Yonder Mountain String Band To Conclude Spring/Summer Tour at Red Rocks Amphitheater
On August 20, progressive bluegrass band, Yonder Mountain String Band, will return to Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado, a conclusion to their 2011 spring and summer tour. The band is on a kind of whirlwind tour of the U.S.crisscrossing the country including stops in Seattle at Showbox this Saturday, Arpil 9; then they will move on to McDonald Theater in Eugene, Oregon on Sunday April 10th, with further stops in San Francisco and Sacramento, California ;ater this month. Aong with Red Rocks, the summer will also include festival gigs at Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado in June, the All Good Music Festival in West Virginia in July and the Northwest String Summit in North Plains, Oregon also in July. The remainder of July and most of August will leave the band some much needed rest and time to prepare for their return to the historic Red Rocks Amphitheater which has hosted artists like The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and U2, who recorded their bestselling Under A Blood Red Sky at the venue.
For Yonder Mountain String Band, this marks a triumphant return to the Redrocks after touring in support of their 2009 release, The Show, which has earned a #1 spot on U.S. bluegrass charts, a distinction also made by their previous 2 releases, 2006’s Yonder Mountain String Band and 2008’s Mountain Tracks Vl 5. The progressive and innovative album was also rated by Billboard’s Heatseekers at #19.
Long known as a non-traditional, progressive bluegrass band, YMSB has successfully walked the line between keeping their music fresh and modern while displaying an undying respect for their bluegrass roots. The band’s strengths make them an artistic threat on several fronts including innovative studio recordings, a dynamic breathlessly energetic stage show, skilled instrumentalists, high lonesome harmonies and well-crafted songwriting with tight arrangments and intelligent and imaginative lyrics. They do for progressive bluegrass what bands like U2, REM and Wilco have done in the rock genre. YMSB has also developed an exciting stage show with plenty of space for instrumentation and extended jams, a long-standing tradition in jazz and within the lineage of bands like The Grateful Dead. Like The Dead, they have also established a strong audience connection and following which has tranformed their concerts into cultural events. Their shows become more than music events, best described as an overall celebration of life.
In 2008, they became the first progressive bluegrass band to open for a presidential candidate when they appeared in Denver at the historic nomination of Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention.
But, mostly, this band is all about the music and like other innovative and genre bending artists, they are about the energy, joy and inspiration that comes with a simple open heart and a willingness to explore the core of musical creativity they find, not only in the studio, but also in live performance with their ever growing legion of fans.
To see more show dates and further information about YMSB go to their website at http://www.yondermountain.com/