Saturday morning of Coachella weekend, on a dusty shoulder of I-15, somewhere in Utah “License and registration please. Sir do you have any idea how fast you were going?” “About 80?”, I lie And the hits just keep on comin’. So far, I couldn’t make it to Coachella because of the business trip in Salt Lake City that I am currently speeding to. I had to suck-up the price of two Friday night passes. My only consolation is the Yonder Mountain String Band show in SLC tonight. Unfortunately, I don’t have tickets yet, and when I checked last night the website said they were sold out. I’m already late for a meeting this afternoon, and now I’ve got to deal with Utah’s finest. It was shaping up to be one of those days
Several hours and an $82 ticket later, I finally made my way from my hotel to the downtown venue, Port O’ Call. I had been to the Port O’Call six months earlier, for a night out with the boys. With a steady thump of hip-hop and a well dressed frat crowd, this combination, sportsbar/danceclub hardly struck me as the ideal bluegrass venue. To my relief, there were a few tickets left so I got in after also paying the $5 private club membership, which is customary at many SLC drinking establishments. The band sound-checked upstairs while I enjoyed a cheeseburger downstairs and planned my approach for a photo pass. I finished my burger, downed my pint, and walked upstairs to the sound-check, where I was greeted by Ryan McEuen the president of Incandescent Entertainment Concerts. He enthusiastically hooked me up with a photo pass, and after just a few minutes of conversation it became clear that if anyone could organize and promote a kickass bluegrass show at the Port O’ Call it was Ryan and the crew from IE Concerts. These guys were totally stoked about getting cool music to the masses. Of note, they are the force behind the third annual Desert Rocks Music Festival in Moab, Utah over Memorial Day weekend. With bands like Delta Nove,
Kan’nal, and Blue Turtle Seduction, it’s bound to be a blast.
So what about the band you ask? As always, YMSB was great. The crowd was totally into the show. Yonder played two full sets of their hip but refreshingly old school bluegrass music, and to be honest, I don’t know what else there is to say. If you are into really good music, and you haven’t heard these guys yet, then your missin’ out, logon to www.archive.org and download a show or two. Cheers to IE Concerts and YMSB for turning my shitty day into a great night
