| Yonder Mountain String Band | |
|---|---|
The band performing on April 21, 2007 at the Fillmore in San Francisco. |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Nederland, Colorado, United States |
| Genres | Progressive bluegrass, country, jam band |
| Years active | 1998 – present |
| Labels | Frog Pad SCI Fidelity Vanguard |
| Website | www.yondermountain.com |
| Members | |
| Dave Johnston Jeff Austin Ben Kaufmann Adam Aijala |
|
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 five studio albums and several live recordings to date.
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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.[2] In December 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 2005, their recording of "Think for Yourself" was included on the album This Bird Has Flown – A 40th Anniversary Tribute to the Beatles' Rubber Soul.
In 2008, the band performed at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver.
In 2010, it was revealed that Yonder Mountain would host its very own music festival at Mulberry Mountain in Ozark, Arkansas called Yonder Mountain's Harvest Festival. The same site that the larger Wakarusa is also held and the previous Mulberry Mountain Harvest Fest was held. The festival is back again in 2011 during October 13 through the 16th. As well as Yonder Mountain on the top bill for three nights, the headliners includes Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, the Simcha Aknin Band, Railroad Earth and the Emmitt-Nershi Band.[4]
Jeff Austin - mandolin, vocals
Ben Kaufmann - bass, vocals
Dave Johnston - banjo, vocals
Adam Aijala - guitar, vocals
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Grass | US Country | US Heat | US Indie | ||
| Elevation |
|
— | — | — | — |
| Mountain Tracks: Volume 1 |
|
— | — | — | — |
| Town by Town |
|
— | — | — | — |
| Mountain Tracks: Volume 2 |
|
11 | — | — | — |
| Old Hands |
|
5 | 54 | — | — |
| Mountain Tracks: Volume 3 |
|
2 | 67 | — | — |
| Mountain Tracks: Volume 4 |
|
3 | 63 | — | — |
| Yonder Mountain String Band |
|
1 | 57 | 39 | 43 |
| Mountain Tracks: Volume 5 |
|
1 | 60 | — | — |
| The Show |
|
1 | — | 19 | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||
Frog Pad Records is an independent record label run by the Yonder Mountain String Band.[5] 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.[6]