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On the surface, Yonder Mountain String Band is nothing more than a four-piece acoustic bluegrass band. But thanks to the band's unique circle of friends, Yonder is much more than what you would find at your local folk festival.
The band, which plays the 9:30 Club in Washington tomorrow, recently invited ex-Phish drummer Jon Fishman to play drums for a series of shows on Yonder's tour. In the past, Yonder has also welcomed guitarist Warren Haynes, Keller Williams and members of The String Cheese Incident onstage.
"It is a branch of the whole music scene that really seems the most open to that communal cross-pollination thing," Yonder's mandolinist Jeff Austin said of the jam band scene. "I have friends who play in every type of group, and everyone talks about how much of a community this whole scene is. For us, we have nothing to gain from saying this is our show; we're going to stick to it. There's so many people who we have so much to learn from - why shut yourself off from them?"
Although Yonder's sound was once acoustic bluegrass-heavy with banjo, stand-up bass, acoustic guitar and Austin's mandolin, the band has recently ventured into different territory. On Yonder's 2006 self-titled album, the group featured drums and electric guitars and is slowly infusing elements of reggae, jazz and metal into the mix.
"It was something we wanted to do for a long time," Austin said. "That's the music we grew up with. It just seemed like all the instrumentation that occurred was all for a reason."
And as for getting to share the stage with Fishman?
"It was everything I would have expected," Austin said. "The guy's an amazing musician. He showed up incredibly prepared, really committed to the show. ... We made a wish list of drummers to play with, and there were two of them: Ringo Starr and Jon. And Ringo's hard to get in touch with. ... Fishman out of nowhere agreed to play with us."
Yonder also has a relationship with progressive jam rockers Umphrey's McGee, with whom the band first toured during 2005's Big Summer Classic Tour. Austin is specifically close to McGee guitarist/singer Brendan Bayliss - the two have played several shows together as an acoustic duo and plan to release an album "by the end of this year or next January," Austin said.
"We share some personal stuff that kind of happened, really, at the same time, that without him I'm not sure I would have gotten through," Austin added. "That's how our relationship blossomed - dark times. That's how we got close. There's a similar trend: We're [both] trying to push the genres of our genres."
A joint tour between the bands is an idea both are "kicking around," Austin added.
Austin didn't always see himself entering the jam band circle. While in college, he was in a conservatory doing musical theater before he dropped out (one of the best decisions Austin said he has ever made).
"I was glad to be there, but I understood what it was to be in a conservatory - you were not your own person," Austin said. "They tell you to cut your hair, you do it. I knew I wanted to do music, and this place made me hate music. ... It wasn't about the person, it was about the university."
It wasn't until after Austin dropped out that he discovered the mandolin, an instrument with which he admits he is still no expert.
"I liked how it sounded," Austin said. "I liked the tonality of the instrument. Something spoke to me. I had owned a guitar but couldn't get around it, couldn't solo on it. With the mandolin, when I got one and picked one up, I said, 'Oh, I liked how it came out.' ... There's just something about it."
Despite Yonder's circle of friends, Austin is most excited about the band's New Year's Eve show at the Fillmore in Denver, as it will feature the band alone - no openers and no special guests, Austin said.
"I have a feeling its going to be one hell of a New Year's," he said. "It's going to be really nice to do the 31st on our own."
Yonder Mountain String Band performs at the 9:30 Club in Washington tomorrow night. Doors open at 8 p.m.; tickets cost $20.
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