Rock & Rails kicks off its shoes

Despite the threat of rain and the allure of the Denver Nuggets playoff game, Rock & Rails kicked off its summer 2023 season last Thursday, drawing an impressive and enthusiastic crowd.

With looming dark clouds above, the Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band provided the opening set. The headliner, Girls on Top!, followed with two sets of high-octane party music, bringing the dance floor to capacity. As usual, the team of volunteer greeters, beverage servers, and student "gargoyles" helped with the logistics.

By the end of the evening, the weather remained dry, the Nuggets won the first playoff game, and the Rock & Rails revelers left Whistle Stop Park with a foretaste of the summer's Thursday concert season.

Given that Girls on Top! was the headliner, the opening Semi-Marching Free Grange Band appropriately offered a set of songs mostly devoted to female names -"Runaround Sue," "Good Golly Miss Molly," "Sweet Georgia Brown," "Barbara Ann," "Sweet Caroline" and others. They also paid homage to the late Tina Turner with a rendition of "Proud Mary."

The band, with a record-sized 32 players, became even larger during its rendition of "Don't Fear the Reaper," as Biff Warren, in full Saturday-Night-Live-Christopher-Walken mode, urged the band to provide "more cowbell." A handful of the beverage servers, all brandishing cowbells, ran to the stage to reinforce the percussion section. Lee Shaw, who semi-retired as the band's director two years ago, returned to give direction to Vicki Maurer, Tony Maurer, Dan Hawk, Lulu Davis, and Lori Shrader on cowbell, while regular drummer Joe Kunches kept the beat.

The band's Whistle Stop appearance last week was fitting, since the group had played at the dedication of the bandstand in 2005. Four of the original members who played then were onstage with the group last week, including Biff Warren, Katie Warren, Lee Shaw and Sandy Burrell.

Also fitting was the appearance of Girls on Top!, who played the first performance of the Niwot concert series back in 2006.

Girls on Top!'s roots are in Motown music, and their performance last week featured soul and pop music from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. The three lead singers, along with rhythm section of guitar, bass, drums, and keyboard, energized the crowd, covering hits by Aretha Franklin, the Spencer Davis Group, the Temptations, and the B-52s.

As some attendees ambled over to the food trucks offering Tibetan food, BBQ, pizza, and ice cream, others couldn't resist the beat. "This band is smoking hot. I just can't stop dancing," said one attendee.

Proceeds from the beverage service tip jar, amounting to over $1750, were donated to the Rotary Club of Niwot and the Volunteer Appreciation Fund. Between the two acts, the Rotary Club presented its Eli Buzas Community Achievement Award to Tim Wise, co-owner of Niwot's Wise Buys Antiques, for his longstanding volunteer efforts in the community, including his work in helping obtain the Whistle Stop bandstand and caboose, as well as the park's railroad crossing lights, the Niwot Children's Park, and the downtown parking lot.

Wise, who professed to being unaccustomed to public speaking, then gave an eloquent speech describing what he loves about Niwot, how things get done in town, and urging the crowd to support the Rotary Club and other volunteer groups who provide services to the community, with tips. The presentation of the award by the Rotary was highlighted by the attendance of the family of the late Eli Buzas, including his wife Chris and his children. Buzas was a longtime member of the Rotary, and founded the Niwot High School Education Foundation.

Wise Buys Antiques on 2nd Avenue, owned by Tim Wise and his wife Carrie, have anchored downtown Niwot for some 37 years.

Satir DeMarco, the Rock & Rails emcee who also books all the bands for the event, noted, "It was a great night! High energy and joyful. And the weather came through for us. It's going to be a great season."