This past Friday evening, Railroad Earth returned to the stage at Round Hill Virginia’s B Chord Brewing Company for a three-night run. The band made their first run at B Chord back on October 1, 2, and 3 of 2020, as part of the brewery’s JAMDEMIC Series. Since then, the bluegrass venue has hosted several acts in 2021 such as Cabinet, Keller and The Keels, and The Infamous Stringdusters. 

For our first night back at the Brewery since April, we decided to arrive a little later than usual. We kicked up dust along the B Chord parking lot around six o’clock; just in time to watch the crowd and crew mill around in anticipation for the show. A true summer day, the temperature sat just below 90 degrees and Hobos all across the lawn were fanning themselves, sunbathing or trying to park themselves beneath a maple tree for some shade. We opted for the shade, which is most available to those on the right-hand side of the stage and at the very back of the lawn. As we crawled toward the back, we made our way over to the beer stand and picked up one of the best sour ales I’ve ever tried. [Picture below]

From the top of the hill, we looked down at the massive crowd that had formed in front of the stage, and watched friends embrace one another for most likely the first time in over a year. We watched as the last few hours of sunshine shone through the initial haze of summer and waited for those first few notes to come soaring up to meet us. All was quiet on the hill before the band launch into their first song of the weekend, “Saddle of the Sun”. 

 Set one seemed specifically designed to get the crowd spinning and shaking, as it included several upbeat and fun Railroad Earth tunes. A spirited, “It’s So Good” featuring strong lead vocals from Todd Sheaffer and beautiful harmonies from the band bled into a booming “Mighty River” intro. The already hyped-up crowd was sent into a tail spin, each person throwing their hands toward the blue sky.

Some of my favorite songs from set one were “Came Up Smilin’ ” and “Donkey for Sale,” which always allows for a little (or a lot of) crowd participation. From below, we could hear the fans shouting with Todd as they punched their fists in the air: “FREE BEER FOR EVERYONE!” “Any Road” was also a set highlight, featuring the incredible Tim Carbone on electric guitar and vocals. 

Set two began with one of the very first RRE jams I had ever experienced: “Like a Buddha>Happy Song”. The jam was followed up by “Elko,” and Evan and I were sure glad we’d come down front to grab a card before the ‘big toss.’ The band jammed deeply through “Old Man and The Land>Walk Beside Me>Grandfather Mountain,” as they usually tend to do in their second sets. The show ended with the best “Head” I think any Hobo’s ever heard in their life, and it really got the crowd fired up for night two. Todd left the crowd with the promise of, “See you tomorrow,” before he and the band left the stage. [Check out that Buddha>Happy Song Above]

The crowd remained, tittering with excitement like the thousands of cicadas in the trees around us. They embraced, took selfies together, exchanged numbers, and clinked their plastic cups of beer together in celebration of this new world of live music. We left our new friends and the friends we just hadn’t met yet beneath the glow of the dimming stage lights, smiling all the way.