Rock & Rails opened by Mark Oblinger

Mark Oblinger and Linda Lawson provided a rare treat for early arrivals at Rock & Rails in Niwot July 7. Oblinger is a Grammy nominee and Emmy Award-winning singer-songwriter who lives in nearby Boulder, and he brought Lawson along to join in the performance.

Oblinger played his acoustic guitar while singing an eclectic mix of heartfelt soul, rock, and R&B. Lawson accompanied him with a great keyboard mix and vocals. It seemed almost second nature for them to perform together as they played a mix of old and new tunes written and produced by Oblinger.

Oblinger has an impressive history, having toured with the likes of Pure Prairie League and Firefall. One of the crowd favorites on Thursday night was a new song titled, "Standing on the Threshold of Love." Hopefully this will be released on a new album soon.

An online search gives an idea of what a talented musician Oblinger is. He has written and produced CD's, including "Songs the Angels Sing: Ballads & Music for Angel Lovers", as well as works geared for children such as "Jumpin Jazz Kids,' '' a collaboration with jazz musicians Al Jarreau, Herbert Laws, and Dee Dee Bridgewater. His latest work is "High Water Line."

Oblinger and Lawson opened with cooler weather, following a mid-afternoon rain, making for a wonderful time before the main act. July 14 the opener will be local favorites Tim Ostdiek and Jenny Balagna of Longmont.

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Photo by Yule Peterson

Emmy Award-winning singer-songwriter Mark Oblinger (right) brought his talents to Rock & Rails July 7, and was joined by Linda Lawson on keyboards and vocals.