The Infamous Stringdusters - 20 April 2015 - Boulder Theater - Boulder, CO

The Infamous Stringdusters

20 April 2015 - Boulder Theater - Boulder, CO

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Setlist:  Set 1 - Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (intro)> Winds of Change, The Hobo Song, Dream You Back, End of the Line, Summercamp> Walking on the Moon, Tragic Life, Head Over Heels, When Silence Is the Only Sound> Machines

Set 2 - Sunny Side of the Mountain> Two Hits and The Joint Turned Brown, I'll Get Away, Sentenced to Life with The Blues, No More to Leave You Behind, Rainbows, Don't Mean Nothin', Hazosphere, Rockets, Angeline the Baker> Wake Me Up, Lovin' You, This Weary Heart You Stole Away, Don't Think Twice It's All Right, Y2K

Encore - Rainy Day Women #12 & 35, Keep on Truckin’ (both with Gipsy Moon) 

Note:  This review is part of a continued collaboration between The Lot Scene and our new friends The Mischief Collective (www.themischiefcollective.com) with whom we are thrilled and honored to be working.  Here’s to the beginning of a great friendship!!

So, after feeling like my musical palate had been delightfully worked over by Gipsy Moon like Rocky and a side of beef, it was time to continue our holiday celebrations with The Infamous Stringdusters.  And with a head still full of great music from the afternoon’s flashpick, I was all-the-more ready for some more of that quick pickin’ sound that the Dusters do so very well.  First on the docket?  Well, given the date, how about an apropos intro teaser of Dylan’s “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35”?  I am sure you’re familiar with the chorus.  Well, it certainly got us all instantly invested in the first set and when segued into the crowd-pleasing “Winds of Change” we were all fully onboard the Dusters Bluegrass Express once again.  Second in line was Travis who stepped up next for a contemplative look on life through another’s eyes with “The Hobo Song”.  Clearly the boys were enjoying themselves and they definitely took the time to tell us all so.  Andy grabbed the mic for a second to express his gratitude for being able to be in Colorado and play in Boulder, “the center of the Universe today” as he described it.  Of course, his gratitude was dwarfed by our own, eager and ready for the next song.  There Jeremy-led “Dream You Back” broke into a wicked, hopping pace bringing immediate response in the form of hundreds of stomping feet and helping set the tone for the sine curve-shaped energy the rest of the show was to take (high energy song - slower, intense song, and back again).  After the last chord faded out, Travis remarked how that was some “fast ass pickin’” — I honestly couldn't have said it any better myself.  A really nice “End of the Line” led us to Booksy’s “Summercamp” which was treated to great ensemble jamming by the band, some lovely fiddle work by Jeremy, and even a bit of a reggaegrass feel at one point.  All of which was played right into their well-known cover of the Police’s “Walking on the Moon”, a very welcome addition to the setlist that evening.  Bringing that since curve down again slightly, we were given the mournful “Tragic Life” next, with Jeremy dolefully singing us into the ridiculous jams that happened throughout which brought the energy back up again, the evening truly a seesaw of musical experience.  Especially the minutes-long back-and-forth free-for-all (complete with a tiny “Bird Song” teaser from Falco) that pushed this selection to the 9:30 mark for us.  Just the kind of instrumental excellence I have come to appreciate and expect from this multitalented, super-skilled ensemble — all of whom get high marks for just spanking this song.  Thanks, fellas!!  Ah, nothing like a dobro-heavy intro to an Andy Hall solo like “Head Over Heels” which came next, but, then again I am bit biased towards the dobro.  As the set drew to a close, “When Silence is the Only Sound” went straight into a whopping 13 minute “Machines” to finish things up.  So much incredible playing and so much playfulness.  Jam after solo after interlude and back again through a rich tapestry of sound and color, Hall’s dobro lines cheerfully reminding me of Pink Floyd’s Gilmour on electric circa 1990s, this instrumental was a standout favorite of mine from the entire Dusters Boulder Theater run.  Plus, watching the live and natural interplay between the members of this band as they perform is pretty fascinating, such as Panda’s constant grinning as he leads a melodic line or some fantastic “Falco face” as the guitarist shreds the fretboard — and this epic “Machines” gave us all ample opportunity to observe the lot of them, lost in the musical divine.  Certainly a rather satisfying end to the first set.  Just the kind that makes you look forward to more!

It's always nice to catch up with good friends at set break, that perfect mix of merch runs, bar line standing, bathroom needs, and chit-chatting with the ones you call “chum”.  Set break at Boulder Theater is always especially nice — just love my home venue.  And home to some more Dusters in my life.  And my face.  “Sunny Side of the Mountain” began the second round of music with Travis coming out strong on the lead vocals and Jeremy gluing each verse together adeptly with his fiddle interludes or Andy Falco on this guitar.  Add Hall and Pandolfi and, to quote (Arrested Development’s) Carl Weathers, “you got yourself a stew goin’!!”  Which was exactly what we had as “Sunny” morphed into a five-part harmony “Two Hits and the Joint Turned Brown” which was littered with light-hearted 4/20 references, a most appropriate anthem for celebrating the show’s date properly.  I’ve definitely never heard a version of this song with a badass grass slam at the end, but now I have, thanks to The Infamous Stringdusters.  Bravi, boys!  The mic belonged to Jeremy next for another personal fave of mine, “I’ll Get Away”, and a swift version at that.  Man, do I love the harmonies in that song!  Falco’s “Sentenced to Life with the Blues” took us to a lengthy “No More to Leave You Behind” that started out with a spacey, free form intro but finished with a truly explosive wave of sonic texture and timbre.  So much ability on display on one stage.  What a wild wonderful ride!  The mildly melancholic “Rainbows” came after chased by “Don’t Mean Nothin’”.  Next on the list was the 7:03 long instrumental tune, “Hazosphere”, a lively and speedy grass number which gave each member of the band ample opportunity to showcase their skills.  Which they did.  Amply.  A seriously good jam from start to finish.  Booksy sang us a pleasant “Rockets”  followed by a Panda-intro-led, floor stomping “Angeline the Baker” which ran directly into “Wake Me Up” continuing the dancing, twirling, hopping energy and forming a nice Travis set of book-ends.  An obvious crowd favorite to be sure.  The slow, steady, rhythmic beginning of the subsequent “Lovin’ You” is always such a false representative of the mad rocking that comes near song’s end, with a little “Norwegian Wood” teaser from Falco and Panda I might add.  Then it was time for some good old-fashioned bluegrass with The Stanley Brothers’ “This Weary Heart You Stole Away” which the Dusters honored in fine fashion with Jeremy’s vocals and fiddle anchoring in classic style.  “Don't Think Twice, It's All Right” and “Y2K” closed out the set for the evening, the final instrumental being quite the face-melter.  I honestly don’t know how human hands and fingers can move so quickly and yet so accurately as those of the Dusters.  What a dazzling display of pure musical mastery.  And it left the crowd elated, overjoyed, and thirsty for one more song.  Except we got two.  That’s right.  The boys came back on stage and invited all of Gipsy Moon back as well…first for Dylan’s “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” (the full version this time — I guess the Dusters were determined that everybody get stoned) and then for John Hartford’s “Keep on Truckin’” both of which both bands simply nailed.  I mean, you can’t, just cannot go wrong with a Dylan/Hartford double-barrel encore!  And, when Travis changes the lyrics to “Keep on puffin’, puffin’ on down the road” you just can’t lose!!  A really fantastic close to a supremely great night of music.  And a truly memorable holiday.  Thanks for all the puff-puff-pickin’ boys!!  Same date, same place next year?

The Infamous Stringdusters-18 April 2015-Boulder Theater-Boulder, CO

The Infamous Stringdusters

18 April 2015 - Boulder Theater - Boulder, CO

for The Lot Scene by Parker

The Infamous Stringdusters

Setlist:  Set One - Trashcan>Long Lonesome Day>Hillbillies, Get It While You Can, Home, Rivers Run Cold, Like I Do, Love One Another, PBD (for Georgia), Big River, Life Without a Care, HC Funk

Set Two - Peace of Mind>In God’s Country, It’ll Be Alright>Colorado, Try>Well Well, All the Same, Señor, No Rezo, Morning Bugle, Echoes of Goodbye, 17 Cents, Red Fox, He’s Gone, Mountain Town>Peace of Mind

Encore - Let It Go (with Trout Steak Revival)

Sufficiently primed and ready for some face-meltingly good bluegrass music thanks to Trout Steak Revival, I was more than ready for the Dusters when they walked out onto the stage and Jeremy began to saw away on his fiddle kicking things off with “Trashcan” into a bounding “Long Lonesome Day” from Booksy and straight into “Hillbillies”.  Three songs in and just like that and we were on the Stringdusters Express for the remainder of the evening. From very early on it was utterly apparent how much fun these men were having and intended to have on that Boulder Theater stage.  Throughout the night, from face to face one could see a menagerie of blissed-out expressions, each the epitome of joyous intensity and musical connection.  There is just something so special about the caliber of music produced by those who thoroughly and wholly enjoy the act of doing so.  And the Dusters are very much that kind of ensemble.  Travis Book was up next to dole out some sage life advice in “Get It” with the band sounding especially tight shoring up his soul-driven vocals.  “This next song is for all the river folk out there…” — a perfect Colorado introduction for “Rivers Run Cold”, a personal favorite of mine.  Speaking of Colorado, the band had so much love for our state both musically and verbally, taking to the mic at several points in the night to give special thanks to Boulder and to Colorado to express their love for state and her people.  It really made for a grateful evening on both sides of the stage, an experience that I am sure enriched both band and audience equally.  Who wants to hear a favorite song by a favorite guitarist?  You?  Well, OK then, which means it was Falco up on lead for “Like I Do” — taken at a rather faster tempo than I have seen in the past.  This quicker pace set the stage for a mammoth fiddle solo by Jeremy which made us all go a little nuts, suffice it to say there weren’t too many feet not dancing or stomping or bouncing to that quivering bow.  There was a particularly beautiful and sweet moment during the first set when the Dusters announced they had a special song for some special people in the crowd.  Turns out Georgia and Todd are superfans of the group and the band rewrote the lyrics of the song to play for them especially in honor of their anniversary.  Pretty cool, Infamous ones.  Pretty cool.  Making the requisite setlist room for the Man in Black, we got a very choice “Big River” helping round out this first set, replete with monster solo after monster solo after monster solo from every instrument.  Andy Hall jumped up to vocals for a swift “Life Without a Care” which was dominated by Falco’s mind-numbing soloing (not to mention that of every member of the band to boot) followed by and freaky, funky set-closing “HC Funk”.  A damn fine half of a damn good show.  Looking forward to telling you about the rest!

After a pause, the music juggernaut was back a-rollin’ with the second set opener “Peace of Mind” that seemingly finished with a serious instrumental jam leading smack dab into Jeremy crooning U2’s “In God’s Country”.  The boys jammed this song out and it gave me the opportunity to observe Travis following each soloist so intently, his expression one of pure focus and musical happiness.  Man, does that bass player love his job!  And why wouldn’t he, getting to sing songs like “It’ll Be Alright”, which he did for us next, as well as thrumming madly away to the following “Colorado” which, of course, elicited the appropriate maddened fervent response of the assemble Boulder crowd.  The hanging cloth backdrop resembling stone columns in the light they seemed the perfect setting for the sad and lonely “Try” which came next.  Then, it was Andy Hall’s rockin’ “Well Well” that brought us all back up to dancing levels again and we showed our thanks by pounding the floors with our still rowdy feet.  The jam in this song was phenomenal — I really cannot go back and listen to my notes enough.  So much amazing musicianship, so much quicksilver talent all in one group!  We ended up getting a really great cover of Tim O’Brien’s “Señor” with a jumping good energy, a really great dance tune.  Plus, it’s always, always nice to hear some Tim O’Brien.  Right?  Right.  And then it was some John Hartford, what luck!  Andy on vocals and the boys in the band sure did up “Morning Bugle” in fine fashion.  A truly blistering “Echoes of Goodbye” was followed by the less intense hoedown sound of “17 Cents” which got us all to stompin’ once again.  Not ones to let the set wind down with a whimper, the Dusters ripped it all wide open for a sizzling “Red Fox” instrumental which built to a mad frenzy and then exploded into hundreds of smiling faces beyond the stage.  One well-placed, final cover of the Dead’s “He’s Gone” got us all singing, even Paul Hoffman (Greensky Bluegrass) who was at the show and stopped to hang with us for a few songs.  Good times with a good friend.  “Mountain Town” punched things into high gear for a huge finish circling back around to complete “Peace of Mind” bringing the set full-circle and the remarkable show to a close.  We were all still reeling as a new mic was brought on stage only to be followed by the Stringdusters and Trout Steak Revival, invited back to sing the encore (mostly) a cappella.  Falco struck the chord and the first notes of “Let It Go” rang out followed by those oh-so-poignant words we could all stand to heed a little more often in life.  Such a wall of vocal sound, harmonies tight and beautiful, such a way to end a show.  What a night of incredibly good music and a great beginning to “Lot Mischief” collaborations.  I can hardly believe it was the first of two - makes me look very much forward to Monday!!

Trout Steak Revival-18 April 2015-Boulder Theater-Boulder, CO

Trout Steak Revival

18 April 2015 - Boulder Theater - Boulder, CO

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Trout Steak Revival

Another run at my home venue and I couldn’t have been happier.  Stringdusters with a little Trout Steak opener on a Saturday night you say?  Why, yes, I’ll have a double-order of that with a side of sweet fast pickin’ smothered in tasty newgrass gravy.  The Lot Scene and The Mischief Collective would be making the evening their first collaboration together and that new energy was helping to super-charge the night.  Of course, a huge shout-out to our new pals at The Mischief Collective.  And what a way to start things off!  Trout Steak Revival, hailing from Denver, is definitely one of the new young bands on the scene that has secured a place on my radar screen.  And with good reason.  If you’re a person like me who is a big fan of the current trend of growing numbers of new bluegrass bands, then you’ll be a big fan of Trout Steak.  Nothing like getting things going with some positivity — “the good is getting better and the best is yet to come” being the uplifting chorus of the first song of the evening, “Get a Fire Going”.  Further down the line was the song with a short title but a long-reaching effect on the audience:  “Pie”.  By the song’s end and after hearing about so many varieties of baked goods, the band made the obligatory munchies comments to the crowd in light of Monday’s upcoming holiday.  And all we wanted was for them to give us some damn pie. Haha.  Or just some more fantastic grass like the introspective and soulfully plaintive “Ours for the Taking”.  It is certainly a treat learning a new favored band’s catalogue, especially on-the-fly at a show knowing that afterwards I’ll get the chance to really familiarize myself with some stand-out songs like “Union Pacific”.  As with many train songs, the band gave us a driving, dancing beat wholly simulating for us the experience of rocketing down the tracks on a train of music, and it certainly did not disappoint.  A brooding, moving intro to a new song caught my attention as I listened to the texture build slowly, but deliberately towards an explosion of energy and positivity and joyful five-part harmony.  That song, “Brighter Every Day”, is a recommended daily prescription for a “feel better” attitude — trust your friends here at The Lot Scene…we know what’s good for your musical appetite!  Chris Pandolfi (banjo, The Infamous Stringdusters) a good friend of the band, having produced their most recent album, Brighter Every Day, joined the five Trout Steakers on a couple of tunes for some seriously wicked pickin’.  A terrific set on many fronts and a spot-on way to prepare a group of music lovers for The Infamous Stringdusters.  So glad to know that Trout Steak is close by in Denver — I’m already looking forward to my next show!  Lovely job, guys.  Just lovely.

Greensky Bluegrass - 12 March 2015 - Boulder Theatre - Boulder, CO

Greensky Bluegrass

Live Music Review

for The Lot Scene by Parker

Greensky Bluegrass

Many months ago when Leftover Salmon announced their weekend event at the Stanley Hotel, I was thrilled at the prospect of going. Once I miraculously managed tickets for that event it never occurred to me that there was even going to be icing on the cake of that weekend: last night’s Greensky show at the Boulder Theater. Always a fan of shows at my home venue, I was no doubt excited that GSBG announced a three night run starting on a Thursday, thus ensuring I could make it to the perfect kick-off to another weekend of fast pickin’ to come. 

Rayland Baxter, a Nashville guitarist/singer fronting a trio, opened the show with a mellow sound and energy, one that he is taking on tour with GSBG.  With drums and keyboards joining in, Mr. Baxter treated us to the absolutely lovely sound of his voice, one I would describe as a combination of Paul Simon, a young Bob Dylan, and Dan Lotti (Dangermuffin).  Additionally, the band itself evoked the feel of many others throughout, one track feeling very much like a Santana cover until the lyrics came in.  And, while I say the energy was a bit mellow, these three fellows did get into a few heavy jams before they turned the stage over to the boys in Greensky.

And so it was GSBG time…the lads kicking things off with a little “Dry County” being played, most assuredly, in a county that isn’t dry of much of anything these days.  I’m not sure that phoff and I have ever spoken directly about my truly and abiding lifelong love of the band Pink Floyd and their incredible, incredible catalogue of music.  However, it would seem several such conversations had occurred when Greensky Bluegrass roared from “County” into a simply badass version of Floyd’s “Time” in order to get the evening whipped into a psychadeligrass frenzy.  Solo after solo after solo made each instrument shine in the virtuoso hands assembled on stage, their interplay threading so many different musically emotive textures:  Beck - crisp, clean, quick, voluminous; Bruzza - dirty, nasty, organic, mean; Bont - sweet, sonorous, lofty, lean.  So good, so right up my alley…everything to come after was going to be so gravy tonight!  A very solid “Demons” and “I’d Probably Kill You” took us to Jimmy Martin’s “Hit Parade of Love” another favorite of this here reviewer. With wild Bruzza baying the lyrics into the mic in his own, Bruzza fashion, the remainder of the band gave us all some fast-ass backin’ and pickin’.  An 11:38 “Lose My Way” followed and was, in a word, fantastic.  But even better than that — such a soulful song done soulfully.  Soulgrass?  Yeah, soulgrass.  The boys invited Mr. Rayland Baxter back to the stage to do a number with them, this time “Olivia”.  Man, do I love his voice.  Finally, the (can you believe it??) first set came to a close with a lovely lengthy “Train Junkie” and it was time to get our set-break on.

Second set jumped off with an intro segueing into “Cold Feet” with a tasty lead-in dobro solo from Beck.  And Mr. Bruzza of course, of course.  Great way to start a set in my opinion.  Hoffman’s haunting “In Control” serenaded the crowd through to rowdy, rollicking, ‘punch-a-relative’ kind of awesome version of “Can’t Stop Now”.  Very much one of the reasons we all cough up some hard-earned scratch to come bask in the diaphanously diabolical divine debauchery that is GSBG.  You want to leave one their shows feeling a certain way…you know the way I mean.  And this show was not disappointing in the least!  Coming to the end of another long set, an extensive “Broke Mountain Breakdown” broke us all down into dancing, clapping, jumping, and hittin’ that hootenanny feeling on a Thursday night!  And, just to keep life lovely and wonderful, how about a little Michael Jackson in the middle of your Breakdown?  Mainly a little “Beat It” no less?  Hells to the King!!!  “When I Get My Hands On You” and “What's Left Of The Night” were our double-barrel encores, one soft and sweet, one energetic and happy-making — just the way you want to leave a show, no?  And, once again, Greensky Bluegrass delivered another balanced bevy of bluegrass and badassery.  Well done, fellas!!