Yonder Mountain String Band | The Plaza Live, Orlando FL | February 8, 2017

Yonder Mountain String Band Live Review, Photos & Video w/ G. Love & Special Sauce | The Plaza Live, Orlando, FL | February 8, 2017

by Richie Williams • February 10, 2017

Yonder Mountain String Band had a great 2016 Fall Tour and celebrated celebrated New Year’s Eve at the Boulder Theater in Colorado. Now it’s time to set their sights on 2017. They are hitting the road to seek out the mild climates and their kinfolk of the Midwest and Southeast! They will team up with G. Love & Special Sauce for a 1/2 dozen co-bill dates down south. Bluegrass and blues! There are special meet & greet packages available with a pre-show soundcheck hangout, plus a photo opportunity with the band, a limited edition signed poster, along with early entry to the show and VIP seating (varies between venues).

CHECK OUT MY REVIEW, PHOTOS & VIDEO OF YMSB LAST YEAR IN ORLANDO WITH KELLER WILLIAMS!!!

The tour with G. Love started at our very own The Plaza Live in Orlando, Florida this past Wednesday, February 8. It was a hootennanny of a hoedown, fo sho! Everyone was in good company, and it was a heck of a ride.

G. Love & Special Sauce features Garrett Dutton, better known as G. Love, Jeffrey Clemens on drums, and Jim Prescott on upright bass. They opened the show and played a great set that catered a tad more to the overall vibe, meaning more blues and folk, and a little less reggae dub.

@phillyglove @showsigoto

A video posted by Richie Williams (@thesobergoat) on Feb 9, 2017 at 8:42am PST

Naturally, “My Baby Got Sauce” got everyone’s juices (or sauces) flowing, and a little later in the set he brought out a special guest, B. Lay, who just moved to Cocoa Beach from Los Angeles, for a nice freestyle rap jam of “Cold Beverages,” which was played at the perfect moment as I had just gotten a refill. Check out B. Lay’s newly released album Just Getting Started. Towards the end of the set, G. Love did an acoustic session and brought out one of Orlando’s favorites, the one and only Beebs of BEEB$ and Her Money Makers, for “Sunshine.” Check out Beebs’ new album, Eye Shine, its glimmerin with goodness. The set finished with a dirty cover of “Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?” by the Beatles.

G. Love & Special Sauce | The Plaza Live, Orlando FL | February 8, 2017

G. Love & Special Sauce w/ Beebs | The Plaza Live, Orlando FL | February 8, 2017

Watch the last half of the G. Love set below, thanks to The Sober Goat!

Yonder Mountain String Band features Adam Aijala (guitar, vocals), Dave Johnston (banjo, vocals), Ben Kaufmann (bass, vocals), Allie Kral (violin, vocals), and Jacob Jolliff (mandolin, vocals). It’s been almost three years since Jeff Austin (mandolin) left the band due to “creative differences and conflicting career goals” back in April 2014, After touring with the band since Austin’s departure, Allie and Jacob became official members in May 2015. The loss of one main member hurts, but the addition of two top pickers to help shape their evolving sound brings intriguing opportunities to the table and sets YMSB on its new path. Their album Black Sheep (the first YMSB release produced by the band itself) begins a new era, boldly stating passionately to their fans to get up on their feet and dance like no one is watching while also embracing the moment. Some fans aren’t as passionate as they were now that Jeff is gone, but some changes are necessary and healthy in order to keep the music alive and well.

Yonder Mountain String Band | The Plaza Live, Orlando FL | February 8, 2017

The top three highlights for me were: 1) G. Love sitting in on one of my favorites, “Criminal,” and adding his bluesy harmonica to the grassy stringiness; 2) The cheery, mellow, dreamy reminiscent sounds of “Remind Me” (Röyksopp cover); and 3) the ultimate crwod pleaser “Shakedown Street” (Grateful Dead cover).

@yondermountain #shakedownstreet @showsigoto

A video posted by Richie Williams (@thesobergoat) on Feb 9, 2017 at 6:43am PST

The band said they would play until they got kicked off the stage, meaning they would rage all night if they could. Unfortunately at The Plaza, the band was up against a “hard curfew, which is not nearly as sexy as it sounds. We’re gonna pretend to leave the stage and come back on, and here’s our encore, Spanish Harlem Incident… by Bob Dylan!”

Yonder Mountain String Band | The Plaza Live, Orlando FL | February 8, 2017

Yonder Mountain String Band w/ G. Love | The Plaza Live, Orlando FL | February 8, 2017

Download the official audio HERE.

SETLIST
Only A Northern Song
The End Is Not In Sight
Only A Northern Song
Criminal (w/ G. Love)
Strophe
Isolate
White Freightliner
Looking Back Over My Shoulder
Remind Me
Don’t You Lean On Me
Finally Saw The Light
I’ve Got A Name
Pockets
Winds Of Wyoming
Shakedown Street
Winds Of Wyoming
ENCORE: Spanish Harlem Incident

Watch the YMSB full set below, thanks to The Sober Goat!

Yonder Mountain String Band and G. Love & Special Sauce Live Review, Photos & Video by Richie Williams (The Sober Goat)

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