Horseshoes and Hand Grenades were starting their sound check and made my way back to the green room. I had the pleasure of meeting with banjo player Dave Johnston, and got to know more about Yonder Mountain String Band as well as their association with Summer Camp over years. It was a busy night as I also had the honor of hosting one of the Summer Camp Make A Difference drives.
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Q&A with Dave Johnston of Yonder Mountain String Band
Camp Counselor Bailey: Hello Dave, how are you doing today?
Dave Johnston: I’m really great, how are you?
Bailey: I’m doing wonderful, thanks! So for the SCampers out there that might not know much about the band, can you briefly explain Yonder Mountain String Band?
Dave: Yeah, it’s kind of like a rock n’ roll and bluegrass hybrid, but also like a jam band. We lean towards the jam band side of rock n’ roll, yet we like traditional bluegrass instruments. We like to explore the spaces in between where bluegrass and jam band music kind of…where the rubber meets the road for those two.
Bailey: So this year will mark Yonder Mountain String Band’s 8
th year performing at the festival, is that right?
Dave: Oh is that right? I thought it might have been more, but I am not entirely clear about that…
Bailey: Well we are certainly excited to have you back again! What are some of your fondest memories at the festival from over the years?
Dave: Oh man, there was one time we were playing on the Moonshine stage and it was like 110 degrees out, and I’m from Illinois so it made me kind of nostalgic for hot summers. I think Vince Herman was Easter Bunny outfit or something like that… or maybe a snowman? Some craziness like that and we couldn’t believe what we were seeing! Vince in so much costume…but he did it and it was great.
Bailey: Was there a specific year from Summer Camp so far that has been your favorite?
Dave: You know, I don’t have a specific year that’s really my fave. We played there with Jerry Douglas and John Frazier one year and that was really fun. It is something that I look forward to though, it’s really fun to go to that party.
Bailey: Can you tell me about any new music you are working on, or can we expect to see something new from you guys at Summer Camp this year?
Dave: Well we never really know entirely what we’re going to do every time we play, so it’s always likely that you will see something new. This last year was fun to play, we had a good crowd.
Bailey: I know I’m really excited about your late night set this year…
Dave: Me too!
Bailey: You’ve done it once before…what was your favorite thing about doing the late night last time, and what are you most excited about doing it again?
Dave: It’s one of those things where all day you’re wondering “Am I going to have the energy to do this?” but then when you get there, you suddenly do. That’s always kind of a fun thing to get there and you’re like
holy cow, there’s really more energy going on around you than you had anticipated. So it kind of turns into something that’s really off the hook and fun.
Bailey: Absolutely, I’m definitely looking forward to it! So Allie Kral has been an amazing addition to your band. How have things changed since adding a female dynamic to the group?
Dave: Well there’s more yarn on the bus. And more knitting….hahahaha.
Bailey: That’s great, she’s very crafty! So what is your favorite part of playing music festivals in general?
Dave: There’s a lot of different parts about it that are really cool. It’s fun to play outside, its fun to be out in the elements and its fun to see your friends because you are typically going to run into more and more people in the summer time. I like the longer days and I like the warm weather. Festivals are a really good opportunity to reach people that maybe haven’t seen you perform before or have only heard of you and stuff like that. Festivals have good crowds and overall are pretty fun.
Bailey: So when you’re not performing and you’re wandering around the festival, how do you enjoy spending your time at Summer Camp?
Dave: I like to look for coffee. They have really good coffee there.
Bailey: I was going to ask you if you had a favorite food vendor…
Dave: That would be the coffee….hahaha…I can’t remember the name of it….
Bailey: What would you say is the strangest or funniest thing you’re witnessed at Summer Camp over the years?
Dave: Well Vince Herman in the bunny suit was pretty crazy. It was also probably the first place I saw campsites with lasers…that was pretty badass.
Bailey: What acts on the Summer Camp lineup are you excited to see this year?
Dave: I am so pumped to see Mudcrutch! Also Jason Isbell, I’m excited to see that too. It’s always fun to watch Umphrey’s….but definitely Mudcrutch, for sure!
Bailey: Is there anything about Yonder Mountain String Band you want your Summer Camp fans to know about?
Dave: It’s really fun, man. We have a ton of energy coming off the band right now and everything feels really good. We just keep making stuff and keep jamming and it’s really fresh.
Bailey: Well, Dave I really appreciate you taking the time to chat with me today and I look forward to seeing you again at Summer Camp!
Dave: Yeah thanks for coming, see you soon.
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The Summer Camp
Make A Difference drives are a way for Summer Camp to help Make A Difference within communities all over the country. The festival teams up with bands that perform at the festival throughout the year and selects a non-profit organization to benefit at a concert. These drives are just one of the ways that Summer Camp truly goes above and beyond to make the world a better place.
Live Yes Studios was chosen for this show because their organization promotes art, music, and creativity. Live Yes Studios is located in downtown Lincoln NE, and provides an atmosphere where those with developmental disabilities can express their creativity in a wide variety of ways. From painting and sculpting, to music and performance, and science experiments and gardening, this organization brings a lot of opportunity and greatness to the community. The donation drive collected art supplies to be used in upcoming projects at Live Yes Studios.
“This drive was successful in so many ways!” Tasha Scholz said, case manager at Live Yes Studios. “We left the show smiling ear to ear. We were grateful to share information about Live Yes with more people. On top of that, we received donations from so many beautiful people. Our hearts were filled with so much love.”
“The supplies will help facilitate growth in our artists while participating in various courses taught by our staff artists. A huge thank you to all from Live Yes,” Scholz explained.
On top of everything else, a good friend of Allie Kral’s commissioned me to make a floral arrangement to celebrate his 100
th time seeing her perform! It really was exciting as he and I walked through the crowd with this beautiful arrangement and placed it on stage for her, as she is also one of my favorite musicians. It was really wonderful to see the look on her face when she walked out on stage and saw the surprise!
I spent the remainder of the evening running the Make A Difference drive, taking photos, dancing, and chatting with friends. I even had an impromptu interview session with some of the guys from Horseshoes and Hand Grenades to find out what they love most about Summer Camp! Sam Odin, the bass player, explained to me that they played three different sets at Summer Camp last year on three different stages! He is also really excited to go back and meet up with the people they’ve played shows with over the past year. Russell Pederson, the banjo player, said he loves how all the people of Summer Camp wear their own freak flag and just do their own thing. He also loves the camping area in the woods. Lastly, Adam Greuel explained that the best part of Summer Camp for him is that, being from central Wisconsin, it just feels like home.
If you haven’t seen Horseshoes and Hand Grenades yet, don’t miss your opportunity at this year’s festival! On top of having great songs, these guys use the old school bluegrass one-microphone technique, which is really fun to watch. They even busted out an accordion! I was also impressed by their bluegrass version of
Time by Pink Floyd.
As usual, Yonder Mountain String Band created amazing energy that transmitted across the entire audience. This group is spectacular at combining bluegrass and jam genres. Being a fan of well-executed covers, I was excited to hear them perform
Shakedown Street by the Grateful Dead, and Allie Kral serenaded us with her beautiful voice with
You’re No Good (made famous by Linda Ronstadt). Even if bluegrass isn’t your thing, I would definitely recommend you check out this band, because they are an incredible group of musicians that are always experimenting and evolving.
Although it was a busy night for Camp Counselor Bailey, it’s safe to say this was the most fun I’ve had at a Yonder Mountain String Band show! After chatting with Dave Johnston and seeing Yonder Mountain String Band and Horseshoes and Hand Grenades perform, I’m more excited than ever to get back to Summer Camp and do it again!
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