Americana acoustic band stops at Bluebird Nightclub Saturday

For a band that has been together more than six years and played more than 700 shows, Railroad Earth’s musical philosophy is simple: “It’s really just about the music. If people are there to hear it, it’s just extra,” Tim Carbone, the band’s violinist, said.\nOn Saturday at 9 p.m., the band will kick off their show at the Bluebird Nightclub, 216 N. Walnut St. Railroad Earth has recorded four CDs and toured the country multiple times, leading them once again to Bloomington.\nBecause live performances thrive on audience energy, Carbone said his expectations are high for the Bloomington show.\n“We’ve been to Bloomington before, and we rely on people knowing our songs,” he said.\nFans of the band, who call themselves “Hobos,” travel around following the group and attending all of their shows. Between the loyal fan following and Railroad Earth’s open recording policy at shows, the band is hoping for an audience that has at least been exposed to their music.\nHowever, the fans and band members have a hard time describing their music. Carbone said it’s loosely based on bluegrass music, although having a drummer in the band disqualifies them from that definition.\nThe best way to define them, Carbone said, is “Americana acoustic music with a lot of other colors.”\nThe band’s influences range from The Beatles and Neil Young to Celtic and classical Indian music.\nThe six band members: Carbone, Todd Sheaffer, John Skehan, Andy Goessling, Carey Harmon and Johnny Grubb all bring their own unique styles to the band’s music.\n“The band is literally littered with great players,” Carbone said, adding that it creates a “musical puzzle.”\nThe Railroad Earth train does not seem to be slowing down. The band will be touring throughout the month of July, making their last stop at the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan. Later this fall, Carbone said they will also be returning to the studio to finish their latest album.