Saturday, June 19; Stella Blue (21 and over, 9 p.m.): On the strength of a rushed demo and without ever having played a proper live show, newgrass phenoms Railroad Earth found themselves with invitations to the three most prestigious bluegrass/folk festivals in the United States, followed shortly thereafter by a recording contract with Sugar Hill, a couple of road stints and a rabid underground following.
With their second Sugar Hill Release, The Good Life, just hitting record store shelves, the New Jersey based band have once more taken to the road, and they've got lots of envelope to push. The Good Life is markedly different from Bird in a House. The tunes tend to challenge preconceived notions of genre, flirting with several at once and rarely identifying with a single classification. This album is a lazy, entirely comfortable back-porch afternoon whereas Bird … was more of a litmus test for an unknown band with an unknown audience. Now, with a little confidence under their collective belt and a slew of new songs, Railroad Earth are poised to take the newgrass-jam scene to the next level. See, hear and dance for yourself!
