EOTO is debuting their new Lotus flower stage rig (designed by the legendary Zebbler) next Thursday at the House of Blues in Boston, MA.  You don’t want to miss this!!! I’m happy to be giving away 2 tickets for this show. Enter below for your chance to win. Contest will only be running for a few days.

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The 2 winners will be announced on February 7, 2012. To enter the contest please enter the following information:

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This month’s contest is for this beautiful, signed poster created by Ryan Kerrigan. This poster commemorates The String Cheese Incident’s three night run in March 2001 at the Warfield in San Francisco, CA.

Fun Fact: Ryan Kerrigan was gracious enough to create the original String Cheese Radio mandala logo back in 2008, for free! So support him and buy some of his awesome, hand drawn art! His website has tons and tons of great work to look at and purchase: The Art of Ryan Kerrigan

Check out these 3 memorable shows featuring guests such as Steve Kimock, Bob Weir, and Vince Welnick
2001-03-08 – The Warfield – San Francisco, CA
2001-03-09 – The Warfield – San Francisco, CA
2001-03-10 – The Warfield – San Francisco, CA

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The 1 winner will be announced on March 2, 2012. To enter the contest please enter the following information:

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12/31/11 (Sat)  Ogden Theatre – Denver, CO 

Set 1: Railroad Earth, Happy Song, Carrying Coal to Newcastle, Mission Man, Everything Comes Together

Set 2: Right in Tune, The Green Roofs of Eireann > Birds of America, Dance Around Molly > Dandelion Wine, The Cuckoo, Sometimes a River (A), Gold Rush

Set 3: Railroad Earth Jungle Jam > Mayan God Kukulkan Countdown to 2012 > Son of Mr. Green Genes > Spring-Heeled Jack, Give That Boy a Hand, Magic Foot > Luxury Liner, Warhead Boogie > Storms, Water Fountain Quicksand, E: Hard Livin’, All Things Must Pass (B), Peace on Earth

Comment: (A) With Keith Moseley on electric guitar and shared lead vocals with Todd Sheaffer. (B) First time played, written by George Harrison.

Photos by Elizabeth Drews

Railroad Earth with Kyle Hollingsworth and Dumptruck Butterlips 12-30-11

For the second time in two years I headed down to the Ogden to catch Railroad Earth for a night of their New Year’s run. Last year I saw them with Great American Taxi on NYE, this year I headed down on the 30th mainly because the show included a sit-in with Kyle Hollingsworth. Including my trip to Chicago this would be the fifth time in a month seeing Kyle live. Amy picked me up from work and we headed out to a nice sushi dinner before heading over to the box office. We hit up Pete’s Monkey Bar to catch a bit of the Phish live stream from MSG before walking back to The Ogden to see the opening act. On the MusicMarauders Live podcast Tim Carbone talked highly of Dumptruck Butterlips so I figured we should get in early to catch them.

Hailing from Lawrence Kansas, this four-piece acoustic act was interesting to say the least.  With an odd lineup consisting of three ladies on accordion, washboard, and upright bass and a gentleman on guitar. The most striking element of Dumptruck Butterlips was their vocal harmonization. They had a Midwest hometown feel to their sound. They sang about heavy drinking without fear of throwing an f-bomb or two into their lyrics. At times musically they showed their freshness to the scene, but the overall effect of their performance was enjoyable. They finished their set with Tim Carbone and Adam Goessling. They were a good choice for the opening act and a group I will keep an eye on in the future.

Railroad Earth came onto the stage around 9:30 PM. Kyle’s keys were set up but he waited a few numbers before making his way to his rig. They opened with a funky Walk Beside Me led by Andrew Altman on electric bass. Here is the rest of the setlist from Archive.

SET I: Walk Beside Me, Lordy, Lordy, Bread and Water, Little Bit O’ Me, Stillwater Getaway, The Hunting Song, Mourning Flies, Said What You Mean, Long Way To Go

SET II: Old Man and the Land, Head> Will it Go Round in Circles, Bringin’ My Baby Back Home, The Forecast> The Man Who Invented Sin> Mighty River> Like a Buddha, Elko

Encore: I’ve Just Seen a Face, Bird in a House

Note: Kyle joined on The Hunting Song and stayed for the remainder of the show.

The audience recording is available on ARCHIVE, thanks to Gerry Gladu for posting.
http://www.archive.org/details/rre2011-12-30

The first stet ebbed and flowed as far as the energy level was concerned. The 16 and up age limit made for an interesting mix in the crowd. From screaming x-handed noobs to old deadheads the fanbase was as diverse as the music performed. The rolling and tumbling Lordy, Lordy got everyone’s juices flowing. The Bread and Water succeeded keeping the vibe at a fever pitch before the Little Bit O’ Me deflated the room a bit. Musically Railroad Earth sounded as tight as I’ve seen them, but without the urgency of their opening set at Red Rocks this summer. They meandered into the show with a confidence and comfort often reserved for night two of three nights run. Carbone played the fiddle beautifully on Stillwater Getaway jumping back and forth between an almost symphonic presentation and an outright hoedown. Kyle Hollingsworth took his place at the keys on The Hunting Song. Kyle added the ragtime feel of an old-timey saloon. Inherently there are certain gaps in RRE’s sound; them being a Newgrass band, Kyle’s keys filled them in nicely. It was great to see Andrew Altman really stepping it up on bass. He alternated between electric and standup and really seemed to be finding his footing in the band. I was also truly impressed with Sheaffer’s vocals, which went from clean and crisp to almost Dylanesque as in Said What You Mean. They closed the set with a raucous sing-along on Long Way To Go.

The second set overall had a much more consistent flow and vibe. Railroad eased into set two with a bouncy and scenic Old Man and the Land before ripping into a massive 18 minute Head. The jamming showed some serious tightness and ability from all of the members including Kyle. Everyone was ready to lock in and take the ride. They ripped into a Kyle-led version of Billy Preston’s Will It Go Round in Circles. The haunting melody of The Forecast segued into the instrumental The Man Who Invented Sin. The Mighty River went quickly before RRE exploded into a powerful Like A Buddha. Again clocking in at over 18 minutes this was by far the highlight of the entire show. They closed the second set with an equally strong Elko. It was like the band just turned on the turbo boosters on the last four songs of the show.

They encored with a quick I’ve Just Seen a Face and fun Bird in a House. The crowd left happy and energized from this stellar show. While the first set came on slower, the second set, particularly the end, more than made up for it. As we exited into the cold night of Denver we were stoked on the whole experience. Railroad Earth has a habit of performing remarkably. They have such a strong fanbase and have continued to play exceptional shows out on the Front Range that I see nothing but good things for them. I was happy to catch a night of RRE’s New Year’s run and would recommend that everyone do the same. However it was time to head home because I opted to see The Motet and Euforquestra for New Year’s Eve in Fort Collins. That would prove to be another solid choice.

Review, Photos and Videos by Nicholas Stock

This month’s contest is for this beautiful Bill Nershi bobblehead.  Courtesy of long time SCI fan, Landon Semones.

Congratulations to Josh Fitzgerald of Colorado on winning this prize!
His contest entry story:
My absolute favoooorite, is CBS(Colorado Bluebird Sky)!! It is an amazing song that reminds me how lucky i am to live in Colorado. In the sun, and the mountains. the song has come a long way since the last time i heard it, example…Roots Run Deep in Chicago. it was such a great end to a great set on Friday! I looked up during the middle and said “are you Kidding me right now!? oooooooohweeeeeeeee!” Such a great weekend at the best indoor venue ive been to. What a great weekend. i love the bobblehead and would make my Dresser or the Dash of my car just Bleed Billy.

After two incredible nights of music at The Aragon and a great afternoon with Family Groove Company at Kyle’s Brew Fest, it was finally time for the tour closer. I had been looking forward to this night for quite some time. There is no question that this show would be quintessential Cheese and one last chance to rage with my favorite jamgrass band. We arrived a bit earlier so as not to have to deal with the massive line we experienced the night prior. Due to the fact that I hadn’t gotten many shots of Kyle, Travis, and Hann I borrowed Mikey’s camera because it had a longer lens so I could make it happen. They opened with a song I called as the opener on the first night “Johnny Cash.” Here is the complete setlist from Friends of Cheese.

String Cheese Incident Live at Aragon Ballroom on December 10, 2011.

SET I: Johnny Cash, Rollover, Sometimes, A River, Pack It Up, Black And White, Colliding, Smile

SET II: Drums, Rivertrance, Howard, Way That It Goes, Barstool, Desert Dawn > BollyMunster > Desert Dawn

ENCORE: Land’s End

SECOND ENCORE: Restless Wind

This show was classic and contained much of what got me into SCI in the first place. I shot my photos during the first two songs and my last night in the pit seemed to fly by. Moseley took the reigns on “Sometimes A River,” beautifully bringing the initial energy down a peg, but with good reason. The boys from Colorado brought the funky goodness out with “Pack It Up,” Kyle just killing it on the keys the whole way through. Kang showed the overly packed crowd what he could do on “Black And White.” 
The flashing lights from the stage blazed across the crowd who bobbed back and forth to the beat. Some of the most amazing views of the entire run were seen from the balcony, giving a bird’s eye perspective to the stage and the people. The “Colliding,” which is a new tune, and something I got to see Kyle Hollingsworth Band perform back on the Front Range. However Cheese just took it to a whole new level as they continued to do with any solo songs that make it into their rotation. I think this song could be a powerhouse tune for years to come. They ended set one with a stellar Billy led “Smile” giving everyone something to well… smile about.

The second set may have been the best set of the music for the entire run. Hann and Travis came out for “Drums” leading the charge so to speak. The “Rivertrance” went in to untzy territory but that is to be expected with this song. “Howard” went all super space funk causing an all out dance party to break out. Kyle again took the helm on “Way That It Goes,” which ironically I had seen Kyle play at Brew Fest earlier that day. I didn’t take it personally considering they were two totally different interpretations of the song. Before breaking into “Barstool,” Nershi acknowledged that his daughter was in attendance and dedicated the song to her. The highlight of the whole show for me was the set closing “Desert Dawn” into the new track “BollyMunster” back into “Desert Dawn.” I remember commenting that the “Desert Dawn” was going to dark places. Basically it was like experience an entire 24-hour period in a three-song suite with “BollyMunster” representing the darkest depths of night.

String Cheese came back with a double encore including a sublime “Land’s End.” The “Restless Wind” was appropriate given the fact that it was the Roots Run Deep tour and also that it bookended the entire run. They started where they began back at The Fox in November, but musically they had come a long way. 
My overall experience in Chicago was intense admiration coupled with a serious feeling of gratitude for this wonderful band from the mountains. String Cheese Incident has represented a lot to me over the years and as lights dimmed on my 30th show with them I knew it has all been worth it. It’s taken them more than a couple years since they called it quits to truly get back into the groove. I can honestly say that they are back. Beefy jams combined with seriously strong execution have proven to me they are most definitely worth the trip. With five shows in just three days, meeting a ton of new people, hanging with some dear friends, shooting all three nights, and dancing whenever I had the chance, I could say that Chicago gave me my fill. I was ready to head back home with a newly reinvigorated love for the Cheese and a powerful happiness deep to my core. I look forward to the next time we meet on the dance floor. Winter Carnival anyone?

Review and Photos by Nicholas Stock
MusicMauraders.com

We arrived for night two at the Aragon to a massive line as people slowly filtered in. I was a bit worried about missing the pit, but I got in quickly and made my way up front. It was obvious the luxurious space we experienced on night one was nowhere to be found. Fuzzy people literally oozed off the floor in all directions. There were more photogs shooting the band, but still plenty of room to maneuver. String Cheese came out with a Kang fueled “Best Feeling” to get the night started. Here is the complete setlist from Friends of Cheese.

String Cheese Incident Live at Aragon Ballroom on December 8, 2011.SET I: Best Feeling> Eat My Dust, Doin’ My Time, So Far From Home, MLT, Born On The Wrong Planet, Way Back Home, Bumpin’ Reel
SET II: Rosie> Bonafied Lovin’, Las Vegas, These Waves> Drifting, It Is What It Is, This Must Be The Place (Naïve Melody), Colorado Bluebird Sky
ENCORE: Kashmir> Whiskey Before Breakfast*
*Mislabeled on FOC

SCI continued to sound incredibly tight and primed from their weeks on the road for yet another night in the Windy City. We seemed to get an extended photo session in the pit before we were told our time was up. I roamed to the back and mingled a bit before I found Mikey and we tried to find space on the floor. As I stated previously the place was absolutely packed and even scooting in on the back of the floor seemed impossible. “Doin’ My Time” was tight, but the “So Far From Home” seemed like a cognoscente reference to how far they’ve come in the last few weeks and perhaps a nod to the fact that they would be heading back to Colorado soon. The “BOTWP” was executed nicely and featured a solid jam with Kang taking the lead. “The Way Back Home” was clean and probably another reference for their readiness to be back with their respective families. Travis busted out his snappiest of beats for an untzy “Bumpin’ Reel” to close the first set.

They began the second set in a big way with what had been dubbed as the “Rosieo,” it’s a combo of Kyle’s Rosie and the Chromeo tune, “Bonafied Lovin’.” We got a preview of this jam at Kyle Hollingsworth Band with Kang in Fort Collins, but obviously seeing String Cheese pull this off bumped it up to a whole new level. The “Las Vegas” got dark and gritty and just blew me away. The visuals featured projections of the Vegas sign with red lights bouncing around the ecstatic crowd. “These Waves >Drifting” was a bit of an energy drain, but I found the minimalist jamming to be special in its own way. I was stoked on the Kyle led “This Must Be The Place,” which is probably my favorite Talking Heads cover.

They closed the second set with a huge “Colorado Bluebird Sky.” It’s been interesting to watch this tune evolve into a massive jam vehicle, moving so far beyond its bluegrass roots that at times it was almost unrecognizable. String Cheese encored with a tight “Kashmir” that dissolved into a whompy jam before they segued into a beautiful instrumental version of “Whiskey Before Breakfast.” It was another solid show that pushed on until almost midnight. The over-sized crowd poured out on the cold streets and the harsh wake-up call of the cold air made steam rise off the Cheeseheads. I couldn’t be happier with their performances thus far and am more than pumped to finish it all up on night three.

Download the show here!

Review and Photos by Nicholas Stock
MusicMauraders.com

String Cheese Incident Live at Aragon Ballroom on December 8, 2011

SET I: Birdland, Lost, Song In My Head, Lester Had A Coconut, Sirens, Galactic> Just One Story

SET II: Search, Give Me The Love> Lonesome Fiddle Blues, Emma’s Dream> The Might Quinn (Quinn The Eskimo), Impressions> Let’s Go Outside

ENCORE: Valley Of The Jig

As you can tell by the setlist, this was some classic SCI. The audience was jumping around in pure jam-fueled ecstasy as they got underway. They sounded as tight as I’ve heard them since they’ve been back. It’s amazing what a few weeks on the road can do to shake off the dust. String Cheese has been on a steady climb with solid performances at Electric Forest and Bonnaroo this year however this is the first time they’ve done a tour of any sorts since they took a break in 2007. The newish Nershi tune, “Song In My Head,” had a Dead twang to it and really got the crowd moving. “Lester Had a Coconut” was stellar but the highlight of the first set was the “Galactic” into “Just One Story”. The set seemed to fly by even though they were taking their time with the jams. The Aragon looked good as the colorful fanbase mingled during the setbreak. It had been five years since I had caught a show at this venue. I wandered around talking to friends when I realized that the room looked a lot better than it did during my last visit.

String Cheese came back on stage with a powerful “Sirens” as Moseley drove the bus keeping the group in sync. The “Emma’s Dream” into “Mighty Quinn” was the peak of the whole show confirming for me that the magic is still very much alive with String Cheese. They came back for the encore with a rowdy “Valley of the Jig” that got a little untzy at times but managed to stay true to it’s grass roots. I was hoping for another song to close the show but with two nights left to play, the name of the game was to leave us wanting more. We left the show feeling great and as the snow started to fall in the breezy Chicago night I looked forward to a couple more shows. But first we grabbed a ride over to The House of Blues for some Sexfist…

Download the show here!

Review and Photos by Nicholas Stock
MusicMauraders.com

12/06/2011 Stage AE – Pittsburgh, PA
Set 1: Drums > San Jose, Close Your Eyes, Pirates, Solution, Don’t Say > Looking Glass, Rollin’ In My Sweet Baby’s Arms
Set 2: Happy Birthday Jason, Shine, Pretty Polly, Up The Canyon, Rivertrance, Best Feeling > Black Clouds
Encore: Ramble On

This show fell on Jason Hann’s birthday and although I was not present, I know this show was special.  They kicked off the show with a drums jam into San Jose, and then did the very rare Pirates.  Second set featured a happy birthday to Jason, then Shine, Pretty Polly, and Up the Canyon!  Ahhh! Can’t believe they did Pretty Polly.  Looks like an amazing show.  See you in Chicago!

This was a hometown show for me.  Nothing like taking the subway 5 stops to the venue…  The show was sold out and packed full of familiar faces.  Highlights of the first set were Yo Se, Little Hands and Walk This Way.  Set 2 got kicked off with a Bam! then Rhythm of the Road and then a beautiful Water.  Then there was a quirky Jellyfish, which featured a happy birthday tune for SCI’s road manager, Jesse.  Jesse ran around the stage and fed whiskey to each band member. The set closed out with Outside Inside sandwiching the U2 Song, Mysterious Ways.  The encore might have been my favorite part of the night, Blackberry Blossom explored all different kinds of musical spaces and then a rocking White Freightliner closed the show.  The band was clearly enjoying themselves during this show and Kyle mentioned how special the show was.  I can’t wait to hop back on tour in Chicago!

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Photos by Brian Spady