Mountain Standard Time feat. Jeff Austin 2.7.13

The Aggie Theatre
Fort Collins, CO

Words, Photos & Videos By Nicholas Stock

Mountain Standard Time, a band that immediately rose to Front Range fame as a stalwart jamgrass group, seemed to disappear almost as quickly. Over just a few years MST performed on some of the biggest stages in Colorado as well as festivals across the country. They left the scene amid rumors, but now MST emerges after all the speculation with a new lineup and a three-night Mardi Gras run with Jeff Austin. The first stop on that run was Fort Collins. Continuing my streak of Thursdays at the Aggie, I headed down early to catch the opening set from North Lake Tahoe exports Dead Winter Carpenters. This five piece Americana rock group has continued to win over audiences across the country. They performed a classic DWC set opening the night with “Making A Living 101.”

Set One: Making A Living 101, San Antoine, Nothing At All, Bootleg Jack, One Foot In The Gutter, Whiskey Ain’t My Wife, Levi, Nobody’s Fault, Walkin’ Shoes, I Shot Him, Holy Moses

Jenni Charles made her fiddle purr throughout their hour-long opening set, with a special kind of veracity that made every note seem special. Song titles like “Bootleg Jack” and “Whiskey Ain’t My Wife” hint at a simpler time in music, but there is absolutely nothing simple about their performance. Blending styles of country, folk, Americana, rock, roots, and so much more; the Dead Winter Carpenters are truly worth showing up early for. Sharing vocal duties with Jenni, bassist Dave Lockhart and duel guitarists Jesse Dunn and Bryan Daines, add so much versatility to what this band can do in a live setting. They finished their set by inviting Nick Dunbar to jam on the last couple songs. In all honesty with shows like this one at the Aggie, it won’t be long before they are headlining the evening.

Finally after much anticipation, Mountain Standard Time took the stage sans Jeff Austin. By this point in the evening the room had filled in with eager college students. I talked to two who seemed slightly annoyed that more people hadn’t turned out.

“Don’t people know who Jeff Austin is?”- Bleary Eyed College Student

Actually the room was fairly full compared to what I have seen on Thursdays at this venue over the last month. And for the record I’m pretty sure people know who Jeff Austin is. Mountain Standard Time opened with “Door Jamb.”

Set One: Door Jamb> Lioness, Behind The Bar, EMS, Daises, Moon Rocks, Picture, Annabelle, Wandering, No Expectations, Tear It Down

Set Two: Oxytocin, Fairy Meadows, Katy Anne, Guitar Playin’ Man, Speckley Boy, Mamow, Kentucky Mandolin, No One Sees, Boatman, PS

Encore: Rollin, Solace

Out of the gate Mountain Standard Time ripped through their classic repertoire with a tenacity that one would expect from a band hungry to tour. The first look at the group revealed two new members including Otis Lande on bass and former Yamn! keyboardist Ryan Ebarb. Ryan’s departure from Yamn sidelined them for a bit as well, so it’s great to see both of the local jam monsters out playing again. They delivered a searing set before suddenly inviting Mr. Austin to the stage. Starting in the MST catalog they segued nicely into Yonder Mountain String Band’s “No Expectations.” This song featured some sweet back and forth between Jeff and Nick Dunbar. They closed the first set with a massive “Tear It Down.”

The second set turned it up a notch with MST coming back strong. Opening with “Oxytocin” and stepping it up a bit Mountain Standard Time was definitely up to some of their old tricks. Stanton Sutton stood like a young John Oates on the stage, shredding the guitar for the crowd. The highlight of the show was another Jeff lead Bill Monroe instrumental, “Kentucky Mandolin.” They closed their set with a fiery “PS.” Mountain Standard Time is on the cusp of coming back in a big way in Colorado. With younger and younger bands flooding the airwaves, it’s good to see MST back in business. They are a refreshing band to watch and I’m glad they decided to return to their seat at the jamgrass table.

Nicholas' Photo Gallery

www.mstband.com

www.deadwintercarpenters.com

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