Railroad Earth Bust Out J.J. Cale’s “Call Me The Breeze” for First-Time Since 2001

Photo Credit: John R Wisdom

On New Year’s Eve, Railroad Earth concluded their four-day holiday run with a final show at the Midtown Ballroom in Bend, Ore. After a night at The Fillmore in San Francisco on Dec. 28 and a follow-up at Mount Baker Theatre in Bellingham, Wash., on Dec. 29, the band finished with two back to back concerts at the Central Oregon location on Dec. 30 and 31. 

The group’s final night was fueled with an eclectic mix of songs. Set one commenced with “Hard Livin” off their 2008 album, Amen Corner, before they began to cascade through their two-decade-deep repertoire. The first set featured all originals, including “Saddle of the Sun,” “Happy Song,” “Old Man and the Land,” “Adding My Voice,” “Crossing the Gap,” “Head” and “Donkey For Sale.”

Dec. 31’s latter frame kicked off with “Monkey,” plucked from the band’s 2014 album, Last of the Outlaws, before continuing with a handful of added originals, such as “Mighty River,” “Bird in a House,” “Goat,” “1759,” “Cold Water” and “It’s So Good.”

Once the night neared midnight, the bluegrass troupe took a moment to pause and welcome the New Year, entering 2024 with “Like a Buddha” before a rendition of Tom Petty’s “It’s Good to be King,” which included a heartfelt birthday call out to Mike Partridge, the band’s sound engineer for the past 20 years, who was working his final show. 

The 19-song mainframe concluded with two more originals, “Walk Beside Me” and “Elko,” before a final encore, a cover of J.J. Cale’s “Call Me The Breeze,” which had not been played since Oct. 31, 2001, ending a 22-year gap. 

Scroll down to view Railroad Earth’s setlist via Railroad Earth’s Facebook.

Railroad Earth

Midtown Ballroom – Bend, Ore.

Dec. 31, 2023

Set I: Hard Livin’ > Saddle of the Sun > Happy Song > Old Man and the Land > Adding My Voice > Crossing the Gap > Head > Donkey for Sale

Set II: Monkey > Mighty River > Bird in a House > Goat > 1759 > Cold Water > It’s So Good > (New Year’s Countdown) > Like a Buddha > It’s Good to be King (Tom Petty Cover) > Walk Beside Me > Elko

Enc.: Call Me The Breeze* (J.J. Cale Cover)

Notes: 

*Bust Out, last played Oct. 31, 2001.