love yonder and the dusters, and many bands on this year’s line-up … looking forward to seeing new bands as much as bands we’ve grown to love over the years …
who cares who any given band is “better” than … better at being better ?
we’re lucky we’ll be there for an amazing week of incredible music with great friends
I don’t think I would know about TBF if it wasn’t for Yonder, so in my mind I hope they always play. I noticed that several of my favorite Yonder recordings were from some place called ‘The Sheridan Opera House’ and some other place called ‘The Telluride Conference Center’. Since discovering that these are both part of the same festival it has been a dream of mine to make it out one year. This year I’m finally going to make it! I can definitely understand how Yonder has gotten a little stale for some, as although they clearly love what they do, love their fans and put on a great show for them I do question if maybe they are a little less hungry than they once were. In recent years I feel as though they tend to take less risks with their playing and just concentrate on having fun with the show and the crowd. Personally I still love their shows and have a hell of a good time, and the more relaxed approach to playing seems to help them find a certain groove that can most definitely ‘achieve liftoff’ when the time is right. They’re still my favorite, I love 'em.
As far as the Dusters go, they crush it, no doubt. Wish they would get a new mandolin player though (I am assuming they haven’t?).
We wish! Time is coming for our return…alas, summer school this year is happening and gets in the way :rolleyes 2015 may be the time for us to come back… :cheers
Not sure what to say about ISD vs. YMSB … both are very solid and do their own unique thing well, but I guess both are “hit or miss” for me in terms of really hitting the spot. Then again, I prefer a drummer & electrified instruments in the mix more often than not. Saw Yonder in Boulder on Dec. 30th (day off of the SCI NYE run) and was blown away by their overall sound. Didn’t hurt that Sam & Jerry sat in for most of the show too. Saw ISD last month at the SOH for the first night and thought it was a very solid show & had excellent moments, but I declined on going the second night … not that it wouldn’t have been good/fun, but I may have hit my “frequency tolerance” for them … which is not all that far off from Yonder. Some bands I can see day in day out, others I need time in between. As to whether Yonder should be considered “made” @ TBF, I guess it’s kind of tradition at this point - say what you want one way or the other, but I think they carry that torch well … in the same light as does Sam.
I have to agree with you on this too. Both are tremendous bands, with one being more up and coming, and the other still consistently amazing. I loved the YMSB on the 30th, it is up there with one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. Bands like Yonder and String Cheese are bands I listen to every single day, and will continue to do so; ISD blew me away last year at The Festy and Delfest, but both were not as good as the times I saw YMSB last year. Both will be around a longggg time :thumbsup
Sorry I didn’t see this before the show Rob, we could have had a beer and I would have invited you to my after party, which lasted till Sunday… :wave :cheers
I won’t keep quoting everybody. Everyone makes good points. I do not think Dusters should replace Yonder. I love Yonder and always am blown away at their shows. They are a different kind of band than the Dusters, so we shouldn’t compare. I think we all just really wish Dusters could be a yearly fixture, along with Greensky and Yonder. We understand you have to make room for new acts, but their presence last year was so strong we all expected them back this year. They aren’t at Delfest either, which really sucks. I think they deserve to headline there, at least on the Thursday opener.
Do we really have to CHOOSE between the dusters and Yonder? It’s not like rooting for both the Cubs AND the White Sox…I like BOTH.
The one thing I REALLY like about the Dusters is that they don’t think that every instrumentalist should take a lead part in every song. Most bluegrass bands don’t follow that, thinking that we need to hear a fiddle lead, then a guitar lead, then a mando lead, then a dobro lead…IN EVERY SONG (kinda like the campfire circle songs that go on and on so everyone can play). I think the dusters want us to enjoy the song itself. (Plus they harmonize really well.)
But you can’t beat the energy level of Yonder. If there’s a rock and roll version of bluegrass, them is it!