Railroad Earth returns to Sherman Theater for Two Nights

Published by New Jersey Stage

originally published: 07/11/2022

(STROUDSBURG, PA) -- The jam, bluegrass soul and rock 'n' roll band Railroad Earth returns to the Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg for a two-night run on Friday, November 25 and Saturday, November 26.

The celebrated New Jersey septet — Todd Sheaffer [lead vocals, acoustic guitar], Tim Carbone [violins, electric guitar, vocals], John Skehan [mandolin, bouzouki, piano, vocals], Carey Harmon [drums, percussion, vocals], Andrew Altman [upright & electric bass], Matt Slocum (organ and piano), and Mike Robinson (banjo, guitar, steel) chronicle the twists and turns of this journey through eloquent songcraft, bluegrass soul, and rock ‘n’ roll spirit.

In 2018, Railroad Earth bid farewell to founding member Andy Goessling who passed away from cancer. His shadow loomed over the process of creating their seventh full-length album, All For The Song, as the band retreated to New Orleans for the first time to record.

A brother leaves this world too soon. A trip down US Highway 61 ends in a deluge of biblical proportions. A retreat to the Big Easy results in its own flood of inspiration. A new chapter begins. "Perhaps it represents the journey we've been on for twenty years as a band and as a family, " observes Carey.

"I will always remember these sessions as a time of healing and reflection," adds Andrew.

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"What threads the record together?" ponders Todd. "Nostalgia, sadness, and a lot of great moments to sing along to."

For over two decades, Railroad Earth has captivated audiences with gleefully unpredictable live shows and eloquent and elevated studio output. The group introduced its signature sound on 2001's The Black Bear Sessions. Between selling out hallowed venues such as Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, they've launched the longstanding annual Hangtown Music Festival in Placerville, CA and Hillberry: The Harvest Moon Festival in Ozark AR - both running for a decade plus.

Sought after by legends, the John Denver Estate tapped them to put lyrics penned by the late John Denver to music on the 2019 vinyl EP, Railroad Earth: The John. Denver Letters. Beyond tallying tens of millions of streams, the collective have earned widespread critical acclaim from David Fricke of Rolling Stone, American Songwriter, Glide Magazine, and NPR who assured, "Well-versed in rambling around, as you might expect from a band named after a Jack Kerouac poem, the New Jersey-built jam-grass engine Railroad Earth has let no moss grow under its rustic wheels."

The album culminates on the wistful "All For The Song" as the final refrain, "All of the heartache, all that's gone wrong, all for the moment, all for the song, " rings out before a harmonica passage.

"It's a bit painful to contemplate or talk about, to be honest - as are a couple other tunes on this record," confesses Todd. "The song says way more than enough, I believe."

In the end, Railroad Earth brings listeners closer than ever on All For The Song.

"We want audiences to connect to the album," Carey leaves off. "We hope they're as moved by the music as we were making it."

The Sherman Theater is Monroe County’s only nationally ranked, non-profit theater and performing arts center. Located in downtown Stroudsburg, PA, the Sherman Theater has proudly served the Pocono region for more than 90 years. The Theater and Performing Arts Center is committed to strengthening the community by producing culturally-diverse, nationally-known professional acts and festivals at the theater and at satellite locations throughout Monroe County for people of all ages, by providing an opportunity for local artists to perform, and by creating economic development in the region. The Sherman Theater projects and events attract over 100,000 visitors to the Pocono Region annually.

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