Concert Recap: Yonder Mountain String Band

The last time I saw Yonder Mountain String Band was at Bonnaroo in 2005. Prior to Bonnaroo I had listened to several of their live albums, but after seeing them live in Nashville, TN recently, I realized that their live recordings just don't do them justice. I was impressed by their 2005 Bonnaroo performance, but the show was not as memorable as other shows I attended that year. This time around I really feel like I witnessed the band for what they really are, a talented, live entertaining newgrass jam band. 


For those of you who are not familiar with Yonder Mountain String Band, I'll give you some details before I get into the actual show. The band was formed in Nederland, Colorado in 1998. They have released 6 studio albums and several live albums. The band consists of 4 talented musicians: Dave Johnston (banjo), Jeff Austin (mandolin, vocals), Ben Kaufmann (bass, vocals), and Adam Aijala (guitar, vocals). All contribute a great deal to the band's sound, music, and writing. The band has created such a large fan base that they have their own music festival in Arkansas called "Yonder Mountain's Harvest Festival". Of course, Yonder headlines, but they have brought in other large bands, such as Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Railroad Earth, Corey Smith, to name a few. Given their large fan base I knew that I was in for a treat since I was seeing them in "Music City".

The venue called Marathon Music Works, was a newly renovated warehouse on the outskirts of the downtown area. It was the venue's second show since opening earlier this year. The inside was huge, able to hold 1,500 people with two large restrooms and two fully stocked bars (local beers on tap). Experiencing a live show at a new venue that had excellent lighting equipment, sound system, and well-maintained restrooms was very pleasant . The stage was set on the side wall of the venue which allowed for just about everyone to have a great view of the band.

While I mainly paid to see YMSB, the opening band, The Infamous Stringdusters, was a great bonus. The band was much like YMSB but a little more traditional. YMSB chooses bands like the Infamous Stringdusters to open for them because they invite the opening band to come back out to play with them. This makes for a great show because the unique blend of music not heard on YMSB's albums. Hearing their music, old and new, brought out the bluegrass lover in me and I danced pretty much through the whole show.

If you enjoy bluegrass/newgrass music with great vocals and lyrics, check out Yonder Mountain String Band and keep an eye out for a live show close to where you live. You will not be disappointed with what you see and hear.