Yonder starts tour, postseason with a bang

Yonder, fans come together for an energetic night.

By Lindsay Eanet

Published Oct. 5, 2007

With much of Columbia in a state of excitement over the start of the Major League Baseball playoffs Wednesday, it seemed only fitting that energetic Colorado bluegrass quartet Yonder Mountain String Band would make their favorite team known.

Much to the delight of several audience members, and to the dismay of far more, mandolin player Jeff Austin took the stage at The Blue Note for their first fall tour performance wearing a Chicago Cubs T-shirt.

"I feel like Justin Timberlake up here," Austin said.

Austin and bassist Ben Kauffman acted as goodwill ambassadors for bluegrass by interacting with the crowd and throwing in the occasional joke or anecdote. While introducing "40 Miles From Denver," Kauffman talked about the drive to Columbia and "sailing the stormy highways."

The quartet played with virtuosity and focus, and each member took time to solo and show the audience the extent of his skills. At times, it appeared as though each musician was in his own little pod a la "This Is Spinal Tap," doing something completely independent with the sound just melding together on its own.

As with many of its jam-band contemporaries, Yonder Mountain String Band has a penchant for throwing classic covers into its live show, but it is able to find ways to make each song its own. About halfway into the first set, they led the audience in a rousing bluegrass rendition of The Beatles' "Only a Northern Song." Despite the band's unique instrumental spin on it, it was able to stay true to the intended distorted and ominous nature of the song.

The members ended their first set by launching into fan favorite "If There's Still a Ramblin' In the Rambler," whipping the audience into a dancing frenzy that extended to the balcony and VIP sections, with those who knew the lyrics shouting them back at the band. At the lyric, "He'll meet you at the ballet/After just one more Jagermeister shot," the audience held the last note for a good 45 seconds. The band casually threw in the funky "Catch A Criminal" and played it in its entirety before finishing "Rambler."

After a short break, Yonder Mountain String Band returned for another round.

For the rollicking "Snow On the Pines," Austin put his wireless mandolin to use for the first time, exiting through the wings and playing directly to the ecstatic crowd.

Austin kept the banter and conversation with the crowd going.

"There's a table over there with tea on one side and honey on the other, and in the middle is a bottle of wood glue," Austin said. "I don't know what kind of tea they're drinking here, but I want in."

The band threw in another classic cover in its second set, injecting The Grateful Dead's "Deal" with speed, momentum and a whole lot of twang.

The band turned "My Gal" into a rousing quasi-gospel number, with Kaufmann belting the lyrics, pausing to give each band member a chance to solo. Guitarist Adam Aijala briefly delved into the riff from Metallica's "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)."

As the set wound down, the normally static Blue Note balcony became a haven for excessive shaking of the groove thing while the audience started a barrage of foot-stomping that shook the venue so hard the chandelier began to tremble.

Earlier this week, banjoist Dave Johnston talked about how the combination of energies from the band and the audience become a completely unique and exciting entity. He proved himself right Wednesday night at The Blue Note.