Mountain Standard Time & Fruition 9.26.14

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Aggie Theatre
Fort Collins, CO

Words, Photos & Video By Nicholas Stock (Fat Guerrilla Productions)

Mountain Standard Time or MST is a Colorado tradition. Through lineup changes and turbulence they have persevered to find solid footing on a new musical landscape. Currently they are performing as a five piece, which is a giant leap from their embryonic beginnings as an acoustic group of four. On this particular evening they were performing with Portland power pickers, Fruition. I caught Fruition for the first time this year at Winter WonderGrass where they focused on a more acoustic approach for obvious reasons. With an 8:30 PM start they took full advantage of their time on the stage at the Aggie.

Calling themselves “string-infused” this five-member outfit has toured prolifically since their formation in 2008. Utilizing the three-headed hydra approach to writing, Cobb, Naja, and Asebroek all contribute songs to their musical output. The result is surprisingly fluid. I arrived around 9 PM to find Fruition in full swing with a heavier sound than I heard in Avon. This band has a truly breathtaking range going from a stripped down folk delivery to full on rock band mode. The rock band seemed to be in the house in Fort Collins. Regardless of style one thing is for certain, Fruition can play. They performed for a full 90 minutes finally heading backstage just before 10 PM. Look for their new EP Meeting on the Mountain, which was a collaborative effort with The Grant Farm. They will be back in Colorado in February again at WWG.

After a quick stage change Mountain Standard Time began their mystical romp into the abyss. They opened with a twang-tastic “Think Again.” While expanding their range as musicians they still perform songs that showcase their acoustic side. While Stanton Sutton on guitar, mandolin, and vocals is the last remaining original member of MST, most of the remaining players, including Nick Dunbar, have been around for quite some time. The most recent addition is Otis Lande on bass that replaced Curly Collins who departed to play with the Caribou Mountain Collective. Songs like “Tear It Down” and classics like “Tanker” filled out the set nicely. Mountain Standard Time is the little band that could. After a brief hiatus they have come back in full force. This year they have toured across the country with a stop at Summer Camp along the way. Musically, they are firing on all cylinders and with the release of their new album Highway Lines, MST seems poised for something big. Their set at the Aggie included several tracks from the record including “Dog Down” and “Simple Summer Night.” Overall the show was well received with a solid turnout. You can catch MST at the upcoming Hangtown Halloween Ball as well as all points in between. This group shows no signs of slowing down and if their set in Fort Collins was any indication of what they have in store for fans, the future looks bright.

You can download the album for free now: bit.ly/MST-HL-FREE

Nick’s Photo Gallery

www.mstband.com

www.fruitionband.com

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