Kinfolk

To many, “kinfolk” is a forgotten term. Lost to the southerners and mountain men that turn the phrase to describe their friends and family. Strange language is not the only thing that these fine people have gifted us with that most have cast aside. I am talking about bluegrass music, particularly a group of young men who make up the bluegrass quartet Yonder Mountain String Band. Bluegrass, as I understand, does not suit everyone's taste, but I did not really realize that I even had a passion for these "hillbilly" rhythms until I gave it a chance. Although this may sound strange, I cannot think of many occasions where I have had more fun than the times everyone decided to lose the shoes, go to a Yonder Mountain String Band show, and have ourselves a good ole fashioned ho down. There are loads of bluegrass bands that do not play at the same caliber as Yonder, and it is due to this that the wonderful genre of bluegrass goes so unappreciated in our day and age. There is a fine line between bluegrass and country, and it is the country bands who call themselves bluegrass that gives bluegrass a bad name. Yonder, on the other hand, appeals more to my generation of bluegrass fans. The quartet keeps its roots, but feels free to experiment more with lyrics, melodies, and improvisation. Bluegrass is definitely greatly unappreciated in so many different ways. Yonder, for example, has four people on string instruments with no percussionist. Any musician knows that this makes keeping tempo very difficult. This problem coupled with the finger blistering speeds at which each musician plucks away at his string instrument makes for complicated compositions. Almost all styles of bluegrass share the common theme of creating upbeat music. When listening to bluegrass, it almost feels like your brain is in a race with the musicians. They move so quickly that without listening carefully, we completely lose the rhythm, and have to jump back into the race again at the next beat. My personal experiences with Yonder Mountain String Band have all been wonderful. I have gone to over eight Yonder concerts, and enjoyed every consecutive show more than the previous one. One of the unique things about Yonder Mountain String Band is the way they interact with the crowd. Often times, they joke and interact with the audience during bridges of songs which makes the show more fun for both the performer and the listener. I commented earlier about a “ho down”, and I meant it quite literally. You actually will see people linking arms, spinning in circles, releasing, reattaching to another person, and all the while flailing their legs wildly. It is a sight to see, but it is even more fun to take place in the shenanigans. Although it may make you feel a little bit out of place to listen to bluegrass, or to attend events like these, it really is all in good fun. It is at events with the Yonder Mountain String Band that it is okay to be a goof, and I will tell you firsthand, it is a blast.