The Yonder Mountain String Band
(abbreviated YMSB
) is an American progressive bluegrass group from Nederland, Colorado. Composed of Dave Johnston, Jeff Austin, Ben Kaufmann, and Adam Aijala, the band has released four studio albums and several live recordings to date.
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YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND TICKETS
EVENT | DATE | AVAILABILITY |
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Yonder Mountain String Band Tickets 5/10 | May 10, 2024 Fri, 8:00 PM | | Yonder Mountain String Band Tickets 5/11 | May 11, 2024 Sat, 8:00 PM | | Yonder Mountain String Band Tickets 5/15 | May 15, 2024 Wed, 6:30 PM | | Yonder Mountain String Band Tickets 5/15 | May 15, 2024 Wed, 9:00 PM | | Yonder Mountain String Band Tickets 5/16 | May 16, 2024 Thu, 9:00 PM | |
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History
The band's history stretches back to when
banjoist Dave Johnston and
mandolinist Jeff Austin were still in
college. Having met in
Urbana,
Illinois, Johnston requested Austin to join and sing in his band The Bluegrassholes. Austin, who played no
instrument, revealed to Johnston that he owned a
mandolin, who then told him to come to the performance and "play anything, just play fast and loud."
[1]
After the collapse of The Bluegrassholes, Johnston moved to
Boulder, Colorado, in order to further his bluegrass musical skills. Similarly, Austin moved to Colorado, but instead took up residence in Nederland. Johnston soon joined him there.
[2] It was during this time in
Nederland that Johnston and Austin met
bassist Ben Kaufmann and
guitarist
Adam Aijala at a local club named the Verve.
In December of 1998, the four musicians formed Yonder Mountain String Band which was to open for a band at the
Fox Theatre in Boulder. They have since developed both a bluegrass and
jam band fanbase, and can often be found on
tour. Their debut album
Elevation
was released on
Frog Pad Records, an
independent record label run by the band, in fall 1999.
From 1999 to 2001 they performed as one of the many attractions at
NedFest,
[3] a
music festival held in the band's hometown. By 2000, the group was also playing larger venues, such as
The Fillmore in
San Francisco,
California. The band has released several
live albums with material from live performances, but fans are welcome to record the concert they attend for themselves, as the band is taper-friendly.
In 2008, the band performed at the
2008 Democratic National Convention in
Denver.
In February 2009, the group canceled its February Cabin Fever Tour.
Members
Jeff Austin - mandolin, vocals
- Jeff Austin picked up the mandolin only a few years before forming YMSB. He will often break into a freeform scat during a song.
Ben Kaufmann - bass, vocals
- Ben Kaufmann's ability to write songs has formed a solid foundation on which the band's repertoire has grown steadily since 1998. Among his earlier compositions are, "The Bolton Stretch" (Elevation), "On the Run" (Elevation), and the epic live song "Traffic Jam" (Mountain Tracks, Vol. 3).
Dave Johnston - banjo,vocals
- Dave Johnston forms a great deal of the band's overall sound with his banjo. He sings in a low tone. Of all the members, Dave has contributed the most instrumentals, with Adam second. Jeff and Ben have put words to all of their songs.
Adam Aijala - guitar, vocals
- Adam Aijala's guitar playing forms a framework for many of YMSB's songs. One of Adam's most well-known songs, written back in the days of Elevation, is "Left Me in a Hole."
Discography
Year
| Album
| Chart Positions
|
US Bluegrass
| US Country
| US Heat
| US Indie
| US Internet
|
1999
| Elevation
|
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2001
| Town by Town
|
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Mountain Tracks: Volume 1
|
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2002
| Mountain Tracks: Volume 2
| 11
|
|
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2003
| Old Hands
| 5
| 54
|
|
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2004
| Mountain Tracks: Volume 3
| 2
| 67
|
|
| 22
|
2006
| Mountain Tracks: Volume 4
| 3
| 63
|
|
|
|
Yonder Mountain String Band
| 1
| 57
| 39
| 43
|
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2008
| Mountain Tracks: Volume 5
| 1
| 60
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2009
| The Show (album)
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Frog Pad Records
Frog Pad Records
is an
independent record label run by the Yonder Mountain String Band.
[4] Used as a platform to launch their
CDs, the label has since released numerous albums, as well as an
anthology and some
duet work by Jeff Austin and Chris Castino.
[5]
References
- Yonder Mountain String Band; Biography of Jeff Austin
- Yonder Mountain String Band Biography
- NedFest; Nederland Music and Arts Festival
- Frog Pad Records
- Frog Pad Records Catalog