Ramsay Midwood and his band will bring their rolling, whimsical style of country blues to the Dolores River Brewery on Friday, July 17.
Midwood's four-piece group hails from Austin, Texas, and they just started a 14-show tour through the New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, and California.
"We're supposed to say we have a 'swampy sound' 'cause that's trendy, but I'm going with old blues mixed with Boffalongo and King Harvest," Midwood told the Star.
Midwood is an accomplished singer-songwriter who toured with the Arlo Guthrie folk family.
He recorded his first album, "Shoot Out at the OK Chinese Restaurant" in 2002 with Vanguard Records. "Popular Delusions & the Madness of Cows" was released in 2007, then "Larry Buys a Lighter" in 2011.
Midwood's lyrics have an observational, dark-humor quality, backed up by melodic guitar/banjo finger-picking with steady harmonic riffs on keyboard.
Another album is pending, Midwood said, and each single will be released independently. He passed on any deep inspiration, "Unanswerable, some new, some old, the next evolution of the band. We watch and listen to the world around us and make it up while we play."
His website describes the music as psychedelic country blues; another review calls it "Gospel Music for Inspired Barflies."
As far as adventures on the road, Midwood would not say, then offered having fun smashing a Phil Collins tape and using the shards as eating utensils.
"We think we're the first band to do that," he said.
Now with kids to raise, Midwood does not tour as much, but he can't stop completely.
"Last time we played in Dolores it was a raging blizzard, and we barely made it," he recalls, looking forward to a warm summer show outdoors. "We've got a lean, mean band and were excited to play for your local crowd."
The show starts at 8 p.m. on the outdoor stage and patio.
