Photo Credit: Hana Gustafson
Last night, Yonder Mountain String Band, Leftover Salmon and Railroad Earth returned to the Pacific Northwest, where they commenced a string of regional dates beginning at McMenamins Grand Lodge in Forest Grove, Ore., just outside the Rose City. The evening commenced with an hour-long set courtesy of Yonder Mountain String Band, who welcomed sit-ins from Mike Robertson (Railroad Earth), Andy Thorn (Leftover Salmon) and The Travelin’ McCourys’ fiddler, Jason Cartner on select numbers.
The initial set began while the sun was still high, cascading over the venue with warm yellow light and heating the audience. Yonder Mountain kicked off their frame with a pairing of originals “Out of the Blue” with “Chasing My Tail” before following up with a run-through of “Damned If The Right One Didn’t Go Wrong.” Next, the band dipped back into their archive, picking up “This Lonesome Heart” then coupling “Ornery” with “Beside Myself” featuring Robinson and Thorn. A high point of the set landed next as the band worked through an elongated and jammed-out cover of the Talking Heads’ “Girlfriend” and a sped-up rendition of the traditional “Shady Grove.”
Leftover Salmon took the stage, cutting into “Ants in My Pants” sung by a tie-dye-clad and smiling Vince Herman to start. They added “Gold Hill Line,” led by Drew Emmitt, before picking up an ensuing “New Lee Hi-Way Blues.” The 2018 released “Places” came before Robinson returned to the stage to assist Leftover Salmon on their next number. Then, the ensemble skirted into a handful of added rambling tunes, including an impressive display of “Hobo Song,” which ramped up concert-goers as the notes unfolded and the cover became recognizable. For the final song of Leftover Salmon’s independent set, the group kicked it back to 1995, landing on “Carnival Time” to cap their frame.
The final set of the evening saw Railroad Earth dominate, from the initial notes of “Chasin a Rainbow” to the final song, “Smilin Like a Buddah,” all of which was made special as Tim Carbone, who delighted folks with enchanting instrumentation and extensive solos. Apart from the group’s opening and closing numbers, they also added “Bird in a House,” “Mighty River,” “Chains,” and other originals. Just as the final drip of light fell below the horizon, the band closed their gig in Forest Grove, Ore., aligning their timing with the digression of sunshine.
Scroll down to view setlists from last night’s concert. Check out a selection of photos from the June 22 show provided by Hana Gustafson.
Yonder Mountain String Band:
Leftover Salmon:
Railroad Earth:
Yonder Mountain String Band
McMenamins Grand Lodge – Forest Grove, Ore.
June 22, 2023
Set: Out of the Blue > Chasing My Tail, Damned If, Lonesome, Ornery > Beside Myself+, Girlfriend+, Shady Grove+
Notes:
+ With Mike Robinson and Andy Thorn
Leftover Salmon
McMenamins Grand Lodge – Forest Grove, Ore.
June 22, 2023
Set: Ants, Gold Hill, New Lee Hi-Way, Places, Sign Up*, In, Evermore, Something Higher, Hobo Song^, Carnival^
Notes:
* With Mike Robinson
^ With Jason Carter
Railroad Earth
McMenamins Grand Lodge – Forest Grove, Ore.
June 22, 2023
Set: Chasin a Rainbow, Bird in a House, Mighty River, Chains, My Favorite Spot, Dandelion Wine, Smilin Like a Buddah