort Collins this weekend. Band members cycled through their own choice instruments as the night rambled on and the music called for different tools.
Carbone and Skehan locked into a neck-and-neck duet as the mid-second-set ‘Head’ built energy, with violin melodies and mandolin fills snapping back-and-forth across the stage as the bandmates smiled. The Railroad Earth chemistry was clear on Sunday.
Sunday’s show began with a pairing of ‘Saddle of the Sun’ and instrumental ‘420 Hornpipe.’ The band hit full speed with a high energy ‘Bread & Water’ that drew hollers from the crowd.
A pairing of originals ‘Way of the Buffalo’ and ‘Luxury Liner’ put the band’s full range of sound and melodies on display. The highlight segment saw Speranza pluck away on his electric bass while Robinson swapped to an acoustic guitar. Slocum again motivated creative jams from the keyboards as Railroad Earth masterfully shared the stage with one another.
Later on in the night, the band gave standout versions of ‘Where Songs Begin’ and ‘Chasin’ a Rainbow.’ Fans and the musicians shared in a celebratory, tour-closing energy with the well-played Railroad Earth staples. ‘Birds of America’ gave the septet one last window to stretch its legs, which the band spun into a memorable late-set romp before closing with a strong segue into ‘Hard Livin’.’
For its final encore of Winter Tour, the band played the eponymous ‘Railroad Earth’ off 2002’s The Black Bear Sessions.
Click here to read an After Midnight interview with Railroad Earth ahead of the band’s winter tour, and click here to view a full photo gallery from the band’s Jan. 14 show at Washington’s in Fort Collins.
Setlist courtesy Railroad Earth:
January 14, 2024
Washington’s
Fort Collins, CO
Set 1:
Saddle of the Sun
420 Hornpipe
Bread & Water
Old Man and the Land
The Great Divide
Way of the Buffalo>
Luxury Liner>
Grandfather Mountain
Dandelion Wine
Set 2:
Happy Song
Head
Blues Highway>
My Favorite Spot
Where Songs Begin>
Chasin’ a Rainbow
It’s So Good>
Birds of America>
Hard Livin’
Encore:
Railroad Earth
After Midnight 
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