The Highberry Music Festival was held June 30 through the early morning of July 4 at its new location on Mulberry Mountain for its seventh year. Alternative bluegrass group — and a crowd favorite at the Highberry — Yonder Mountain String Band returned as one of the headlining acts this year. Violinist for the group Allie Kral took a few mintues from the quintet’s busy schedule to answer some questions for What’s Up! You can see photos from YMSB’s Saturday performance on the main stage and others form the festival at nwaonline.com.
Q. YMSB has been through Northwest Arkansas a bunch! What’s your favorite thing about coming through our part of the state?
A. Northwest Arkansas is a beautiful place. The rolling green hills are so gorgeous. Anytime I’m at Mulberry Mountain, I try to take this little hike through the forest to these amazing waterfalls. It’s really refreshing to take a dip in the heat of the summer! The steep hike back to the festival grounds is a little less desirable… ha!
Q. The Highberry festival started out as a Grateful Dead fest - what did you guys enjoy about becoming a major part of it?
A. I’m just now learning about the history of Highberry… that the name came from two great fests that happen over the Fourth of July weekend, High Sierra, and Rothbury! Two fests I personally love. For Yonder, we are so incredibly excited to get back to that site, and to play on that stage again. It’s really going to be a great show. Maybe we’ll have to throw in our best Dead cover or two!
Q. YMSB is still riding the success of Black Sheep, but what’s next for the group?
A. We’re back in the studio again, trying to put out an album about every year and a half. Yonder had about a 6 year hiatus from the studio prior to Black Sheep, and we’re in such a creative state right now that we were stoked to get back there. Everything is still so new, and the music is getting tighter every tour. This new album is about two thirds done now, and we’re trying to incorporate jamming aspects from our shows a bit. Jamming is one of those things you can’t just pull off by the seat of your pants… for it to be spectacular, you really need to know and respect everyone’s musical thoughts, you really need to listen well, and go where the jams go… not fight it because you’re afraid of where it’s going, of what someone is doing… whether it’s getting too “out there” to recover from. We’re getting better and better at that, so that’s something I’m really pumped about. It’s so fresh and it’s really fun.
Q. Last time you came through, you played a show at George’s Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville. Are your festival shows any different from a stationary concert? What can the crowd expect?
A. Our shows at festivals are only different in the fact that there’s just more energy when there is a bigger crowd. That’s something that you can’t deny, and it’s a beautiful thing. I totally play my best for a crowd of thousands, because that energy is so easily accessible.