The town line's far away & he won't sleep for days

Last night Erik and I went out downtown, which is something we tend to avoid doing because it's expensive and not really our scene. We'd decided a couple of weeks ago to see Yonder Mountain String Band while they were playing Stubbs since I'd heard it was a great place to see a show and we liked YMSB a lot. 

We headed downtown early - the website said the show would begin at 7 pm, which actually meant that the doors opening at 7 and the show would not actually begin until 8. We got excellent parking and took in a wonderful BBQ meal at Stubbs beforehand. 

We got into the venue pretty early, too, and took a good spot to relax a bit before the show began. We'd both had a drink with dinner and were feeling it (getting old isn't fun). 

The first act was Tom Schneider, who was really good for an opening act. We're usually not big into whoever opens but I'm glad we made the effort to go down early and see him. 

Yonder was so cool live. The music is pretty great recorded, but I really dig the long, extended versions of their music. Admittedly, Erik and I don't know a ton of their songs, but it didn't really matter. It's bluegrass folk at its best, with lots of wonderful mandolin and banjo play. I love the songs that stretch for 6, 7, 10 minutes long. It's hard not to dance, and it's really a lot of fun watching everyone getting down like mad. Who cares no one can dance when it's too fun not to want to?

The stage show and lights were great and fit the mood perfectly. Very enjoyable.

After they played "On the Run" for 10 minutes, they took an intermission (and who wouldn't after that long of a run?). We decided, too, we were tired and old and we'd head home for the night to relax. We're getting over the need to stay at things the whole time to enjoy it, particularly when it means you're standing for 4 hours straight. 

We came home and vegged the night away. Pitch perfect Friday, if you ask me. And our Saturday? Abso-freaking-lutely perfect. We took a drive up to Ikea to pick some fabric for curtain making and took in lunch at our favorite guilty pleasure place. 

Being in Austin is great for the live music, of course. I've taken in more shows here than anywhere else I've been. Perhaps it's part of getting older, too, but I'm more willing to give it a go here, even if I don't know a musician's catalog or who they are. I'll miss it, I think, but I suspect wherever we end up in a couple months, we'll still have that sort of spirit with us. 

Sorry to subject my loyal reader to a recap of my awesome life, but I got the chance to take some cool photos, so I had to show them off, right?