Reprinted by permission

At a Runaway pace

by Vivian Hancock

Septembe 23, 1999

A couple of months ago, when the news of my imminent departure west began to circulate among my friends in Chapel Hill, N.C., one thing kept rising to their lips: "Boulder has a great music scene." As if moving over 2000 miles from my home state wasn't enough to keep me breathless with anticipation, a live music junkie like myself couldn't wait to put my friends' proclamations to the test.

So I started out close to my new home in Nederland-catching small shows at the Wolf Tongue Brewery and Pioneer Inn-and kept a close eye on the music coming to Boulder's larger venues. I quickly grasped the strong common thread that weaves its way through much of the Front Range music scene-bluegrass.

Being a Southern girl, I'm no stranger to bluegrass. I have the utmost respect for those amazing musicians whose fingers seem to erupt into small clouds of frenetic energy as they pick away at amazing speed.

But, also being someone who likes to get down and funky on the dance floor, I always had one complaint about bluegrass-I couldn't really dance to it.

When my first assignment for Boulder Weekly turned out to be reviewing the Nederland-based band Runaway Truck Ramp, I figured I would be in for another evening of great bluegrass music. I just expected I'd be taking it in from a seated position after a few vain attempts to get my body to keep time through another whirlwind-tempo show. I definitely did not expect the soreness prickling my calves Saturday morning after dancing my ass off to an almost three hour show at the Boulder Theater.

Although the first word that came to most people's lips when I was initially asking around for a description of Runaway Truck Ramp's sound was "bluegrass," that turned out to be only one facet of the band's amazingly high-energy music.

The six members of Runaway Truck Ramp succeed wonderfully in producing a sound that is undeniably bluegrass-inspired, but incorporates many music styles. Rock, reggae, swing, folk, pop and jazz all intertwined with Runaway Truck Ramp's swift picking Friday night, creating the first bluegrass-oriented music that I've ever been able to break a sweat (and, honestly, almost go into cardiac arrest) dancing to.

With Jay Elliott on drums, Ed Caner on violin and fiddle, Peter Fiori on acoustic guitar, Greg Schochet on mandolin and bouzouki, Brian McDougall on fretless bass guitar and Lee Johnson on electric guitar and lap steel, Runaway Truck Ramp spun out multi-layered instrumentation that kept the crowd up and grooving. Runaway Truck Ramp's vocals-contributed at different points by Fiori, Schochet, McDougall and Johnson-created inspiring harmony that served to lift the positive vibe of their stunning playing to an even higher level.

Elliott and McDougall skillfully laid down the rhythm, and Runaway Truck Ramp proceeded to rock through a show chock full of original material and some memorable covers. Schochet's feather-light and lighting-fast handling of the mandolin anchored many of the tunes to a pleasant bluegrass base, while Johnson's contributions on electric guitar and lap steel lent the band its rock and roll sound.

Fiori's lead vocals and acoustic strumming kept the audience smiling just as wide throughout the show as when-between songs-he finally acknowledged a puffed-up young lady in the front who, yes, had beautiful breasts.

Caner, the newest addition to Runaway Truck Ramp, joined up with the band in April and adds both careening energy and poignant beauty to the band's sound by way of masterful violin and fiddle playing that alternately whips up through stunning crescendos and down into almost whispering classical strains.

Runaway Truck Ramp's sprightly and mischievous stage presence allays any doubt that they're having as much fun playing as the audience is having boogying down. The band's eclectic influences-from Bob Dylan to the Who to, yes, Judas Priest-come through during their showcase of original tunes.

As part of the encore, the pop style of "Amarillo to Gold Hill" gave the boys yet another chance to demonstrate the fluid harmony of the four vocalists.

Runaway Truck Ramp also sprung a couple of new tunes on the crowd. Memorable for Schochet's incredible mandolin solo that developed into a duet with Caner and evolved even further into a swift-picking jam was "The Mandolin Guy in the Low Ground" (yes, the title is tentative, to say the least).

Runaway Truck Ramp's love of reggae came through with a cover of Bob Marley's "Mellow Mood" that let me rest my tired legs for a moment to concentrate instead on languidly moving my hips and catching much-needed breath.

I was beyond thrilled when, to finish off the second set, Runaway Truck Ramp chose to cover Paul Simon's "Graceland." Appropriate enough, considering that the band piles into an RV this Wednesday to embark on a 10 day tour of the Southeast, including four stops in my native state of North Carolina.

I've already spread the word to my friends back home to catch these guys if they can. My advice to you? Take advantage of Runaway Truck Ramp as a local band and catch their incredible live show when they return. And don't forget to have some Tylenol by the bed when you hobble out-enfeebled by dancing-the next morning.