Rail and the Angela Hammontree Band at the Oddfellow’s Grill in Redmond, Washington April 10th, 2010

By Gary Draper

RockTheBlues.com

Wow! What a night. I walked into the Oddfellow’s Grill in Redmond, Washington last Saturday night around 9:15 pm and I could almost feel the energy in the air. It was a full room and you could tell these people were there to get rocked out. Rail and the Angela Hammontree Band definitely delivered the goods at this sold-out show. Rail opened the night with their signature tune “Hello”. It won the MTV Basement Tapes award in 1983 and I’m pretty sure if they opened their show without it now, there would be a full scale riot. Rail fans (myself included) absolutely love that little ditty.

I remember the first time I saw Rail perform in the late 1970’s. They played live at what was then called Seattle International Raceways (S.I.R.). The stage was set up at the starting line where drag cars would launch. Terry James Young, founding and current lead singer/bass guitarist, was just a kid wearing these big furry boots that looked a lot like those Uggs you see some people wear these days (I think Terry may have been way ahead of his time in the fashion world).

OK, enough reminiscing….let’s get back to 2010. To this date, Rail has the original line up. They did have a few musicians fill from time to time, including the late Joe Shikany (whom we all sorely miss), Mark Welling, and Ronnie Montrose. Rail has produced several albums through the years to their credit. I understand they are currently in the studio working on a new CD. Be sure to watch for that. Now back to the concert. Center stage was Terry James Young on lead vocals and bass guitar. I’ve just got to add, Terry’s voice I would have to compare to Jon Anderson of the band “Yes“. You gotta love that! On stage left was none other than Rick Knotts. What can I say other than Rick kicks major ass on the guitar. On stage right you got Andy Baldwin on guitar and keyboards who is equally talented. Rick and Andy are so in tuned with each other that they can play guitar solos at the same time in perfect time. It is simply amazing to see and hear. Last, but by no means least, you have Kelly Knobles on the drum set that is so big it seems to almost surround him. That is one big dude I wouldn’t want to piss off. If he attacked someone like he attacks the drums…..lights out! Thankfully he is one of the most kind and talented people you’ll ever meet. The whole band is so humble and treat their fans with great respect. They’ll take time to talk with you and get their picture taken with anyone that wishes to approach them after the show and asks. To be a truly great band, I believe connecting with the fans is just as important as being talented.

RAIL: Kelly Knobles, Andy Baldwin, Terry James Young, Rick Knotts (photo by Teri Beede)

While I’m on my virtual soapbox here spewing out my opinions, I have to add that I believe a promoter can make a concert/event be a success or bomb depending on the way they promote it. Speaking from a somewhat limited experience, I know how much effort it takes to pull off a successful show. Sometimes it can seem like a thankless task that doesn’t always get appreciated like it should. It is my understanding that Chrisda Hamilton was the promoter for this event and she obviously put in 110% effort. Talk about a room full of happy people. You could tell everyone was loving it. Not to mention, I’m pretty sure the bar did very well which is extremely important so they can generate the cash flow to keep the doors open….especially in these economically challenged times. A big thank-you to Chrisda for a job well done.

RAIL with guests Steve Fossen and Jeff Kathan (photo by Janine Harles)
 

It would be a dishonor if I didn’t mention the nice surprise bonus Rail threw into the mix. They invited Steve Fossen (founding bassist for Heart) and Jeff Kathan (drummer for the legendary Paul Rogers band, Spike & the Impalers, and several other great bands) to the stage to throw down a little “Aerosmith’s” Train Kept a Rollin’. That was really a fun treat. Just another example of how fellow musicians will show up at any given night to a venue and support other musicians. How cool is that!

    

The next band up and closing the show was the Angela Hammontree Band. What better way to finish a great evening of fine music. Rail is a tough act to follow, but AHB did just fine. The lead vocalist and bands namesake, is the owner of a very powerful and beautiful voice. She was recently nominated as best female vocalist by Hot Rocks TV for their 2010 awards show. Angela and band served up some cool original tunes and a few cover songs that really pleased the crowd. They tackled a cover of Living Colour’s “Cult of Personality”. That is a difficult song to play, but I have to say I really enjoyed the way they pulled it off. Stage left of Angela on lead guitar was Brooks Clark. He can really make that guitar talk. Very talented guitarist. Stage right was Ben Lynch on bass guitar. He isn’t a lazy bass player like some can be. His fingers were flying all over the place. You can tell he’s been playing the bass for quite awhile and knows his way around the frets. Why do I always mention the drummers last? Sorry Kelly and Bill. Hey, maybe I just save the best for last. Bill Cantlon was keeping the beats on the drum kit and the perfect place for him to be. He can play just about anything he puts his mind to. You can see that he is finely tuned to technique and takes pride in his work. A truly great drummer and human being.