Railroad Earth On Mountain Stage

Railroad Earth, the roots-based jam band from Stillwater, N.J. visited Mountain Stage to play songs from its new self-titled album.

Formed in 2001, Railroad Earth came together when singer-songwriter Todd Shaeffer, formally of From Good Homes, joined forces with veterans of the East Coast bluegrass scene, including fiddler Tim Carbone, multi-instrumentalist Andy Goessling and sought-after session player John Skehan. Taking their name from the Jack Kerouac story "October in the Railroad Earth" — a nod to the beat influence that colors their sound — Shaeffer and co. were an instant hit on the summer festival circuit.

Carrying on the tradition of improvisational, genre-spanning music laid forth by the Grateful Dead, Railroad Earth mixes folk, country and rock with a bluegrass sensibility. The group plays four songs from their new release, including the epic train song "The Jupiter and the 119" and the Celtic-inspired "On the Banks."

This segment concludes with the Mountain Stage Band's Bob Thompson playing his original composition "Piano Man Blues."

This segment originally aired on April 26th, 2011.