Uncut Diamond Rio shows a great mix of styles

Leah Robinson

Tuesday, March 22, 2005 | 8:14 a.m.

Sometimes a band's vocals and instrumentals are so good, the lack of stylish showmanship goes almost unnoticed. Diamond Rio is just that kind of band.

The six-man country group made a stop at the Railhead inside Boulder Station on Friday, delivering signature vocal harmonies and stunning instrumental work that has put them among country music's elite musicians.

Kicking off the night, drummer Brian Prout showed off his solo talent, working his set impressively for five minutes before the band joined him. They segued into the lyric-heavy feel-good hit, "Unbelievable." The vocals started off shaky, however. Lead singer Marty Roe didn't seem quite in sync with fellow vocalists Gene Johnson and Dana Williams.

They quickly found their groove, though, after warming up on the first song. The sold-out crowd of 600 found itself toe-tapping along to "Norma Jean Riley," one of the band's most infectious ditties.

After energizing the crowd, Roe wanted to know a little more about them. "How many of you are real, local Las Vegans?" he asked, to which the majority of the crowd clapped and whistled. "Is this a party crowd here tonight? Well, you know what they say about Vegas: 'What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.' But, I guess that's not really a good thing for you, is it?"

The vocal highlight of the night came next. Roe, Johnson and Williams never sounded better than on a medley of "I Know How the River Feels," "Love a Little Stronger" and "Mirror Mirror." The blended harmonies were a joy to the ear, a perfect combination of low, middle and high octaves.

The three singers also shone on their hits "One More Time" and the crowd favorites "Beautiful Mess" and "Meet in the Middle."

The other musicians performed equally as well. In particular, Jimmy Olander showed off his banjo-playing talent, performing both "Beethoven's Fifth Symphony" and "Stairway to Heaven" before morphing into bluegrass. Honestly, it really did sound good.

Also, Johnson's mandolin mastery continued throughout the night, the instrument's sweet twang weaving throughout each song. Piano player Dan Truman stood out as well, particularly during "Meet in the Middle."

Two new songs from the band's forthcoming album, "One Believer," were well received. "One Believer" will be the band's first album released in three years. It is expected to debut in July.

The band performed the title cut as well as "In God We Still Trust," a song Roe described as marginally political.

"We don't normally make political statements. I mean, we don't fight with chick bands and stuff, but this is certainly something we all really believe in," he said, referring to recent attempts to remove God and religion from the public square. The song received the only standing ovation of the night.

The show closed on an upbeat note, with an encore featuring the silly story of a somewhat schizophrenic redneck musician called "Bubba Hyde."

While the band's stage presence may lack punch, its vocals and musicianship more than make up for it. Substance over style wins, every time.