Watch Scott Law Join Railroad Earth For Joyous Marvin Gaye Cover At Portland’s Revolution Hall

On Sunday, Railroad Earth finished off a West Coast tour with a concert at Revolution Hall in Portland, Oregon. The jamgrass septet brought out Portland-based guitarist/vocalist Scott Law for a two-song guest appearance during their second set.

Railroad Earth — lead vocalist/guitarist Todd Sheaffer, multi-instrumentalist John Skehan, keyboardist Matt Slocum, bassist Dave Speranza, fiddler Tim Carbone, guitarist/pedal steel wiz and banjoist Mike Robinson and drummer Carey Harmon — loaded the setlist with fan favorites. The band also treated fans to several covers, including a take on Marvin Gaye’s “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” featuring Scott Law on lead vocals.

The ensemble opened with a cover of Tim O’Brien and Darrell Scott’s “Walk Beside Me,” which bled into their own “Chasin’ A Rainbow.” The eponymous “Railroad Earth” followed along with the Gram Parsons classic “Luxury Liner.” RRE then delivered a double dose of cuts from their 2008 LP, Amen Corner, in “The Forecast” and “Lovin’ You” before taking “Reuben’s Train” down the tracks. Oldie “Seven Story Mountain” closed out the first set.

Railroad Earth kicked off their final set of the tour with a run of beloved staples “Elko,” “Bread & Water” and “Lonecroft Farewell.” The band then welcomed Scott Law to the stage. Law let it rip on “Mourning Flies,” a song RRE recorded for their 2004 studio album, The Good Life.

Scott Law stuck around to guide Railroad Earth through the aforementioned “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You).” The version played by the band and their guest was similar to the Jerry Garcia Band’s cover of the Motown classic. Law’s emphatic solo at the end of the song was especially Jerry-esque.

Railroad Earth followed the guest spot by performing “Slippin’ Away” from their latest LP, All For The Song. The group went on to wrap the set with a seamless sequence connecting “Way Of The Buffalo,” “Mighty River” and “Like A Buddha.” For the encore, RRE looked to their sophomore record, 2002’s Bird In A House, for “Came Up Smilin’.”

Watch Scott Law perform with Railroad Earth in Portland via audience-captured video below:

Setlist (via RRE Facebook)

Set One: Walk Beside Me > Chasin’ A Rainbow, Railroad Earth, Luxury Liner, The Forecast, Lovin’ You, Reuben’s Train > Seven Story Mountain

Set Two: Elko, Bread & Water, Lonecroft Farewell, Mourning Flies*, How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)*, Slippin’ Away, Way of the Buffalo > Mighty River > Like a Buddha

Encore: Came Up Smilin’

*with Scott Law on guitar, as well as joining vocals on How Sweet It Is