Friday night, the mood was right as The Tim Ostdiek Band brought their new album "Lost Days" to life in a sold-out, intimate performance that left the audience thrilled to pieces.
Held in a rustic, gussied-up barn on an old back country road outside of Longmont, the setting perfectly captured the heart and soul of the music, making it feel like the band was grilling on strings in the backyard. The hay-stacked two-hour set plucked plenty as the band played every song off their new album and more.
The barn looked like it was once used for more traditional purposes but now served as a unique venue that carried the reverberating sound up through high arches and echoed down to eager ears. It was small enough to feel intimate, yet big enough to amplify the power of the music.
The audience was encouraged to dance, adding to the lively atmosphere and bringing the music to life. The connection between the band and the audience was palpable, as they shared the sound experience together. The spirit of country music seemed to come alive within the barn almost as if the ghost of country's past had joined the celebration.
They “Ran with the River” in an uplifting, playful and engaging nature, swishing feel-good folk with eddies of pop/country as the vocal harmonies rolled and crashed like waves plunging down a river. Audience members were taken on a tuneful adventure down and around the bend and back again.
The full seven-piece band played songs that had feet stopping and hands clapping in reaction while other songs stripped back to a few band members and kicked back with a beer-sipping saunter. Songs like “Skipping on the St. Vrain” which was purely instrumental had a stand-up bass and two fiddles—a violin and a viola—which crooned favorably in the high arching barn.
Then there was a picturesque moment that happened only as soon as one could realize it was happening. As the band played "Old Nebraska Sky" the sun was setting outside the large barn doors, casting a warm glow over the crowd, wholly matching the mood, evoking a sense of compassion and serenity. As the Colorado sun dipped below the mountains, it seemed as if the world outside merged with the emotions within the barn.
As the night went on, Ostdeik joked that he couldn’t believe he was sober most of the show until then and that’s when he received much-needed libation support from the crowd when someone handed him a beer. With a “tip jar full of gas” the show drove near the end of the road in a song called “Sienna” about a car passed down through the family.
The energy in the barn only grew stronger as the encore surged the showgoers on to their feet as dancing flourished at the back of the barn in a whirlwind of skirts and brims of hats. It was a watertight conclusion to an enchanted evening of music, camaraderie and celebration. The connection between the band and the audience made it a night that will live on in the hearts of those who were there.
