Yonder Mountain - Interview/article on Jambase

This article has some whoppers in it - no love lost between these boys and those in the “industry”.

http://www.jambase.com/Articles/13702/YMSB-A-Decade-of-Blind-Faith

Here are the first couple of paragraphs:

In the warm, dusty light of the Stubb’s BBQ dressing room, Ben Kaufmann (bass, vocals) is perched cross-legged on a rickety-looking chair, recounting the tale of the one and only time Yonder Mountain String Band played the International Bluegrass Music Awards. It was about five years into their career and Kaufmann says, “Pete Wernick [Hot Rize] was the president of the IBMA’s at that time. He announced us to the crowd, and I can’t remember exactly what he said. It wasn’t even like a statement of pride or even, ‘Look at this young Colorado band I know.’ He just referenced the ticket sales and the audiences we were playing to, how we went from playing small bars to The Fillmore Auditorium in Denver. He said, ‘Maybe you guys don’t want to admit it,’ speaking to all the conservatives and straights out there, ‘but this the fastest growing bluegrass band that’s ever been.’”

“We’re standing on stage like, ‘Huh?’ And then the exodus began. We started playing and that fucking audience stood up and walked out. We played to maybe 50 to 100 people at the end in a 3000 seat ballroom,” chimes in Jeff Austin (mandolin, vocals) from behind his massive prescription sunglasses.

“One of the great banjo players of all time, in one of the most revolutionary bluegrass bands of all time, dropping something like that right before we got to play and that [happens],” Kaufmann continues. “I remember there was a moment that changed my understanding of what it was that we were doing without knowing it, what we could do. I realized at that point that there’s not really a limit.”

Great article - Thanks for the linky, Billy.

I really liked the part about how they ignore the establishment-driven, “Nashville slick” sound and just try to be themselves. “The international language of fun” indeed. Kinda like a certain bluegrass festival I’m familiar with.
Bevin

I thought it was a very well written article. The boys are loving where they’ve come to and it sounds like they have a TON of drive left in them to ‘keep on goin’’. They have to be stoked on the conference center selling out in record time! Plus the Sheridan Opera House is always such a great time i cannot wait!! :headphones