The Infamous Stringdusters and Yonder Mountain String Band completed a run of four co-bills in the Pacific Northwest on Sunday. The jaunt began on Thursday in Ashland and continued with stops in Portland on Friday, Seattle on Saturday and Eugene last night. Saturday’s concert at The Showbox in Seattle came to a close with both bands sharing the stage — as they did a number of times during the tour — for a collaborative encore.
YMSB took the stage first with their dynamic new lineup featuring multi-instrumentalist Nick Piccininni. The quintet mixed originals such as “Another Day,” “Angel” and “40 Miles To Denver” with covers that included Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” Bob Paisley’s “40 Years Of Trouble” and Metallica’s “Fade To Black.” It was then The Infamous Stringdusters turn to impress the Seattle faithful.
The ‘Dusters opened with “Where The Rivers Run Cold” from 2014’s Let It Go and then worked “I’m Head Over Heels In Love” into a “Cluck Ole Hen” featuring teases of Phish’s “Bathtub Gin.” From there, the band offered a cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Scarlet Begonias” and then in typical fashion jammed their own “Planets” into the Dead’s “Reuben & Cerise.” Other highlights included a “Somewhere In Between” into “Rise Sun” sequence and covers of The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” and the bluegrass standard “The Hobo Song.”
Both bands loaded the stage for a wild encore that started with a rendition of the Grateful Dead’s Ron “Pigpen” McKernan/Robert Hunter-penned “Mister Charlie,” which spanned over 10 minutes and included solos from nearly every musician. For the finale, The Infamous Stringdusters and YMSB presented a take on The Rolling Stones’ “No Expectations.” Members of both bands took turns handling lead vocals on a song that was a favorite of the late Jeff Austin and that Yonder shelved following his departure from the group in 2014 until this past August.
Setlists
Yonder Mountain String Band
Set: Sharecropper’s Son, Another Day, Angel, Jolene, Winds Of Wyoming, 40 Miles From Denver, Nowhere Next, 40 Years Of Trouble, Around You, Fade To Black
The Infamous Stringdusters
Set: Where The Rivers Run Cold, I’m Head Over Heels In Love > Cluck Ole Hen, Scarlet Begonias, Planets > Reuben & Cerise jam > Sentenced To Life With The Blues, Cloud Valley, Just Like Heaven, Somewhere In Between > Rise Sun, Wake The Dead, No More To Leave You Behind, Hobo Song > I Run To You
Encore: Mister Charlie*, No Expectations*
* w/all members of Yonder Mountain String Band
