Yonder Mountain String Band brings 'The Show' to Red Rocks

Yonder Mountain String Band`s gearing up for a busy fall, but the local act wanted to kick off its end-of-year tour with a Colorado-flavored show.

That`s why YMSB invited Leftover Salmon to open its Friday concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

Yonder Mountain String Band -- which also plays the Ogden Theatre in Denver tonight -- is still touring behind its 2009 release, The Show, but you can bet the innovative rock and bluegrass outfit will be showing off new tunes at the outdoor amphitheater.

"We`ve been doing Yonder Mountain for 11 years and it`s the audiences that keep us going," bandleader Jeff Austin said. "They gave us the fuel to keep moving through the long years. We have a loyal fanbase, so we always try to keep things interesting for them.

"We`re always putting new songs in the concert rotation -- and we bring back songs that we might have forgotten."

Yonder Mountain sports a loyal Colorado following, but this group also travels the country to spread its musical vision.

"The best thing about this band

is being able to interact with so many people," Austin said. "I`ve always liked being on the road. I really like traveling the country, seeing all these cool places and playing music for a living."

Road life gives Yonder Mountain the chance to test its eclectic brand of music.

The local band released the radio-friendly The Show last year, but Austin says YMSB`s already on to its next musical phase.

"We try more and more to sound like ourselves, rather than somebody else," Austin said. "We realize that other bands have influenced us, but that`s just inspired us to become more original.

"We`ve been trying to use more effects and we`re trying to find new ways to make new music. We`re always trying to re-invent ourselves and make people dance. If people are moving, then we know we`re doing good."

On the side

Austin pours some of this musical creativity into his varied side projects.

The multitalented performer is part of the new 30db group that features Brendan Bayliss from Umphrey`s McGee, "etown" host Nick Forster and North Mississippi Allstars drummer Cody Dickinson.

The band released its debut CD this spring and played a headlining show at the Fox Theatre.

"I`m always working on stuff for 30db," Austin said. "I seem to be writing a lot of songs lately that don`t fit in with Yonder Mountain. I also have a band with Danny Barnes and Eric Thorin, and we love playing some of that material.

"People were pleasantly surprised by 30db and they enjoyed the shows. We have the desire to do it again, but since we`re all in bands we`re trying to figure out the next time we can do it. We have a lot of material that`s not on the record."

Fall tour

However, Austin`s heart is with the Yonder Mountain String Band. The musician`s now getting ready for his group`s extensive fall tour.

"We`re starting a pretty heaping size tour," Austin said. "We`re going coast to coast and we`re going to open for Widespread Panic in early October.

"We`re also getting ready for our Halloween show in Yosemite at the La Tortugas Festival. And we`re headlining our Yonder Harvest Music Festival in Arkansas. We`re going to do two nights and we`ve got a great lineup."

The Yonder Harvest Music Festival takes place Oct. 15 and 16 in Ozark, Ark. The roots and bluegrass lineup features top-ranking acts Keller Williams, Sam Bush, Railroad Earth and Martin Sexton.

Red Rocks

Yonder Mountain String Band`s kicking off its fall concert schedule with Friday`s Red Rocks show.

"It`s awesome to play Red Rocks," Austin said. "It`s like a dream come true every time we get to do it. Last year, was the first year we really felt we belonged on that stage and felt comfortable.

"We got to settle in and really enjoy last year`s show, so this concert will be great. There`s going to be a great lineup, and we`re going to showcase a nice cross-section of this weird, stylized music we`re involved in."

Austin isn`t sure what his band has planned for 2011, but Yonder Mountain plans to keep it interesting.

"We`re so far removed from our last record. We`re already into the next phase," Austin said. "We don`t know when we`ll make the next record, but we`ve been working on some cool new ways to distribute the music.

"We`re in a huge point of transition. We`re getting ready to have an interesting next few years as a band."