Philzone.org - Philzone Phansite Community Discussion Board: Setlists and Reviews: Non GD Related Reviews: Archive: Yonder Mountain String Band - Fillmore, SF - 4/21

Third show in three nights....... mixed in with three ballgames, copious amounts of various "goodies" through-out and a full day of recruiting for my 2nd job left me burnt and not very motivated for this show, but I was set-up good for it and figured if I was going to be burnt & tired anyway I might as well be burnt & tired at a show; and that turned out to be GOOD thinking!

I love bluegrass and I enjoy the "jammy" style of YMSB, Hot Buttered Rum and others. My problem in the past with YMSB was that the first time I saw them I was late to the show and didn't recognize that Darol Anger (a fucking AMAZING violin/fiddle player) was sitting in with them the entire night. My first impression of the band was that THESE GUYS ARE GREAT, because they had the good guitarist, the great mandolin player and then the AMAZING violinist to finish you off! Who is this guy? When they introduced Anger at the end I was really disappointed! And for me when I saw them again a few months later the fiddle was REALLY missing from their sound, so I kind of lost interest.

On Saturday, because I was lacking inspiration I was late again, not realizing there was no opening act, so I missed virtually the entire 1st set. I dragged up the Fillmore stairs just as the band was beginning the last song of their set and I was immediately shocked by two things:

1) The place was fucking PACKED!! To the rafters! I've seen the Fillmore jam-packed many times but I'm not sure I've ever seen the place SO full before, and the crowd was INTO the music all the way into the hallway!

2) The band sounded GREAT! The sound was full, loud and they were ripping!

I knew the set was ending and I was just able to get my double J&C when the lights came up..... and suddenly, I WAS AT A PARTY!

There was just a GREAT vibe in the house from the moment I walked in, the crowd was buzzing and I began to feel better. I met friends at various spots during the break, had a random conversation with some cool stranger about the history of local venues (one of my favorite subjects!) and then tucked myself into the balcony seat I was lucky enough to have.

By the time the 2nd set started I was feeling MUCH better, and as is usually the way in these situations I got a 2nd wind and the music just ripped right along with it.

I am a huge fan of violin in bluegrass (any) music and I once again really missed the sound with this band, but they were playing well and it didn't bother me so much this time.

The mandolin player is excellent. He can really smoke on his instrument, can take a solo farther out, he sings good and is to me clearly the class of this operation. I find the guitar player to be very good but not brilliant and the bass player was RIGHT on it, but the banjo player, at least on this night just wasn't keeping up, IMO.

My overall recollections of the music are that the mandolin player is really great, the band was really tight and the songs were surprisingly good; melodic, hard-driving with an edge at times, straight-forward and flowing with changing paces. It didn't make me think of "hippie" music or the often too flowery Hot Buttered Rum songs and singing (I really like HBR but they can be way too soft for me).

As I write this a few days later though, my main and lasting impression of this show is of the electricity in the crowd and the energy in the room. I thought the band was really good but the crowd was LOCKED IN! People were drinking hard and partying harder but there was very little bar-talk/yelling happening; I was amazed at how into the show EVERYONE was.

Again, the floor was full wall-to-bar and all the way back to the doors and EVERYONE was dancing and grooving as one. I love the look of a truly rocking audience from above, where EVERY head is bobbing, the lights are shining and PLUMES of smoke are rising! It's safe to say that the people seemed to be having a good time.

At the end of the show the roar from the crowd was the finest kind; deep, sharp, LOUD and sustained. Maybe it's just me but I really love the roar of a crowd, and this one was GOOD.

I have no knowlege of the songs they played and my musical recollections have no details now, I just remember that at least for me a dreary night turned into a great party and I had the best night of my vacation!

There was a lot of good stuff going on in the City this past week, so maybe all that vibe was building up, or maybe I just imagined that it was jumping at the 'Moe on Saturday night, either way I had fun! (Even the ratty hippy who at one point was lashing me with her dreads didn't bother me, MUCH)

I'm interested in hearing other opinions on this show..... was anyone else there?

..>>..(Even the ratty hippy who at one point was lashing me with her dreads didn't bother me, MUCH)..<<..

Too bad the Asian chick from Phil show at Warfield wasn't there to punch her out..

Awesone review Lance..

Did I meet you at a show this weekend..??..

Set I: Idaho, Keep on Going> 2 Hits and The Joint Turned Brown> Keep on Going, Damned If The Right One Didn't Go Wrong, Rain Still Falls, Crooked Hitch, Going Cross The Sea, Sometimes I've Won> Classic Situation, Boatman> King Ebenezer Rap> Mother's Only Son
Set II: Kentucky Mandolin, Too Late Now, New Deal Train, Spanish Harlem Incident, Just The Same, How 'Bout You?, If There's Still Ramblin' in the Rambler (let him go)> Up On The Hill Where They Do The Boogie> If There's Still Ramblin' in the Rambler (let him go), Finally Saw The Light, Ten> Angel> Follow Me Down To The Riverside> Angel> Ten
Encore: Sharecropper's Son, Steam Powered Aereoplane, Granny Woncha Smoke Some


I love Yonder, even after a full dance card the past two weeks and not sleeping the night before I was completely ready for this show. One of the things I enjoy about this band is how equal they all are, There isn't one person who contributes more than another. We all appreciate them differently though, I'm not particularly impressed with Jeff's mandolin playing, for me, it's more about his intensity, his penetrating stare, his animal magnetism. Being on the rail and making eye contact with him...WOW! Just thinking about it sends chills down my spine.

I was inside right at 9 when the band promptly started. Punctuality turns me on! It seems no one else was expecting it...the place was probably a third full, I waltzed right up to the rail!

Keep on Going>2 hits>Keep on Going was awesome! Really let us know right from the beginning it was ON! Just to make sure, they followed it up with Damned if the right one didn't go wrong!

The whole first set...LOVE LOVE LOVED IT! Boatman, Mothers Only Son, Sometimes I've won, King Ebenezer...all great stuff. I couldn't have picked a better set myself, unless maybe it had more Hartford stuff. Oh wait! There's a still a second set

The John Hartford stuff is a personal fav for me, Up on the Hill, Aereoplane, 2 Hits, Granny Woncha Smoke Some...I think this is the most Hartford I've seen in one show, I'll always take more though!

Ramblin is another fav, normally a ramblin>boogie>ramblin sammy would be the high point of a show but with so much great stuff, it's impossible to pick just one high light!

I've heard reports of insane crowding, a friend of mine bailed on me, or so I thought. Turns out he was at the show but it was just too crowded and he couldn't find me/didn't even try. It certainly was a packed house, but in the back where I was, there was plenty of room and a few more people definitely could have squeezed in...seems the masses in the door scared people away though. I didn't have any problem moving around though, for the most part, you say excuse me to the crowd and it parts for you

The roar of the crowd was deafening!! It's been over 2 years since the band played here, we've gotta let them know they need to come back more! My favorite crowd roar was the one in response to Jeff saying 'isn't it great that leftover salmon is playing this summer!' oh hell yes!!

I've never seen a yonder show that I didn't absolutely love, so maybe I'm not a fair judge, but it's safe to say, this show gets the Emily seal of approval.

>>>his penetrating stare, his animal magnetism. Being on the rail and making eye contact with him...WOW! Just thinking about it sends chills down my spine.<<<

As I was watching I was thinking that this guy (Jeff) is a rock star, so I guess Emily & I see the same thing in him, although something tells me Emily's reasoning might be a BIT different than mine!

>>>Did I meet you at a show this weekend..??..<<<

I dont think so G.Dad, unless you're a blond guy who was asking about the difference between the Fillmore & the Fillmore West..... and got a 10 minute lecture!

The show started for me while I was out front helping a friend try to score a ticket, so I missed the first two or three songs. But I was in early enough to get to my spot in front of the soundboard & settle in with little problems.

WOW, I had a really great time at the show. Emily turned me onto the Mando player before the show, so I was paying attention to him. Yep -- rock star. And the bass player was solid! "Bluegrass" bands with a solid bass player make all the difference!

In fact, every person on stage was as solid as a rock.

But I'm with y'all, and even discussed it at set break that I really wish they had a fiddle player. I would love to catch one of those Darol Anger shows. Is that who played with them in the PacNW leg of this tour?

Afterwards, I made way to the New Mastersounds show at 12 Galaxies and got there just in time for set break. It was LATE by then, and I was dragging. I still made it 'till around 3:00, but I sure was tired!!

I was at the 4-20 Yonder show in Eureka at the Arkley Center, a newly refurbished theater with a large elevated stage, an unbelievable sound system, crystal-clear acoustics, a super-high ceiling with chandeliers, and comfy seating (seats were handy ONLY during pre-show and intermission -- there was NO sitting down DURING the show, believe me!!). A capacity crowd of about 700-800 witnessed a high-energy show that sizzled from the outset. This was only the second time I'd seen Yonder, so I'm not that familiar with their tunes, but I did recognize two songs -- It Takes Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train To Cry (1st set) and They Love Each Other (2nd set). Excellent versions of both, I might add.

A lot of the comments posted here about the 4-21 Fillmore show also apply to the Eureka show. The mando player and the guitar player are superb musicians, period. The bass and banjo were OK, but what really struck me was the way all 4 members played TOGETHER, listening intently to each other and constantly pushing the envelope as a single musical organism. The crowd was totally appreciative and dialed in all the way.

For the encore, they did a very cool thing. Recognizing the excellent acoustics of the old-style theater, the band came to the front of the stage and played/sang the tune totally acoustic, with no amplification whatsoever. Amazingly, the crowd remained almost completely silent during the whole song, even though you could tell that everyone was just BURSTING to let out a whoop and a holler. When the song ended, the collective roar was deafening and spine-tingling. Very very cool. It's a show I'll not soon forget.

I'll definitely go see Yonder every time they visit the Emerald Triangle. If they come to your city or region, by all means GO SEE THIS BAND -- you won't regret it.

>>>I would love to catch one of those Darol Anger shows.


I note that Anger is playing Northwest String Summit, which also features 3 nights of ymsb, so look for extensive sit-ins. I'll be there, hooray.


A word on the "wholeness" factor and the bass player....saw them once when bass guy was on leave for a death in the family. Playing bass that night was Brynn Bright who played with Rowan for years and is no hack. In fact, she's probably more accomplished than the yonder guy. But it lacked an oomph that you usually have with yonder, probably the most lackluster show by them I ever saw. Interesting.

>>>For the encore, they did a very cool thing. Recognizing the excellent acoustics of the old-style theater, the band came to the front of the stage and played/sang the tune totally acoustic, with no amplification whatsoever. Amazingly, the crowd remained almost completely silent during the whole song, even though you could tell that everyone was just BURSTING to let out a whoop and a holler. When the song ended, the collective roar was deafening and spine-tingling. Very very cool. It's a show I'll not soon forget.


That is so great to read, gives me chills! They did the exact same thing at a show here several years ago now at Mr. Smalls which is an old church revamped into a venue. Exact same thing there, the crowd was so quiet the only other noise heard for those three songs was the old wood floor creaking. Nice review Lance and everybody else!

It's so odd to read that the crowd is so into the band and understands enough to shut up at the right time but then at times the band has left the stage and stopped the show because of stuff being thrown at them. It's like two totally different sets of people?

I'm glad that Nor-Cal is representing with good manners!

Darol Anger is the man! I was at the Portland show the week before and he sat in, a lot of the fillmore show was repeats from that show, it was cool to get one with and one without. I absolutely love the fiddle when it's there, although when it isn't I don't find myself craving it.

For the encore, they did a very cool thing. Recognizing the excellent acoustics of the old-style theater, the band came to the front of the stage and played/sang the tune totally acoustic, with no amplification whatsoever. Amazingly, the crowd remained almost completely silent during the whole song, even though you could tell that everyone was just BURSTING to let out a whoop and a holler. When the song ended, the collective roar was deafening and spine-tingling. Very very cool. It's a show I'll not soon forget.

The Yonder lads like to do that at small theatre shows, as they've done that several times at places like the Sheridan Opera House in Telluride.

If anything, I find Yonder's strength to be the way they project as a unit, allowing the personalities of each musician to connect with the audience as much as the music they play. Not to mention vocal harmonies that really are derived from rock & roll than bluegrass (particularly, Jeff Austin's).

Youder is one of the best bands on the road nowadays.


They own Columbus, OH everytime they play here.


Glad to see it goes well for em elsewhere.