Yonder Mountain String Band brought Colorado’s earthy, wide-open feel to Birmingham last Sunday night when they took WorkPlay’s SoundStage for hundreds of people from all around Alabama. With Jeff Austin on mandolin, Dave Johnston on banjo, Adam Aijala on guitar, and Ben Kaufman on stand up bass, the quartet filled the large room with well-loved classics and spirited improvisation for a crowd clad in equal parts tie-dye and plaid. Weaving covers of such bluegrass, country, and classic artists as Hot Rize, Vince Gill, and the Grateful Dead, respectively, into their own varied catalog, the band played two sets that showcased their multifarious influences, as well as their ability to master the minute inclinations of each genre. Some songs faded smoothly into others, with only the silence of the audience to pad their passage, while others climaxed only to drop straight into the next tune; between every few songs the band would pitch witty banter that spanned topics from their tour manager Todd’s famed “hot toddies,” to jokes that they would be handing out doctors’ notes to everyone for Monday morning. The lights, less an entertaining addition to the show than an integral part of the bluegrass party, were synced perfectly to the mood of each song: on fast paced, lighthearted tunes, they reflected and enhanced the band’s lively spirit with spinning nebulas of dots and spirals and ever-changing colors, while on slower ballads the lights dimmed to a respectful and somber off-white. The show lasted for almost three hours—a lengthy time commitment for a Sunday night—but one all were happy to make. After an unplugged, acoustic encore that featured the well-known song “Dim Lights, Thick Smoke” and a completely unexpected and unique rendition of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train,” the band thanked everyone one last time for coming out, shouting breathlessly, “We hope you had a great time tonight; we sure as hell did!” The crowd affirmed this with cheers that were even louder and more excited than when the band had first taken the stage.

The setlist looks as follows, with a recording on archive.org:
Set 1: Jesus On The Mainline, Rag Mama, Night Is Left Behind, Ramblin’ Boy, A Long Time, Winds Of Wyoming, Crow Black Chicken, A Hundred Years From Now, Natchez Whistle, New Horizons > East Nashville Easter > New Horizons

Set Two: Going Where They Do Not Know My Name, Pockets, I’ll Never Love Anybody But You Baby, Life’s Too Short For Me To Worry Over You, Romance Blues, New Deal Train, Fast Ball, Waiting Too Long, If There’s Still Ramblin’ In The Rambler (Let Him Go), After Midnight > If There’s Still Ramblin’ In The Rambler (Let Him Go), Rambler’s Anthem, Get Me Outta This City, Kentucky Mandolin > Snow On The Pines > Morning Dew > Snow On The Pines, Good Hearted Woman

E: Dim Lights Thick Smoke, Crazy Train

Post courtesy of Jessica Francavilla
Pictures courtesy of Elizabeth Cotter