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A Chat with Yonder Mountain String Band

May 18, 2012 in 06, 09, 10, 11, 12, 2, 25, 27, 3, 30, 31, 50, 9, a, acoustic, after, Again, age, all, Also, am, an, and, another, Are, around, as, at, August, Austin, Awesome, balance, ban, band, bands, Banjo, Bass, beach, big, blue, Bluegrass, book, brother, brothers, brown, Burn, but, by, Byrne, ca, can, cat, cc, center, Character, close, color, colorado, COMPLETE, console, Crowd, dave, David, Day, does, down, effects, en, end, Enjoy, enjoy myself, Eve, ever, Famous, fee, festival, fi, finish, First, fish, fishman, FOR, four, Friend, From, Fuji, gain, game, get, Gf, gin, give, Good, great, Guitar, guitarist, Gus, hampton, hi, Hope, How, ice, in, inspiration, International, interview, into, is, IT, IX, jam, Japan, John, jon, Jon Fishman, Joy, King, know, las, Last, late, Laugh, Led, let, life, Like, LITTLE, live, live band, live music, log, long, lot, love, MA, mass, MI, mix, Much, Music, music festivals, My, Myself, name, Nat, nc, New, New Year, new zealand, News, NJ, no, North, nothing, ny, of, on, one, op, Open, out, PA, page, Park, parker, Part, Phish, play, player, playing, Pop, Pot, pro, producer, producing, production, Pt, rad, read, recording, Road, rock, roll, row, rs, San Francisco, SC, set, show, Shows, So, Something, song, sound, SPAC, spring, St, stage, start, string, studio, style, Summer, Summer Tour, tab, talk, Talking, Taste, television, That, the, times, to, tone, Too, tour, Tv, two, us, va, van, view, vocal, WA, WAITING, Walk, war, Way, ways, we, Web, Ween, with, years, You, Young, Your, zealand | No comments

Interview by: Matthew McGuire | Images by: Dave Wieland (taken at The Fillmore in San Francisco in April 2012)

YMSB by Dave Wieland

Fourteen years, ten albums, international tours, countless sold-out events, and the Yonder Mountain String Band is just getting warmed up. They started as four friends playing music together in Nederland, Colorado. This summer the four-piece is hitting the road and performing at over a dozen different music festivals coast to coast.

The entire band talked with us about their upcoming plans for a new album, their massive summer tour, various inspirations, and future projects with the group. We go in detail with Jeff Austin, vocalist and mandolin player for the group, on one of his favorites places to eat in St. Louis, and plans for the next record. Dave Johnston, banjoist and vocalist, discussed how they travel across the nation for their shows. Guitarist Adam Aijala and bassist Ben Kaufmann collectively describe life on the road, television and technology in music.

During this past spring tour the band performed with Brown Bird for a string of shows, and we asked Yonder Mountain about this up-and-coming act.

JamBase: Brown Bird opened a few shows up for you this past tour. Do you see yourself playing with them again soon?

Adam Aijala by Dave Wieland

Dave: Yeah, I would like to work with Brown Bird again. They have a lot of good things going on. It was great to hang out with them, too. I found some new bands that they are into, some gypsy bands they enjoy. I ended up Spotifying one of the bands, and found some new music to enjoy myself. I like it when I get to hang with someone who has tastes that are concurrent with my own.

Adam: We know we are going to see them at the Harvest Music Festival. They are playing there with us this year. I would like to play more with them. They make a good fit. They sing really well together.

Ben: I like the acoustic instruments they use, too. I find it interesting how there has been times when acoustic and bluegrass music has had an insurgence or an injection into society as a whole. I think we are seeing that now, although quietly. Im thinking Mumford and Sons, The Avett Brothers, and now Brown Bird is an extension of what I am talking about.

Jeff: You probably just named them, Delfest is a big one. The Harvest Music Fest is growing, and the Northwest String Summit sold out last year. You never know whats going to pop up in our world.

Dave: Im really looking forward to all the events this summer, and the warmer weather.

How would you describe working with different drummers?

Ben Kaufmann by Dave Wieland

Jeff: Weve worked a long time with a lot of drummers from Futureman – Roy Wooten with the Flecktones – to Jon Fishman with Phish. Studio time with Pete Thomas (Elvis Costello) is amazing though. Pete was able to teach me how to add to a song. He also helped me learn touch, tone and timing.

Ben: There are so many different styles of drumming, and with the specific bluegrass beat we play it can be tricky to bring a drummer into our music. I always enjoy working with the beats that have nothing to do with the bluegrass beat – rock nroll beats.

Adam: I remember when Ben walked off stage at New Years one time when we played with Futureman. He mentioned how nice it is having someone else holding down the rhythm.

When you create new material Adam, do you think about how the rhythm will play into the song overall?

Adam: I dont think about the instrumentation as much when I first come up with an idea. Its more when the song is near completion or completed when I start to think about that kind of stuff. There is also no template for every song. It might be two things that were created some time apart that work together. Ben and I have a song that we have been writing for 30 years, and that will get done one of these days.

Ben: No, it wont [laughs].

Adam: There are some songs [where] the same day you start it you finish it. Then there are some songs, like the one I am talking about with Ben, that take a little more time. I bet it was 9-10 years ago when we started work on that song. Hopefully it will be done by the end of this year.

Belle Parker is one of the songs from the latest record The Show. Is this character a merger between fact and fiction?

Jeff: It is a compilation between fact and fiction. There is imagery from a setting in New Orleans that Benny Galloway helped me create during the recording process.

Is there anything in particular that you like to eat or drink in St. Louis?

Jeff Austin by Dave Wieland

Jeff: My favorite thing in St. Louis is the Thai food around The Pageant. I am completely addicted to the roast duck noodle soup from the Thai Country Cafe.

How does the band travel during a nationwide tour? Is it by bus, plane or both?

Dave: We travel mostly in a tour bus. We fly here and there though [occasionally].

At one point in time Lost was one of your favorite TV shows. Are you still a fan?

Ben: I have a new favorite show and its called Game of Thrones. Adam and I read the books about 10 years ago, and have been waiting for this show to come out for awhile. If Im reading anything in my off-time, my preference is books similar to the Game of Thrones or something by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Is the television show for Game of Thrones close to the original books?

Adam: I couldnt ask for something better, pretty much. I mean even the characters look exactly like I pictured them. They did a really good job with the casting. I think its an awesome show and they are doing an awesome job.

After touring in Europe and other locations abroad is there any spot on the globe that the Yonder Mountain String Band has not performed at yet that you would like to tour?

Jeff: Australia and New Zealand would be great. Just go down there for a few weeks and play one or two big festivals. It would also be fun to play a little bar in the bush and get to know people. It would be nice for to play down in Mexico on a beach somewhere to give our fans a different experience [which became a reality yesterday with this announcement].

Ben: If we are going to travel and do some really cool festivals, I would love to get back to Japan. I think Fuji Rock is a special festival.

Adam: I want to go to Australia. If the right opportunities come up we will have to think about those events as they come.

The North West String Summit is coming up this August. Can you describe the vibe at the event? Is it a younger audience or a mixed crowd?

Dave Johnston by Dave Wieland

Dave: Its a good time of year to be up there. I think it strikes a good balance between it being a youth oriented festival and a place for families too.

Do you have any musicians that you would like to play music with right now?

Jeff: David Byrne is one of the big ones. Jack White. Id love to play music with him. He is such a skillful guitar player, but god, he plays with no holds barred and with the amp up as loud as it goes. Those two guys, as well as John Prine and Emmylou Harris on another side of music.

What brand of in-ear monitors do you currently use?

Adam: Sensaphonics, and they are awesome. Im psyched to have something new to work with this summer.

Ben: There has recently been a technology advance with in-ear monitor technology. Companies are now releasing three-dimensional in-ear monitors. The problem has been that in-ear monitors messes with your ability to perceive sound around your head, [and] there are now 3D Active Ambient microphones in this new in-ear monitor technology.

How do you think technology has helped the production during your live shows?

Adam: In addition to the speakers, the digital boards that we use have the ability to use effects that you would use in a studio. You can now have all these effects in a live setting.

Ben: With these new boards, [like the boards at The Pageant], these consoles can store and save your mix. You can start a show with the mix you had at the end of your last set.

Tom Rothrock produced the The Show. Will he be producing the upcoming album?

Jeff: We are in the process of talking with producers right now. I believe that we have setup where we are going to record the next album. We are a live band, and if we put out a quality studio record that is just kind of a bonus. Im looking forward to getting into the studio later this year and early next year.

Hit the road this summer with the Yonder Mountain String Band as they travel across the country to over a dozen different music festivals. Check out their website for more details.

Yonder Mountain String Band Tour Dates :: Yonder Mountain String Band News

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Tags: age, awesome, color, console, famous, fish, mexico, mountain, sound, start, Too

The Disco Biscuits: City Bisco

May 16, 2012 in 12, 2, 29, 3, 30, 9, a, age, am, an, and, around, as, at, ban, band, bands, big, Burn, ca, can, center, City, CO., cream, Day, en, Eve, FEAT, fee, festival, fi, First, FOR, four, From, get, great, hampton, hi, in, is, IT, IX, jam, Led, MA, MI, nc, New, News, night, no, October, of, on, op, out, PA, Park, philadelphia, Philly, Phish, photos, Pt, read, rock, rs, SC, Screaming, set, SPAC, St, state, tab, That, the, to, Too, two, us, va, venue, we, Web, with, You | No comments

THE DISCO BISCUITS ANNOUNCE NEW FESTIVAL IN PHILLY

The Disco Biscuits will host City Bisco, a new two-day event in Philadelphia. Read the message from their official website below.

“It is with great excitement that we announce the first ever City Bisco on October 5th and 6th at the Mann in Fairmount Park – Philadelphia, PA! Get ready for two nights of the Disco Biscuits at this incredible and historic venue nestled in the lush surroundings of the biggest metropolitan park in the United States! In addition to the four screaming Biscuits sets, you can expect a healthy dose of the best bands and DJs from around the world. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for the full lineup announcement and ticket info!

See you there.”

Tags: age, ban, co., coming, day, disco, fee, incredible, jam, philadelphia, Philly, photos, right-hspace, united-states

Jazz Fest 2012 | Weekend Two | Highlights | Photos

May 15, 2012 in 06, 10, 11, 12, 17, 2, 25, 27, 28, 2b, 3, 30, 31, 50, 9, 99, a, after, Again, age, all, Also, am, an, and, another, Arc, Are, around, as, at, away, ban, band, bands, Bass, Beastie, big, Bill, black, blue, blues, book, Boys, brother, brothers, Burn, but, by, ca, can, cart, cat, cc, center, CHICKEN, City, classic, close, college, Crowd, dance, dancing, Day, Day., Dell, DIXIE, down, Drop, dry, effects, electric, en, Encore, end, Enjoy, epic, eq, Eve, Eyed, FEAT, fee, festival, fi, fight, final, First, fish, FOR, four, Free, friday, Friend, From, Funk, gain, George, get, gin, give, Glen, golden, Good, grace, great, ground, grounds, Guitar, guitarist, hall, hampton, hi, high, Hope, How, ice, in, inspired, into, intro, is, IT, IX, jam, Jams, jazz, Jimmy, John, jon, Joy, Jr, King, las, Last, late, Led, Lee, leo, let, life, light, lights, Like, live, live music, log, long, lot, love, lover, MA, Made, Main, mass, metal, MI, monster, Much, Music, My, name, Nat, nate, nc, New, News, night, NJ, no, nocturnals, NV, ny, of, on, one, op, out, PA, page, Part, party, Phish, photos, play, player, Pot, potter, pro, Pt, quartet, rad, radio, rage, rain, rare, read, rev, rock, row, rs, run, saint, saturday, Say, SC, second, set, Shine, show, Shows, So, solo, Something, song, Soul, sound, SPAC, Split, square, St, Stab, stage, steve, street, super, tab, Taste, tease, That, the, Thursday, times, to, Too, track, Train, Tribute, two, University, us, USA, va, Valley, van, view, WA, Walk, Way, ways, we, Wednesday, Weekend, Weigh, with, words, You, Your | No comments

Words by: Wesley Hodges | Images by: Susan J. Weiand

Big photo gallery below review and more pictures from Weekend Two over here!

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival :: 05.03.12-05.06.12 :: Fair Grounds :: New Orleans, LA

In last year’s review I raved about the seven days of sunshine and amazingly programmed Weekend Two at the Fair Grounds, wondering how the veteran festival would outdo a Fest many proclaimed as the greatest ever. Having just blazed a trail across the Fair Grounds with a krewe of six friends over four days and hitting 12 different night shows over a 10-day period I can say with certainty that this year’s Fest was markedly better than any of us could’ve ever imagined. My ability to comprehend and convey what transpired down in that Gentilly Stage valley, at Congo Square, or over in the Gospel Tent is slightly lacking given the sheer amount of heavenly musical transcendence that was thrown our way, but heres my best shot at offering yall some of the highlights from a simply unforgettable festival experience.

Thursday

George Porter Jr. by Susan J. Weiand

George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners
George Porter Jr. is a force to be reckoned with during Jazz Fest season, playing multiple shows a day and generally a few all-nighters (as he would pull on Saturday with The Meters and AM Sessions at House of Blues). On Thursday, the Jazz Fest patrons came out in droves to support the living legends solo band. Sax player Khris Royal adds an element you wont find in Porters other projects, adding some seriously out there effects and touches of virtuosity.

Silky Sol The Red Afro Queen
This woman had soul to spare and her set-closing rendition of Wang Dang Doodle was one of the first of many special Jazz Fest moments during Weekend Two.

Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk
Always a crowd pleaser, the double bass funk monster didnt disappoint after arriving just in time for Put It In The Dumpsta on an unusually crowded local Thursday, bringing their incomparably deep and hard-driving brand of funk and rock to a packed field at the Gentilly Stage. Everybody wanted sum and everybody got sum.

Food Item of the Day
Crawfish Bread. Makes my arteries hurt just thinking about it.

Disappointment of the Day
Esperanza Spalding‘s Radio Music Society came on for their scheduled 90 minute appearance a good 40 minutes late and was then unable to get her stand-up bass sound situation figured out. An unfortunate scene but one of very few low points at the Fest.

Late Night Bonus Round(s)
Cyril Nevilles funky Nevillution down at the Blue Nile on Frenchmen Street followed by a Super Jam session up at the Maple Leaf.

Friday

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
By Susan J. Weiand

Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers
Hornsby offered up the first of many tributes to the late great Levon Helm, doing The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down that was one of the biggest singalongs of the Festival. Generally it is hard to get chills when its 90 and humid, but moments like this will do it every time.

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
After hearing the sad news that Beastie Boys Adam Yauch had passed, it was great seeing Grace pay tribute the band riffed on as she sang and twirled to No Sleep Til Brooklyn and Fight For Your Right To Party.

Mavis Staples
Another one of those Jazz Fest moments was her rousing cover of The Bands The Weight (with special guest Glen Hansard) that had the congregation up on their feet and clapping. Very few dry eyes in the Tent after that one as Mavis lifted up Helms name, dramatically shouting Levon! over and over again in case no one knew the significance of the moment. Staples set with Levon would have been special and the tribute was both fitting and extremely powerful.

Surprise Set of the Weekend
Mystikal seriously laid it down at the Congo Square Stage with a full brass section that included Galactics Ben Ellman among others.

Gospel Tent Bonus
Immediately walked up to a couple getting married onstage in the Gospel Tent followed by Connie & Dwight with the St. Raymond/St. Leo the Great Gospel Choir doing We Shall Overcome.

Late Night Bonus Round(s)
Garage A Trois at One Eyed Jacks and the techno/shopping cart bull robot party rockin down Frenchmen.

Food Item of the Day
Shrimp and Grits. A must.

Saturday

Anders Osborne by Susan J. Weiand

Anders Osborne
Hot off the release of his career-defining new record Black Eye Galaxy, the guitarist showcased his wizardry in a big way on some of the mega-powerful and introspective new pieces like Mind of a Junkie and Black Tar that fit in nicely and complimented his older catalog jams like Burning On The Inside. Carl Dufrene, Billy Iuso and Eric Bolivar rounded out the quartet that made a whole lot of new fans, and I overheard more than one person wondering out loud how they were just then hearing of Osborne and seeing him for the first time.

Bombino
Saturday was pretty much flawless and the stop in to check out Desert Blues guitarist Bombino of Niger was a big highlight of both the day and weekend. This man and his band are definitely something to keep tabs on. The man has major talent unlike anything Ive seen or heard. There were some special moments of pure musical bliss that conjured up comparisons to some of the greats like Hendrix and Jimmy Page.

Jim James/Yim Yames
By Susan J. Weiand

My Morning Jacket
The rock band of this generation firmly established their presence before a rather large crowd at the Gentilly Stage on Saturday, playing an almost flawless set that began to take off once they got into “It Beats 4 U” from Z early on in the performance. Yim Yames’ recent love affair with all things New Orleans and of the legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band has been well-documented and his embrace and love of our fair city was paid back by the adoring crowd on the far side of the Fair Grounds Racecourse.

A retooled, mellifluous “Golden” and an epic, slow-burning and totally unique reworked “Dondante” (which weaved its way around for what had to be roughly 17 minutes) highlighted what may have been the best set of the second weekend. The members of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band also sat in on Off The Record, Holdin On To Black Metal and One Big Holiday after James introduced the multi-generational legends as our oldest friends in the whole wide world.

Late Night Bonus Round(s)
The Original Meters and Papa Grows Funk at The Howlin Wolf NOLA. Think they played 9 or 10 songs total in the 2-hour-plus set. Some serious improv jams went well with the unexpected laser show. The guys were having a blast together so hopefully/likely not the last chance to see them together.

Food Item of the Day
Quail Gumbo and Strawberry Lemonade.

Sunday

Corey Glover with Galactic by Susan J. Weiand

Galactic
We hurried out there to make sure to soak it all up to the last drop, arriving in time for Galactics big main stage showcase before Foo Fighters just in time to see Corey Glover of Living Colour on the band’s new joints from Carnivale Electricos “Out In The Street” and “Hey Na Na”.

Where Minds Were Blown
(1) The scene at Congo Square for the Bounce Shakedown was amazing and those unfamiliar in the massive crowd with featured performers Katey Red and Big Freedia were simply dumbfounded by all the ass-shaking, wobbling and break dancing going down onstage. One break dancers big jump into a split inspired a chorus of jaw-dropping “wows”.

(2) Blissed out at Bonnie Raitt. The legendary blues songstress inspired rare pin-drop silence during her sterling set while singing I Will Make You Happy, one of the most special and dominant performances of any song heard all weekend. Many achieved a moment of total bliss watching the legend perform and very soon thereafter at Preservation Hall Jazz Bands heroic 50th Anniversary Celebration. Also, a sit-in by Jon Cleary gave a lot in the crowd a chance to see just how talented the local ex-pat really is.

Preservation Hall Jazz Band by Susan J. Weiand

Preservation Hall Jazz Bands 50th Anniversary Celebration
Guests included Rebirth Brass Band for Do Whatcha Wanna and Marvin Gayes Lets Get It On, Allen Toussaint, Bonnie Raitt, 100-year old trumpet player Lionel Ferbos, Trombone Shorty, Steve Earle for Taint Nobodys Business, New Orleans resident Ani DiFranco for a song she recorded with them called Freight Train, and Yim Yames offered up an core-chilling encore cover of St. James Infirmary. Just when you thought this Fest-closing set couldnt get any better, Trombonist Wendell Eugene, members of Preservation Hall Junior Jazz Band, dance troupe Fleur de Tease and all earlier guests in the show reemerged for an epic finale, ending the Fest with When the Saints Go Marching In and Ill Fly Away.

Sunday Spiritual Bonus
Seeing the gospel classic Ill Fly Away performed three times in one day. First at Johnson Family Extension in the Gospel Tent, again at the Boutte Family celebration, and finally to close out the weekend in proper fashion at Preservation Hall Jazz Bands 50th Anniversary throwdown at the Gentilly Stage. It’s just that kind of place and Sunday always has an added element of spirituality to the already transcendent vibe out around the track.

Food Item of the Day
Fried Chicken and Jambalaya. Meal of the weekend.

Late Night Bonus Round
Ivan Nevilles Dumpstaphunk with legendary Neville Brothers guests, Ani Difranco and Skerik.

Conclusion
Jazz Fest just keeps on getting better and better. Anyone – no matter the age, musical taste or background – can enjoy this Fest, and with seven days of sunshine as an added bonus (minus a few welcome drops from the heavens during Preservation Hall), this year was special – even for Jazz Fest. Life has been adequately funkified. See you back at the Fair Grounds on Thursday May 2nd, 2013!

Wesley Hodges runs the Live Music Blog: NOLA site and recently graduated from the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law.

Thursday and Friday Photo Gallery

5/3/12 – 5/4/12 – New Orleans Jazz Festival @ New Orleans Fair Grounds (New Orleans, LA) View Photos

Continue reading for pics from Saturday and Sunday…

Saturday and Sunday Photo Gallery

5/5/12 – 5/6/12 -New Orleans Jazz Festival @ New Orleans Fair Grounds (New Orleans, LA) View Photos

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