Yonder Mountain String Band w/Darol Anger, Danny Barnes, and Split Lip Rafield - 10/22/09 - Orpheum Theater - Madison, WI

Needless to say, I was more than excited for this show.  It had been a couple months since our last Yonder shows and fall tour is always the best time.  When we got to the venue, we immediately saw a bunch of our friends.  It was cold and rainy, but it didn't really matter.  We got in close to on time, and waited a little while longer inside for them to let us up to the balcony.  We all managed to get the front row of the balcony, which gave us a beautiful view of the venue and no problems with pushy crowds.  At first, I doubted whether I wanted to go to the balcony, but since there is no "rail" on the floor and the stage is at least 8 feet high, I decided to go up.  Thank god!  I remember the sound being not so good on the floor, but in the balcony it was crystal clear.  We had a great view of the band, the lights, and the crowd down below, and there were no people pushing into our space.  The balcony bounces a bit, which freaked me out at first, but I got used to it.
Split Lip Rayfield opened the show, which was a treat since we hadn't seen them since Wakarusa 2004.  They brought the heat and got the whole crowd moving and ready for the night.  Danny Barnes has been opening for Yonder on this tour, and we expected him to do his own set after Split Lip, but due to time constraints, he didn't.  I was actually happy about this because it turned out to be a perfect show.
Yonder came out and did a few songs on their own, then Danny would join for the rest of the set.  It was so great to finally get to see Danny do his thing with Yonder, and they did so many songs that I love.  Also, Darol on fiddle is always a treat and brings a new dimension to Yonder's music.  He doesn't take over or try to steal the show, he just adds to the synergy.
My highlights: Funtime, Peace of Mind, Ruby, and Jesus on the Mainline.  They also did something that I've been hoping to get for a long time: an unplugged encore!!!

Split Lip Rayfield opened
Darol Anger on fiddle for entire show
Set I: Troubled Mind, Steep Grade Sharp Curves, Fingerprint, Left Me in a Hole, Sideshow Blues*, Funtime*, This Train is Bound for Glory*, On the Run*>Peace of Mind*>2 Hits and the Joint Turned Brown*>Peace of Mind*>On the Run*
Set II: Casualty, East Nashville Easter, Idaho, New Deal Train, End of the Road*, Wind's on Fire*, New Speedway Boogie*>Ruby*>Sidewalk Stars*>Kind Ebenezer*>Ruby*, Holding
Encore: (unplugged at lip of stage) Down in Arkansas#, Jesus on the Mainline#

*w/Danny Barnes
#w/Danny Barnes and Split Lip Rayfield