It has been a euphoric seven days. Love is a drug. I tell ya, I never thought about engagement and marriage too much, especially after thirty-three years of truly living life up. However, I must admit that I was so pleasantly surprised and swooned that I have had quite the LOVE BUZZ.
I am so very glad the sun has returned to the cloudy cold or dank North West because this past winter was very hard and trying on my spirit. Therefore, winter became hard on my mind, and the cold has been drenching my soul for too long. Ironically, I do not think I have been alone with this sagging weight of a feeling. Hence, I've seen a real coming together of spirits this week in a big way.
After our engagement at the beautiful Crescent City beach, we arrived in the big city of San Francisco to enjoy some live bluegrass-nugrass. Two,back to back, nights of Yonder Mountain String Band with special guest Darryl Anger on the fiddle.
I can honestly say that the first night of sound I may have been pretty non attentive. LOL. After a long drive, fully-loaded with excitement, and a small picnic meal that was strewn out throughout the ride... we arrived at the Fillmore venue for our first time and together. We were late, & arrived during a song called MOSSY COW. It was the third song in, but I certainly wasn't able to find that out there and then. It was like pulling teeth to get a opening setlist from the two fellas behind us. It was crowded venue, but we just slid up on the one side (Ben Side) with our two drinks and near empty stomachs and thus the party began.
04/10/09 The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
Darol Anger on fiddle for entire show
Set I: Damned If The Right One Didn't Go Wrong, Let Me Fall, Mossy Cow, Eli Renfro, Whitehouse Blues, River, New Horizons> Deep Pockets, Ain't No Way of Knowing, No Expectations> Little Rabbit> Free To Run
Set II: Snow on the Pines> Years With Rose> Snow on the Pines> The Bolton Stretch, The Ewie Wi' The Crookit Horn, Steam Powered Aereoplane, Long Gone> Traffic Jam> Elzic's Farewell> Girlfriend Is Better> Traffic Jam
Encore: Hill Country Girl, Good Hearted Woman
The Traffic Jam sandwich at the end of the second set was definitely my highlight, and of course the encore just feels like a two song serenade to my soul. LOL. I am such a country girl at heart and forever!
However, I must admit that when I awoke the next morning in my Krypton Hotel bed, I was wondering where I was and how I got there... and the only memory that was resonating with me from the show the night before, at that time, was mandolin player Jeff Austin coming on stage and thanking the audience for being so attentive. !!! hmmm. I've never felt so non attentive, yet on air, like that before at a YMSB show. LOL.
Cheers!
Saturday was another sunny day and in the city of San Fran it was important to walk on the one side of the street that had sun or you were gonna need a jacket from the chilly shade. Gigantic heart sculptures were in the square, with the flowering trees and green grass adorned with people. It was a pleasing four or five block trot to our appointment with Brilliant Earth, and the choosing of my conflict-free diamond.
ewww. hahahaha. I never thought I'd see a time that four perfect no-blood-shed cushion shaped stones would sit before me to have my choice. LOL. What a trip! I enjoyed the experience thoroughly, I can be pretty indecisive at times, but I feel that I genuinely walked away with a stone that spoke to my heart. It shines, and I felt giddy as a school girl as I arrived for a second night of music at the Fillmore. There is a friendly gentleman that greeted us as guests on night one, and when we asked him what it took to get a booth on the balcony he gave us kindly advice. Is were wise and we run up the stairs giggling with assurance that we would have a spot and we did. We thanked the nice man & admired the gigantic Ken Kesey poster that braces the sight of all that run up the carpeted stairwell into the Fillmore.
The last booth available and perhaps the best because we could sit and have full view of all four members of the band. Here they serve food and drinks and I just thought that was dynamite = seat, table, food, drinks and view!!! That's some serious live viewing pleasure.
The sound songs,and banter of the evening was scrumptous to my ears. First Set really took off w/ the New song first time played, POCKETS. This is the point in the set and imho the Spring tour where Adam begins to break new mold again as a guitar picker and player. The guitar in this song really gets this show running wild. Wildewood drive> Lord Only Knows (Part One)> All Your Dreams was also very new to me, and when that happens it is a real LIVE listening treat for sure. NO DOUBT! It may have just been my perception at the time, but I certainly felt like the boys of YMSB really needed to shake some of the cold off their shoes, just the same as Brian and I did. Each of us, meaning Brian and I, had lost a grandfather this winter and we know it will be a tough year ahead remembering these lost love ones'. In my life, it it important I mention this, the country music and bluegrass has always been a pathway to healing for me. So Hee HAW ! Let the shit kicking begin! After all, I got another show in my hometown still coming! Let's open the circle right here 2nd night of the Fillmore, I say!
A rip-roarin' nugrassin' Cover of the Beatles came next in the first set and ending On the Run> Crow Black Chicken> On the Run closed it out! Woo Hot ! Crow Black Chicken for me in that sandwich.
During the set break Brian and I made friends with a couple from San Fran that had joined us at the start of the show. I explained to them that I was trying to be attentive for tonight's show, and why. I certainly did not want to seem rude to anyone seeking a great view of the band. I just did not want to miss a note.
It was a friendly scene in the Fillmore venue during set break. Good Ol' California State!
Next came my favorite part of the show! Set opener:
Whipping Post> Keep on Going> Out Of The Blue> Sisters and Brothers1> Keep on Going,
This was just so incredibly tight and loose at the same time. This is what I love about YMSB and jam music. This sort of thing is like being a part of some magic spell or potion. Again, it's could just be my perception, but SISTERS AND BROTHERS was played for the first time and it was imho that it was completely off the cuff too. It turned into a grand sing-a-long for me and many. The banter from Jeff also suggests to me that all my perceptions of the show are dead on, and I am ready more!
Another highlight from the second set wasn't just that Jeff Austin teases a riff of The Phish song SANITY at the 3:57 mark of MUST'VE HAD YOUR REASONS essentially meaning it was right before the band played Old Plank Road. This version of OLD PLANK ROAD w/ Anger as a special guest is nothing to sneeze at, but it's the moment when the song is ending that Anger teases the same riff that Jeff did at the start of OLD PLANK ROAD = The Phish's song SANITY!!!
That's right fans, Darryl Anger was teasing The Phish's SANITY right before my very eyes and I was stunned into wondering if he even knew that it was a Phish riff! LOL & WHAT A HOT NIGHT IT CAN BE IF PHISH IS A MENTION, this 2009 COMEBACK YEAR IS IN ALL PHISHY PHAN BLOOD! HAHAHA!
Go Darryl! What and fine musical ear you have sir!
It's always a gas!
The set ends with more flames shooting off of Adam's guitar, Dave's Banjo, and I truly believe Jeff had left us all behind for: Sideshow Blues> I'd Like Off> Ten. hahaha!
I only wish I had a picture of how Jeff and Adam were playing together on this night. It was beautiful to see. I can even remember a beautiful green light showering them and making me smile all the more.
This shows encore is hands down the best YMSB encore I have heard.
04/11/09 The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
Darol Anger on fiddle for entire show
Set I: Casualty, At the End of the Day, Pockets1, Red Rocking Chair, Wildewood drive> Lord Only Knows (Part One)> All Your Dreams, Only A Northern Song, On the Run> Crow Black Chicken> On the Run
Set II: Whipping Post> Keep on Going> Out Of The Blue> Sisters and Brothers1> Keep on Going, Rain Still Falls, Mental Breakdown, Must've Had Your Reasons, Old Plank Road, Too Late Now, Sideshow Blues> I'd Like Off> Ten
Encore: Brown Mountain Light, Sharecropper's Son, Boatman
1 First time played
Link to listen to this show is on archive:
http://www.archive.org/details/ymsb2009-04-11.mc930.flac16
Thank you so much YMSB and Darryl Anger for a fine three song encore and a fabulous weekend to be remembered!
Finishing off my YMSB Spring Tour 2009 was the local Eugene show from last night at the McDonald theater.
It's been a Friday to Friday Celebration of love and devotion to not just each other, but YMSB! WOO HOO!
I've got a crazy idea of having them one day play at a wedding for US! LOL... notably impossible.
So once again, with the help of a good friend, we were able to get our favorite seats in the McDonald Venue. Which is once again on the rail of a balcony and the fist pumping from the Fillmore booth can thrust forth and forward now in my hometown !!
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