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Legends to Host Yonder Mtn String Band’s Progressive Renegade Bluegrass on Oct. 9

Attention all string band enthusiasts and beat-bopping deadheads alike– Yonder Mountain String Band performs at Legends on Sunday, Oct. 9. Toting their strings all the way from their rockies to our smokies, Yonder Mountain String Band is sure to entrance Boonies with their progressive bluegrass jams. Yonder Mountain is known for their songwriting as well as their fast and loud approach to the string band set up.

©Jay Blakesberg
©Jay Blakesberg

The newgrass wave of the 1970s, largely credited to Sam Bush, heavily influenced the acoustic scene throughout the country, sort of changing the rules of what traditional instruments could be accepted for doing. The newgrass wave, which blends a love of rock and traditional music, resonated well with the jam band culture of Colorado, where Yonder Mountain and similar acts began in the ’80s and ’90s. Forming in 1998 in Nederland Colorado, Yonder Mountain has gained notoriety for their genre bending approach which fuses elements of bluegrass, rock, progressive, and improvisational music.

Yonder Mountain is the perfect band for Boone’s tastes.

Boonies, who famously dance to just about anything, will absolutely love getting down to the fast paced genre blending extended jams that Yonder Mountain cranks out.

Several student bands around town, currently and in recent years, have successfuly adopted genre bending acoustic styles, including Dr. Bacon and Bootstrap Slick. Students who enjoy these acts will certainly enjoy Yonder Mountain.

Its nearly imposible to walk down King street on a busy day without encountering a Grateful Dead T-shirt or the sounds of string music. This is a town that will love the Yonder Mountain String Band for their lively acoustic jams.

“They’ll put on an awesome show,” says recent Appalachian State graduate, Logan Hall, who just saw the group at Red Rocks in his new home of Colorado. “It was jamgrass with good songwriting. At the end of the set they got really trippy. Also they have a hellacious mandolin player with a manbun.”

Nothing could be more appealing to Boone’s music enthusiasts than trippy jamgrass and manbuns.

Having just finished a busy summer, appearing in a number of premier music festivals around the country, Yonder Mountain sets off on their ambitious fall tour on Oct. 5. Their stop at Legends will be the 5th date of their 28 date tour around the east coast, the midwest and Mexico. The band will play a free show in Charlotte at the White Water Center the night before their trip to Boone.

The tour is in support of the band’s last album, Blacksheep, which came out in 2015. The group is slated to release a new full length studio album in early 2017 called The Show.

Since its beginnings in Colorado, the band has gained national fame and critical aclaim for its reinturpretation of string music. The group’s past 5 albums have broken into the top 5 on the bluegrass chart, three of which enjoyed time as number 1. Their albums also regularly make the country chart as well. The group’s steady success is no coincidence as they repeatedly wow audiences with the clever production of their studio albums as well as the exciting jams of their live show.

Boone residents should not miss this chance to catch this nationally renowned after act as they pass through town on their long tour. Tickets are $20 for students in advance and $25 for students and non-students at the door. The doors open at 8 p.m. and the show starts at 9 p.m. with opening act Billy Strings. Don’t miss out.