Yonder Mountain String Band : Tampa Theatre, Tampa FL 2/08/2006

The day after the release of Mountain Tracks Volume 4, the fourth release of their live series from independent label Frog Pad Records (a compilation of previously unreleased recordings from various 2005 shows) that includes a special treat (the DVD –The Europe Bootlegs) Yonder Mountain String Band performed at the historic Tampa Theatre, with opening act Tony Furtado. It was the first of three shared shows between the String Band and the banjo and bottle-neck slide guitarist extraordinaire (and bottle-neck craftsman too).

As the crowd milled about the 1920’s Florida Mediterranean style lobby with its over 245,000 colored floor tiles, Furtado opened solo on the grand old movie palace stage and played mostly darker tunes, echoing the artificial blue ceiling complete with starlight above. Halfway through the set, he segued into “Some of Shelly’s Blues,” the old Nitty Gritty Dirt Band favorite, before the crowd yelled and screamed when Tony asked “wanna hear something fast and crazy?” He launched into “Cypress Grove Blues” (on his guitar which he explained is just like a banjo but made of wood), the Skip James tune, and the last number on Furtado’s live cd, Bare Bones: Live, Solo, Acoustic released not quite a year ago.

After a very short break, Yonder Mountain String Band appeared on the old movie theater stage, replete with gargoyles, statuary and flowers rising into the “sky” reminiscent of a outdoor Mediterranean courtyard. Jeff Austin announced they were happy to be staying in Florida for a couple of days, and they began the evening with “End of the Day,” perhaps a homage to the full, full moon shining outside.

Unlike the last two Tampa Bay area Cabin Fever tour shows, even as the weather dipped to cooler tropical temperatures (about 40 degrees), the boys were “mitten-less” as the theatre’s atmospheric design only implicated the outside inside. After a rambunctious “Forty Miles From Denver,” Dave Johnston decided which sea mammal – “Get Me Out of this City” – should herald dedication, to which Austin replied, “it’s about time you came out of the manatee closet,” and Adam quipped “it’s all manatee all the time.” Before they finished, Ben requested that the audience let them know if their banter gets too “bizaroo.”

Furtado and his “nasty guitar” (and contrast of boots to the boys’ sneaks, especially Jeff’s black/red checkered ones) were welcomed into the fold on “Steep Grade, Sharp Curves” to add instrumental acumen (including banjo expertise) to end the high tempo set with the boys on “Years With Rose” and “On the Run”. To audience yells of “mountain sun,” Adam Aijala’s facial gestures were more apparent than usual given the interplay with Furtado, while the dual guitarists added synchronized foot taps to their coordinated rhythms.

After the shortest set break in the history of YMSB, with Jeff explaining, “we have a lot of music to play and we have to make sure we fit it all in,” the second set reeled off with “Free to Run,” after which Jeff announced “let’s bring our buddy Tony out here with us, there’s no use having him hanging around downstairs in the hallway, let’s make this army strong!” Tony joined the musical ride for the Beatles’ cover of “Come Together” with the audience full and screaming, even from the balcony above, before switching to his banjo to trade licks with Johnston on “Shenandoah Valley Breakdown.” “Steam Powered Aeroplane” followed, the first of the John Hartford tunes of the evening (with Jeff strategically changing the words to “Wednesday night, feeling fine, mighty fine”).

Ben Kaufmann announced the Hot Rize bluegrass cover “Lost John,” explaining that they once lived with the band for a year, before Tony took the first verse on the old standard “Raleigh & Spencer” (after announcing it as a song about eating chicken and dying) with Jeff upping the speed to audience claps and cheers on the follow up lines. Seamlessly integrating Tony into the synergy of the four, although I’ve never liked my Yonder altered, I was a believer, particularly as the second Harford tune, “Up on the Hill Where They Do the Boogie” included one more with Tony sliding away.

With Tony quietly disappearing backstage, Yonder added more jam to their usual mando and string frenzy (which more than one fan calls acid-grass) with Dave sending another tune, “High on a Hilltop” out to the manatees again, before the Talking Head’s song, “Girlfriend is Better.” He dedicated the tune to Louise Scruggs, Earl’s wife who recently died, with Jeff declaring “bluegrass would be nowhere near as popular as it is if not for her, the power behind her man.” The dreamy-like jamminess was evident as they transitioned into Ben’s song “Mother’s Only Son,” a less frequently performed original tune.

Driving it home shortly before 11:00 p.m. down the “Bolton Stretch” with the venue’s early curfew, we opined the night might well be over, but after the enormous accolades from the energetic, almost crazed audience, Yonder returned at 11:09 (on the stage clock to be exact) for one final tune, an encore of Pink Floyd’s “Goodbye Blue Sky,” and with Ben bowing his bass, the beginning of the ending began, with the audience singing along “Goodbye blue sky, goodbye blue sky, goodbye blue sky” as the majestic blue sky and sparkly stars above dimmed and went out, with only the promise of a brave new world left in our minds.

Photos by George Weiss

For more info see: yondermountain.com

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