Last Men on Earth returns to Rock & Rails July 13

"It seems like it's probably been twelve years at this point," said Mark Trippensee of Last Men on Earth as the band prepares to return to the familiar bandstand in Whistle Stop Park on July 13. "[Rock & Rails] is a hometown gig for us, which we don't do a lot of in the summer," he continued, "so it's always nice to have that amount of people come out."

Last Men on Earth's music ranges from classic rock and pop, to country from the 70s, 80s, and current popular music. But what can patrons expect this time around?

While this group formed in 2010, they always bring a handful of new songs every year to share. Some familiar hits will cover bands such as Journey, Foreigner, and Van Halen, as well as Zac Brown and Bryan Adams.

Current members of this six-piece band include Greg Jacyszyn on vocals, Mark Trippensee on drums and vocals, Tim Powell on bass guitar, Jason Olson on guitar and vocals, Reece Morse on keyboard and vocals, and Mike Holubec on guitar and, you guessed it, vocals. All hands on deck when it comes to singing in this band.

While the band is local to the area and performs all across Colorado, Mike Holubec has been a Niwot resident for quite some time and even graduated from Niwot High School (but we won't say how long ago).

Opening for Last Men on Earth are Tim Ostdiek and Jenny Balagna, who have both been based out of Longmont for the past decade. Ostdiek, an accomplished singer-songwriter, will be performing at Rock & Rails for his eighth season with his upbeat and earthy folk music that brings audiences "an eclectic mix of original songs and unexpected, but familiar" covers and original compositions. Balagna and Ostdiek together create beautiful vocal and guitar harmonies.

Ostdiek has been performing professionally for the past ten years throughout Colorado but began playing guitar in a seventh grade guitar class in his hometown of Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Ostdiek recently released a new album titled "The Lost Days," which is available on all music streaming platforms and will be available for purchase at the event.

Tim Ostdiek and Jenny Balagna will open Rock & Rails at 5:00 p.m. in Whistle Stop Park for happy hour leading into Last Men on Earth who will take the stage at 6:30 p.m. Whether you consider yourself a long-time patron or relative newcomer, the longevity of both of these bands speaks to their reputation and ability to get audiences on their feet.