After years of reliably playing the Orpheum Theatre on State Street at the beginning of February, the month on the calendar is not the only thing changing when Yonder Mountain String Band comes to Madison on Saturday night.
Shifting away from their annual downtown home to the cozier confines of the Barrymore Theatre on the east side, Yonder is also trotting out a new lineup this year after the seemingly sudden departure of founding member and mandolin player Jeff Austin last April.
But lineup changes have hardly derailed this veritable jamgrass titan of a band, who have nary skipped a beat thanks to new mandolin player Jacob Jolliff and fiddle player Allie Kral—formerly of Cornmeal—who have both hopped on the road with Yonder full-time to fill Austin’s shoes with aplomb.
With traditional bluegrass instrumentation—an upright bass, an acoustic guitar and a banjo—played by Ben Kaufmann, Adam Aijala and Dave Johnston respectively, Yonder has fused those bluegrass sensibilities with a bevy of influences, ranging from hard rock to folk and alternative rock, to make a sound that is distinctly their own.
Since their last album, The Show, which came out in 2009, Yonder’s perpetual touring schedule has opened up endless possibilities for what they’re going to play on any given night.
Mixing in material from each of their five studio albums, in addition to covers from any of their many influences, all while not repeating songs night to night, Yonder has built a dedicated fan base, many of whom travel from show to show on their extensive and geographically dexterous tours.
This show falls right in the middle of the band’s month-long tour, which goes from the Mid-Atlantic to the Midwest and then back to the southeast, where the tour wraps up in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
Joining Yonder for their show at the Barrymore is special guest Drew Emmitt. Emmitt is the lead vocalist and mandolin player for one of the other pioneers of jamgrass, Leftover Salmon and will be joining Yonder for the entire show.
Whether it’s their adventurous set lists or their high-energy performances, you will not want to miss Yonder Mountain String Band on Saturday for their show at the Barrymore Theatre. The show is set to start at 8:30 p.m. with Horse Feathers opening and tickets are still available.
