Railroad Earth will be playing last area show for a while on December 10 (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
Music Hall of Williiamsburg
66 North Sixth St.
Thursday, December 10, $25, 9:00
www.musichallofwilliamsburg.com
www.myspace.com/railroadearth
The jam-band label has vexed New Jersey’s Railroad Earth, a sextet who bring percussion to the acoustic mix with a bluegrass-derived sensibility even as they incorporate influences from Celtic to folk into their engaging repertoire. Over time RRE has mastered the science of being able to stretch out and improvise, without getting over-noodly or self-indulgent, two whammies that turn many off of the jam-band scene — often folks who live for melodic, well-written music by artists such as the Band or Neil Young. Railroad Earth sounds like themselves yet draw from a similar pedigree; we can’t get enough of such fine tunage as “Smilin’ Like a Buddha,” “Mighty River,” and the chooglin’ “Warhead Boogie.” They’ll be playing the Music Hall of Williamsburg on December 10 in what will be the last area show featuring the current lineup, as bassist Johnny Grubb is leaving the band; it’ll be the last show around here for a while too, as fiddler Tim Carbone devotes more time to his new group, the Contribution, and lead singer Todd Shaeffer goes on tour with the re-formed From Good Homes. The Infamous Stringdusters will open the show.