Yonder Returns to TLA for Another Sellout!
Yonder Mountain String Band’s Bluegrass Magic
Words by Candice Jeffries | Photos by Steven Philips
From a spicy lass dressed up as bottle of Siracha (who was dancing with a caveman!), to an Indian chief, plenty of wig action, and a whole bunch of people dressed up like lumberjacks and hippies, our favorite South Street venue was hoppin’, literally. On Friday, the 26th of October, the Theater of Living Arts got stomped, bounced on, and stomped some more as an eager crowd of Philadelphians got their pre-Halloween bluegrass boogie on with Yonder Mountain String Band and Brown Bird.
Opener Brown Bird warmed us up. All of us lucky enough to make it out in time to catch them were pleased. The duo stunned us with their ability to seamlessly roll between genres — from a slow quiet song to a dark gypsy roar to something bright, with undertones of bluegrass.
As Yonder took the stage, we were shoulder to shoulder with each other, the sold out room brimming with excitement, ready to get our feet a-stompin! The beginning chords of “Night Brings” erupted the crowd into full dance mode and there we stayed all the way through to the “Angel” closer ( with a special shout out to that “Althea” thrown in the mix for all of us still glowing from JGB’s two night run.) As the music played, the bluegrass magic swirled.
All of us fans of bluegrass know about the bluegrass magic. The magic allows you to stomp, bounce, twist and twirl for impossibly long periods of time in impossibly crowded seas of people, next to very sweaty strangers who just can’t stop smiling at each other because the music is just so rad.
Bluegrass magic is exactly what went down. Yonder brought the magic.
