Like many folks I had a roundabout way of fully immersing myself in the beautiful and bountiful genre of bluegrass music. Amid a haze of smoke and blacklight posters in my freshman college dorm room the music of Jerry Garcia with David Grisman, John Hartford and the seminal work of Yonder Mountain String Band carved my path to Bill Monroe, Del McCoury and Doc Watson. A path I am still forever grateful for those days.
Elevation was a constant for me. Friends and I sat around passing a “cigarette” and jamming along to ‘Half Moon Rising’, ‘Bolton Stretch’ and ’40 Miles to Denver’. The untimely loss of founding member Jeff Austin planted a seed for me to revisit this and other earlier YMSB records and unleashed a flood of love and nostalgia. Today the band announced the re-issue of that record to be available online and at the merch table as a 20th anniversary release.
From the band: Falling in the middle of their 2019 fall tour, this September marked the 20th Anniversary of award-winning Colorado bluegrass band, Yonder Mountain String Band’s critically acclaimed debut album, Elevation. Out of print for years and considered by decades-long fans to be the band’s career-defining album, it only seemed natural for YMSB to celebrate this milestone with a 20th-anniversary 180g double vinyl re-release. Originally released on the band’s own independent Frog Pad Records, Elevation features founding members Dave Johnston, Ben Kaufmann, Adam Aijala, and Jeff Austin, along with guest musicians Mike Marshall, Darol Anger, Sally Van Meter, and Celeste Krenz. The 20th Anniversary release of Elevation is available now in limited quantities at the merch table and online.
Yonder is currently on tour extending through the end of November with Northeast stops in upstate NY, Rhode Island, Maine and Boston, a break in December and picking back up in the New Year. Go see ’em.
Catch Yonder Mountain String Band On Tour:
Nov 14, 2019 – Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY
Nov 15, 2019 – Ardmore Music Hall – Ardmore, PA
Nov 16, 2019 – The Hamilton Live – Washington, DC
Nov 17, 2019 – Levon Helm Studios – Woodstock, NY
Nov 21, 2019 – Port City Music Hall – Portland, ME
Nov 22, 2019 – The Met – Pawtucket, RI
Nov 23, 2019 – Brighton Music Hall – Boston, MA
Nov 24, 2019 – Capitol Theatre – York, PA
Jan 6, 2020 – Park City Live – Park City, UT
Jan 7, 2020 – Mangy Moose – Teton Village, WY
Jan 9, 2020 – The Mint – Hailey, ID
Jan 10, 2020 – The Rialto – Bozeman, MT
Jan 11, 2020 – Top Hat Lounge – Missoula, MT
Jan 12, 2020 – The Hive – Sandpoint, ID
Jan 14, 2020 – Wild Buffalo – Bellingham, WA
Jan 16, 2020 – Historic Ashland Armory – Ashland, OR
Jan 17, 2020 – Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR
Jan 18, 2020 – The Showbox – Seattle, WA
Jan 19, 2020 – McDonald Theater – Eugene, OR
Jan 28, 2020 – The Lyric Theatre – Blacksburg, VA
Jan 29, 2020 – The National – Richmond, VA
Jan 30, 2020 – Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC
Jan 31, 2020 – The Orange Peel – Asheville, NC
Feb 1, 2020 – The Mill & Mine – Knoxville, TN
Feb 4, 2020 – Ponte Vedra Concert Hall – Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
