Coburn Station had planned to play “Cheap Sunglasses” and “L.A. Woman” during its performance at the Made in Tahoe Festival, but with children sprinting throughout The Village at Squaw Valley the band instead went into an extensive jam of the Pink Floyd song “Run Like Hell.”
“It just went a different direction,” guitarist Dan McAlister said. “Our set list is more of an outline.”
Formed in 2012, Coburn Station was an ideal band to open the annual Made in Tahoe Festival. Three of the members live in Truckee and the fourth resides at Kings Beach. Moreover, Coburn Station was the original name for the spot that would become the town of Truckee.
An expensive place to live, Truckee might seem an unlikely hometown for an up-and-coming rock band.
“We are all working stiffs,” McAlister said. “We work our ass off all week to be able to rock and roll on the weekend.”
Coburn Station is McAlister, drummer Conor McAlidin, bassist Thomas Page and keyboardist Brian Mooney, who is the newest member. The band’s debut LP, “Coming Home,” was recorded at Shark Bite Studio in Oakland and released in 2016, when the keyboard player was Ryan Taylor, who has since joined The Sextones.
The band likes to improvise.
“We are all Phisheads,” McAlister said. “When we play live we like to loosen up and make it a little different each time.”
Up next for Coburn Station is the June 9 Red Room after-party for the Jackie Greene Band at the Crystal Bay Casino. It also will play July 7 and 8 at Truckee’s Bar of America, and Aug. 6 in Moe’s Original BBQ during the after-party for Lebo and Friends at Commons Beach in Tahoe City.