The idea of kinfolk has always been a vital part of the ethos behind Yonder Mountain String Band, even down to the way the jam grass stalwarts curate their own music festival. On July 13-16 the band played host to the 16th edition of their Northwest String Summit Festival in North Plains, OR just outside Portland. Held on the bucolic property known as Horning’s Hideout, String Summit embodies the kinfolk theme in music and spirit. Though the festival is technically thrown by Yonder Mountain, the band doesn’t make the event all about themselves. Their sets throughout the weekend were certainly a focal point of the schedule, but it was clear that the audience was there to embrace all of the other acts with equal enthusiasm.
Walking the idyllic grounds of Horning’s Hideout on Friday, there was a sense of familiarity in the air. You may not have known a single soul, but the crowd felt like family in a strange way. This vibe would be translated onstage all weekend as members of bands jumped in to play with other ones for what felt like nearly every set. At the Furthur Bus, local favorites Left Coast Country delighted passerby with a set of rowdy rambling country-grass. Over at the Kinfolk Tent, Cosmic Twang found Ross James, Scott Law and co. welcoming fiddler Darol Anger for a set of twangy psychedelic jams that got the dance party started early. Festival favorites Elephant Revival would welcomed members of Fruition and the Shook Twins to join them in a group hoot along with an audience seemingly in love with their heady style of emotionally powerful folk music. A small group of people drifted over to the Cascadia Stage where Charlie Parr was holding court in what felt like a living room show. Parr’s solo set of acoustic blues and lonesome folk – along with some mean slide guitar playing – felt properly suited for the intimate setting.
Back at the main stage, Greensky Bluegrass returned for a monster set that was eagerly anticipated by everyone at the fest. Featuring Johnny Grubb sitting in on bass, the band tore though song after song, balancing well-written tunes and singing with tight improvised jams. Playing new and old songs alongside covers by the likes of Pink Floyd, Greensky threw down one of the most raucous sets of the weekend and whipped the audience into an all-out dance party. For their first set of the night Yonder Mountain would welcome a slew of special guests to jam with them, including mandolin virtuoso Sierra Hull, fiddler Darol Anger, and dobro player Anders Beck, who was escorted to the stage by police for some reason. The first set was energetic and saw everyone tossing solos back and forth and having a thoroughly good time playing bluegrass. When the band returned for a second set they were clearly loosened up as they jumped right into a lengthy “Traffic Jam”. While that song was definitely a highlight of the night, it was a hoot seeing Anders Beck strap on a bass and the crowd embraced mandolin player Jake Jolliff singing the soft rock classic “Dancing in the Moonlight”, an appropriate song to sing under the stars in the Oregon woods.
On Saturday campers were greeted by gorgeous weather, made better by the relaxing tunes of Chatham County Line. Dressed in sharp attire and with a white mike stand advertising their name, the band brought to mind the Grand Ole Opry. Their sound was less traditional than their look with its intriguing hybrid of Americana and bluegrass, and the group showed off their vocal harmonies by covering the Louvin Brothers. One of the only rock and roll bands to grace the festival all weekend was local favorites Blitzen Trapper. The group brought a welcome dose of electricity to the main stage with a tight set of career-spanning material, including longtime favorites like “Furr” and “Fletcher”. It was refreshing to take a bluegrass break and soak up some electric guitar shredding.
The Del McCoury Band drew one of the biggest crowds of the weekend, and it was impossible not to smile as Del and his band unleashed chuckles, good cheer and some prime picking. As Del joked, the band played more songs about murder than love, but that kept the audience dancing and kicking up dust throughout the set. JJ Grey & Mofro followed up the McCoury’s with a heaping portion of southern soul music, offering a perfect soundtrack to groove into the night. Front man JJ Grey serenaded with his soulful vocals and backwoods Florida charm while his talented band laid into bluesy, funky jams.
Last year at String Summit Yonder Mountain took on Pink Floyd’s Animals and this year they decided to offer up another dose of bluegrassified Floyd by covering the band’s 1971 album Meddle. To pull off one of the most psychedelic albums of all time, the band enlisted keyboardist Asher Fulero and drummer Jay Elliot. From the lighting to the execution of each song, it’s safe to say the musicians and production crew nailed the album. For much of the set, the members of Yonder switched into full on rock band mode with Ben Kaufmann playing a regular bass guitar and Adam Aijala ditching his acoustic for an electric. Of course, Dave Johnston, Jacob Jolliff, and Allie Kral managed to add subtle bluegrass flourishes throughout the set, which served as a nice reminder that this was still Yonder. By the time the band wrapped up the final notes of the epic tune “Echoes”, there was many a jaw on the ground and it was clear this set was a weekend highlight.
It seemed only right that the Meddle set would be followed by a late night dance party, and that’s exactly what Turkuaz brought. However, even though the band’s colorful and energetic stage presence is undeniable – visually and sonically – their brand of electro-funk is not terribly original in this writer’s opinion. That hardly mattered to the intoxicated crowd simply looking to get their dance on.
Even though the whole weekend was loaded with bluegrass, the music always feels extra sacred on Sunday. This is especially true when the Travelin’ McCourys lead a Gospel Hour. The ace musicians took the stage minus Del and delivered a fine set of hymns, gospel numbers, and spirituals done in bluegrass fashion alongside more lively fare, making for a Sunday afternoon dance party.
Dead Man Winter – the side project of Trampled By Turtles’ Dave Simonett – also proved to be a proper Sunday afternoon act. Compared to TBT, Dead Man Winter finds Simonett and his band dabbling in a sound that falls in a vein of alt-country, folk rock, and Americana. The band charmed with songs off the recently released album Furnace while working in a TBT tune or two and two impressive covers with Bob Dylan’s “Shelter From The Storm” and Neil Young’s “One of These Days”.
By the end of the weekend it was hard not to feel enchanted by the serene Oregon woods and the welcoming vibe of String Summit. The 16th edition of this little festival once again left its attendees eagerly anticipating another year when they can gather, treat each other like family, soak up great tunes, and dance away the troubles of life.
All photos by Greg Homolka.
One Response
Great photos