Train Station Trios: Songs and Stories of the American Railroad

Silkroad presents Train Station Trios, a concert series generating new music as part of Silkroad’s multi-year American Railroad project, an initiative led by artistic director Rhiannon Giddens that illuminates the impact of African American, Chinese, Irish, and Indigenous communities on the creation of the Transcontinental Railroad. These and other populations played a fundamental role in one of the most important technological and economic achievements of the 19th century, yet their contributions have all too often been erased from history. This performance will bring together a trio of artists to uncover untold stories from these communities, painting a richer and more accurate picture of the origins of the American Empire, which profoundly reverberate today.

In this one-of-a-kind Sacramento performance, Silkroad artists Mario Gotoh (violin), Edward Pérez (bass), and Shane Shanahan (percussion) will contextualize — or rather re-contextualize — the railroad through music. Together, the trio will study the local Bay Area history of the railroad together with guest scholar, Prof. Anna Eng to share a performance that is equal parts inspiring, entertaining, and educational.

Hosted in partnership with the California State Railroad Museum, museum goers will have the opportunity to listen to the music while exploring the rich history around them. Access to the performance is included with museum admission.