Moon Mountain Ramblers
Bend, Oregon, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2002 | SELF
Music
Press
Standing room only.
That’s what I thought as
I looked around the Tower
Theatre last Saturday night
a couple songs into the Moon
Mountain Ramblers’ set.
I wasn’t sure if the local eclectic-
roots band had sold out the
venerable downtown venue.
(They had.) But I could tell there
was standing room only.
Never have I seen standing
room put to such good use.
Let’s not even call it standing
room. Dancing room’s more like
it.
The Ramblers, celebrating the
release of their new album “Let
It All Be Good,” played a pitchperfect
2.5-hour set for an enthusiastic
and appreciative crowd
that not only filled the seats in the
Tower’s lower level, but also lined
both aisles and packed the space
in front of the stage with a nonstop
dance party.
It took a few songs for the
throng to warm up, but once it
did, 50 to 100 people shimmied the
night away as the band worked
its way through a well-paced selection
of new and old tunes.
But enough about the crowd.
Let’s talk about the Ramblers.
They were terrific. Their arsenal
of stringed instruments rang
out crisp and clean. The mix
was perfect, with percussionist
Dale Largent complementing
the pickers nicely. Vocally,
the harmonies were shipshape,
and I was surprised by guitarist
Matthew Hyman’s strong voice.
I didn’t realize he’s that good of
a singer.
As for the set list, the band flitted
back and forth between its
favorite styles, from Hyman’s
twangy ballads to bassist Dan
McClung’s jazzgrass instrumentals
to mandolinist Joe Schulte’s
more rock-influenced numbers.
One highlight was my coworker
Jenny Harada’s song
for her brother, Jason, who died
last summer, called “Chasing
The Sun.” I’m sure there were
dry eyes in the house, but they
weren’t mine. Another highlight
was a new Schulte song built on
a weird, ominous groove and featuring
a wicked Largent drum
solo, like old-time music meets
heavy metal. A genre was born
just then, I think: doomgrass.
We also got a raucous cover of
the old Stealers Wheel hit “Stuck
In The Middle,” a perfectly plaintive
version of “Restless,” and
what may be the Ramblers’ new
signature tune, “Let It All Be
Good.” In the latter, when Schulte
sang “You’re dancing to our music
till your toes start to bleed,”
I scanned the wiggly bunch up
front to get a glimpse of life imitating
art.
The two-song encore, with the
whole band unplugged and gathered
around one microphone,
was a particularly fun way to end
a wonderful show.
Indeed, the music was great.
But the best part of the whole
night, for me, was the overwhelming
joy I felt in the Tower
that night.
You could see it in the band’s
wide smiles. You could hear it in
the cheer that went up when the
Ramblers were introduced. You could feel it in a room full
of folks happy to see a talented
band of locals sell out Bend’s
most prominent indoor stage, in a
room that has rarely hosted local
bands. It was triumphant, if I may
be so bold. It felt like a celebration
not only of the Moon Mountain
Ramblers and their new album,
but also of the potential and possibility
of our local music scene.
There’s a lot of that here. There
are a handful of bands in Bend
that could make a Tower show
work, but I got the sense that a
trail needed blazing, and the right
band had to do it.
It feels a bit like a new door has
opened for local musicians. And I
think only the Ramblers had the key.
Ben Salmon can be reached
at 541-383-0377 or bsalmon@
bendbulletin.com - The Bulletin, Bend, OR
Standing room only.
That’s what I thought as
I looked around the Tower
Theatre last Saturday night
a couple songs into the Moon
Mountain Ramblers’ set.
I wasn’t sure if the local eclectic-
roots band had sold out the
venerable downtown venue.
(They had.) But I could tell there
was standing room only.
Never have I seen standing
room put to such good use.
Let’s not even call it standing
room. Dancing room’s more like
it.
The Ramblers, celebrating the
release of their new album “Let
It All Be Good,” played a pitchperfect
2.5-hour set for an enthusiastic
and appreciative crowd
that not only filled the seats in the
Tower’s lower level, but also lined
both aisles and packed the space
in front of the stage with a nonstop
dance party.
It took a few songs for the
throng to warm up, but once it
did, 50 to 100 people shimmied the
night away as the band worked
its way through a well-paced selection
of new and old tunes.
But enough about the crowd.
Let’s talk about the Ramblers.
They were terrific. Their arsenal
of stringed instruments rang
out crisp and clean. The mix
was perfect, with percussionist
Dale Largent complementing
the pickers nicely. Vocally,
the harmonies were shipshape,
and I was surprised by guitarist
Matthew Hyman’s strong voice.
I didn’t realize he’s that good of
a singer.
As for the set list, the band flitted
back and forth between its
favorite styles, from Hyman’s
twangy ballads to bassist Dan
McClung’s jazzgrass instrumentals
to mandolinist Joe Schulte’s
more rock-influenced numbers.
One highlight was my coworker
Jenny Harada’s song
for her brother, Jason, who died
last summer, called “Chasing
The Sun.” I’m sure there were
dry eyes in the house, but they
weren’t mine. Another highlight
was a new Schulte song built on
a weird, ominous groove and featuring
a wicked Largent drum
solo, like old-time music meets
heavy metal. A genre was born
just then, I think: doomgrass.
We also got a raucous cover of
the old Stealers Wheel hit “Stuck
In The Middle,” a perfectly plaintive
version of “Restless,” and
what may be the Ramblers’ new
signature tune, “Let It All Be
Good.” In the latter, when Schulte
sang “You’re dancing to our music
till your toes start to bleed,”
I scanned the wiggly bunch up
front to get a glimpse of life imitating
art.
The two-song encore, with the
whole band unplugged and gathered
around one microphone,
was a particularly fun way to end
a wonderful show.
Indeed, the music was great.
But the best part of the whole
night, for me, was the overwhelming
joy I felt in the Tower
that night.
You could see it in the band’s
wide smiles. You could hear it in
the cheer that went up when the
Ramblers were introduced. You could feel it in a room full
of folks happy to see a talented
band of locals sell out Bend’s
most prominent indoor stage, in a
room that has rarely hosted local
bands. It was triumphant, if I may
be so bold. It felt like a celebration
not only of the Moon Mountain
Ramblers and their new album,
but also of the potential and possibility
of our local music scene.
There’s a lot of that here. There
are a handful of bands in Bend
that could make a Tower show
work, but I got the sense that a
trail needed blazing, and the right
band had to do it.
It feels a bit like a new door has
opened for local musicians. And I
think only the Ramblers had the key.
Ben Salmon can be reached
at 541-383-0377 or bsalmon@
bendbulletin.com - The Bulletin, Bend, OR
Discography
Albums:
Moon Mountain Ramblers 2004
Borderline 2006
Let It All Be Good 2009
Live at the Tower 2010 (double disc)
Photos
Bio
The Moon Mountain Ramblers have always stayed on the creative edge of acoustic music. This increasingly popular group (voted best band by readers of local paper, The Source Weekly, in 2004, 2008 and 2009), has consistently been one of the hardest working and most successful bands of Central Oregon for almost a decade.
Even in a town that has a strong and fast-growing music scene which brings in plenty of tough outside competition, the band continues to sell out the hottest venues in town whenever they play. They have toured the state with success and are devoted to expanding their territory with each coming year. MMR has twice hosted their own Moon Mountain Music Festival (2008, 2009) and kicked off the Moon Mountain Music Camp in 2010.
At first glance, the Ramblers may look like a traditional bluegrass band, with the classic instrumentation of fiddle, mandolin, acoustic guitar and upright bass. However, with the addition of full percussion and musical inspirations with no boundaries, this band has truly found their own unique niche in the world of acoustic music.
If you attend a show, or listen to any of the band's albums, it won't take long to recognize the variety of musical influences this band uses to create their ever-growing library of original music and creative covers. With tasteful flavors of Celtic, Bluegrass, Jazz, Latin, Rock and more, MMR can most closely be labeled as an Acoustic Americana, Jamgrass Band.
The Moon Mountain Ramblers have had the honor of sharing the stage with such great acts as: The David Grisman Quintet, Del McCoury Band, John Reischman and the Jaybirds, Jackstraw, the Gourds, Hot Buttered Rum, New Monsoon, Sneakin Out, Taarka and others.
Press About the Moon Mountain Ramblers:
Voted the "Best Band in Central Oregon" in 2004, 2008 and 2009 by The Source Weekly
"The Moon Mountain Ramblers, a string band from Bend, have created their own soulful interpretation of traditional bluegrass, swing music and country music. Listen to their tunes and you'll hear Django Reinhardt-flavored acoustic jazz or country rock a la Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers." Laurie Heuston (Tempo, Mail Tribune)
The Best band I saw at 4 Peaks on Sat. was Bends own Americana string band the Moon Mountain Ramblers. Ben Salmon (music reporter of The Bulletin in Bend)
"Built on more of a jazz and blues, than bluegrass foundation, the combo likes to embark on polyphonic sprees and improvisational interludes." (Joe Ross, music writer Bluegrass Now)
Review of "Let it all be Good" from Ben Salmon of The Bulletin (Bend, OR)
Schultes title track is a joyous blast of rock n roll . Haradas 'Chasing the Sun' is a new-traditional fiddle tune that will flutter its way into your heart. Hymans songs are the twangiest of the bunch, evoking visions of cowboys and campfires. And McClungs instrumentals incorporate a little jazz, a little swing, and a whole lot of Middle Eastern flavor on the 11-minute-long jam 'El Serpiente.' (GO! Magazine, Jan. 23, 2009.)
Band Members
Links
