Jeff Austin Band (formerly of Yonder Mountain String Band)

with T Sisters

When
Sat Apr 25, 2015
Where
Great American Music Hall (GAMH)
Time
8pm
Cost
$21 - $45.95
Tags
Music, Folk
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Description

Mandolinist Jeff Austin is unstoppable. He is celebrated for his fleet fingers and penchant for improvisation on stage, but those qualities also speak volumes about how he chooses to live. Austin has cultivated his natural musical abilities and allowed himself to be driven by his boldest instincts. In this way, he has been able to build positive, exciting momentum around his life’s greatest passion.

Austin’s enthusiasm for the vast, vibrant world of music was rooted in him as early as he can remember: "I was always raised very musically. My mom always had music playing; she always sang." It’s no surprise then that Austin himself grew up singing too. From beginning to end of his years in grade school just outside of Chicago, he sang in classes, choirs, and musicals, allowing his musical influences to lead him where they may. "I started listening to Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings," Austin says. "And then the Beatles, that turned into Bob Dylan, and then the Grateful Dead and Phish."

"This is it. This is the band. We’re here and we’re focused," he says with glee. He’s referring to his handpicked ensemble, featuring long-time collaborator Danny Barnes on banjo and guitar, guitarist Ross Martin, bass player Eric Thorin, and Cody Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars on percussion.

The Simple Truth, the group’s 2015 debut solo album and Austin’s first recording for Yep Roc records, is no simple affair. His legions of fans have long known of Austin’s eclectic musical influences. Here, instead of familiar jam band motifs, listeners will find hints of power pop, country ballads, bluegrass and rock. Assisting the band is an array of acclaimed guests including Todd Snider, Jenn Hartswick, Brendan Bayliss of Umphrey’s McGee and Sarah Siskind.

"I love writing a three-minute song with a hook that would grab a five-hundred-pound marlin as much as I like writing something that goes, ‘okay, after the bridge, it’s going to open up and just go wide.’"

Indeed, "wide" is what Jeff Austin is all about. He wants new and different, complex and interesting. He wants everything the music world has to offer, and he’s willing to work hard to get it.

It’s hard not to notice Austin’s enthusiasm for the new project. "As the primary writer and singer, my name may be attached to the thing, but this is everybody’s band," he says. "To see the work these guys are doing on a nightly basis, embedding themselves and the dedication to work, it’s ridiculous. It’s a cool thing to be a part of."

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Location

  1. Great American Music Hall (GAMH)
    859 O'Farrell Street, San Francisco, CA