Sounds Good: Yonder Mountain@Liberty Hall (for real), Tyler Gregory@Barnyard, Adam Corolla@Uptown, Late Night Callers@Bottleneck

Do I have to do everything around here?…

I mean, we’re in the midst of a magical ride in Larryville– and nothing? We’re surfing atop a wave of momentum that had thousands of crimson and blue crazies filling Mass Street last weekend.

Conversations of Jayhawk Nation are filling up message boards, Facebook posts, Twitter, and dominating water cooler talk. Just a few short months ago, could anyone have imagined it?

No, I’m not talking about KU’s Final Four run per se. I’m talking about #KUBoobs.

Where are you when we need you Lefty?…

Thursday, March 29th

Yonder Mountain String Band at Liberty Hall in Lawrence

So, here we go (again). 

It’s hard to believe these fresh-faced jamgrass revivalists have been around for almost 15 years now.  Starting out as just a couple dudes in the mountains west of Boulder, playing open mics and bonfires, and eventually self-releasing their first record, it’s not a stretch to say that both their initial and sustained success was unlikely.

But here they are in 2012, headlining their own festivals, and still selling out shows.  They’re in St. Louis at the Pageant for two nights right before Lawrence, and two-day passes are sold out.

So what can you expect out of YMSB on their Spring tour?

"You better come with shoes tied tight because it’s going to happen and it’s going to happen for a long, long time,” mandolin player Jeff Austin recently told Pollstar’s Jay Smith. “We don’t do a 75-minute set, thank everybody and come out for an encore or two. That’s our first set, about an hour and a half. Expect the unexpected and get ready to have a big fuckin’ party.”

Friday, March 30th

Tyler Gregory, GrassCrack at the Barnyard in Lawrence

Tyler Gregory looks like he belongs in the backwoods of West Virginia, perhaps toting a black powder rifle and tending to a precious moonshine still.  And his music would fit right in with its down-home roots flavors and simple string laden arrangements.  Though he calls Lawrence home, Gregory is a rambler, a nomad that frequents hole-in-the-wall joints across the country.  He just got back from a successful trip to Colorado to join some like-minded folk for a series of several shows in Boulder, Denver, and other mountain towns.  And he’s cultivated a following along the way, of back-to-the-roots folks who loathe laptoppers that punch in bleeps and bloops.   

But he’s still just doing his thing. 

You’re just as likely to find Gregory busking on the street, bellowing his sweet and soulful lyrics out for passersby on a breezy Lawrence afternoon.  If you’re lucky enough to happen upon him, he’ll bum you a smoke, sing you a song, and send you on your way with a smile. 

Adam Corolla at the Uptown Theater in KC

Corolla is best known for his co-starring roles on Loveline and The Man Show, alongside Dr. Drew and Jimmy Kimmel, respectively.  On both shows he served as the say-anything equal opportunity offender, doling out his observational barbs centered on the overall ridiculousness of society.  After those shows went tits up, Corolla tried several different things, including a radio show that replaced Howard Stern in some markets.  But after a couple years, the stations that broadcast his show changed formats and the show was forced to shut down, which may have been a blessing in disguise.

Not knowing where to turn, Corolla did what everyone these days does – went to the internets!!  He started recording a podcast and posted it on his personal website in early 2009 and it was an instant success, with over a million and a half downloads in its first week.  Since then it’s been something like the most downloaded podcast ever, with over 59 million unique downloads.   

 
Late Night Callers, Howard Iceberg & the Titanics at the Bottleneck in Lawrence

This’ll be a good one for all you folkies.  We got the KC Dylan, Howard Iceberg, making a somewhat rare Lawrence appearance, and a solid headliner in the Late Night Callers.  Yes, the gypsies will be out in force.  So you know what that means. 

Just mellow enough to get you ready for partying in the streets on Saturday.