Yonder Mountain String Band brings the bluegrass to the bonfire at I-Bar Ranch, A

This past week, Colorado favorites Yonder Mountain String Band performed to a packed crowd Friday night at the I Bar Ranch in Gunnison. The local venue proved you don't have to travel too far to see great music at a fun, rustic down to Earth venue.

Over the past few weeks Colorado has been getting tons of rain, and this past Friday when Yonder performed at the I-bar ranch it was no exception. By the time the band started playing a light drizzle fell upon the venue and Gunnison which continued for most of the night. Luckily, it never turned into hard downpours like the previous night on Thursday.  It was chilly, but the packed crowd and bonfire at the ranch provided extra warmth and heat throughout the night.

Yonder graced the stage at around 8pm and finished several hours later at 11:30. They performed a great three hour set that included tons of hits and bluegrass melodies that was perfect for the venue and the crowd. The band seemed beyond excited to be there and to close out their two night run in Gunnison. They were full of energy and full of smiles throughout the set. There was a 30 minute break in between sets, which calculated the playing time to be around three hours. It was well worth going to and bragging rights to see a Colorado group like Yonder performing at such a local venue like the I-bar ranch. Some things just end up going together extremely well.

Everyone in the group performed great throughout the evening, with the highlight of the night being Allie Krat and Nick Piccinni on violin.

It was for sure a very cowboy and western feeling being at the I Bar Ranch for Yonder. Even the band commented about the mechanical bull in front of the venue which had riders on it for most of the evening. Directly outside the barn a bon fire raged on for most of the night, another thing that made the I-bar ranch so unique.

The crowd swelled to the size of around 1k people at the ranch, which is a great size for Gunnison. The front of the stage and dancing area underneath the roof of the barn soon became packed with fans who danced the night away. It was mostly a crowd in their 30s and 40s and some older locals in attendance as well. 1 out of 5 people were wearing cowboy hats, making the ranch feel more western than ever. 

Above everything else, it was great seeing the locals in Gunnison get out and dance and have fun while listening to some great bluegrass music. It was a night to show that small venues can have just as much fun if not more than some of the larger ones or festivals. The uniqueness of the I bar ranch was a perfect spot for Yonder to really show off their true bluegrass hearts. 

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Photos by Leo Pareti, Yonder Mountain String Band @ I-Bar Ranch, Friday, July 30, 2021