THURSDAY, SEPT. 6. 2001
ENTERTAINMENT
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN - 3B
Bluegrass band plays in Lawrence today
By Brad Weiner Special to the Kansan
The Yonder Mountain String Band returns to Lawrence today and is playing at the Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St.
The band is kicking off the Town by Town tour to promote its sophomore studio effort by the same name. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door. They will also play a free in-store performance at The Love Garden, 936 1/2 Massachusetts St., at 3 p.m.
CONTRIBUTED ART
The Yonder Mountain String Band, a band that plays a type of blue-grass self-dubbed "Jamgrass," is playing at the Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St., tonight. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door.
Through tireless touring and remarkable virtuosity, the young bluegrass wizards have carved a niche in the acoustic music world, which they have dubbed "Jamgrass," taking country music legend Bill Monroe's bluegrass invention to new dynamic and rhythmic heights. The Colorado quartet dances on the fine line between tradition and revolution, and its fans dance right along with it.
In the past year, YMSB has amassed an impressive list of accomplishments, including an onstage appearance with mandolin virtuoso David Grisman, the highly coveted Saturday night closer at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, a slot on the National Public Radio Program E-Town, a sold-out night at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco and the chance to play inside the Grand Ol' Opry.
The year 2000 also marked the band's first stop in Lawrence, where it played what one Jazzhaus bartender called the show of the year.
The album is a well-crafted tapestry about life on the road. The songs are more melancholy and sullen than those on the band's 1999 release Elevation.
and their virtuosic instrumental capabilities. Guitarist Adam Aijala stands out with some of the cleanest flatpicking ever recorded. "The Wildewood Drive," written by Aijala, is one of the best CD cuts.
Town by Town marks an era of a more mature, tighter Yonder Mountain String Band. Three instrumental songs display YSBM's tightly-knit arrangements
Town by Town suffers from the same problem as albums from Phish and Widespread Panic: It is simply impossible to capture the energy of a three-hour concert on a one-hour CD. The live shows are for mixing the colors, choosing the brushes and making mistakes. The studio is where a blank canvas becomes a masterpiece.
But calling Town by Town a masterpiece would be overstated. Although the faults are sparse, there are moments when YMSB fails to reach into the space where only it can make music exist. Austin's vocals come across too strained at times, and "Idaho" would fit better in a tourism board ad. All things considered, the
album does a great job of bringing YMSB's highly-charged music to a more earthy and precise level. Its blissful harmonies are perfect to mend an ailing heart, clear a foggy mind or go on a drive in the rain while singing loudly like an
Appalachian Jerry Maguire.
The Yonder Mountain String Band will continue to impress audiences as the name of their CD suggests: Town by Town.
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