Yonder Mountain String Band (YMSB) made a triumphant return to Northampton on Thursday, reveling in the crowd's appreciation and the sounds of their sit-in violinist, Darol Anger. Formed in 1999, YMSB consists of four men: Dave Johnston (banjo), Jeff Austin (mandolin), Ben Kauffman (bass) and Adam Aijala (guitar), all masters of their craft and all looking no older than college sophomores. Johnston and Austin hailed from Illinois, before they moved out to Nederland, Colo., where they met Aijala and Kauffman and quickly formed YMSB. They opened for a band at the famous Fox Theater in Boulder and it was clear sailing from then on. They gathered a bluegrass following in the Western states, mainly working small venues up until the release of their debut album in the fall of 1999.

But on with the show! Originally slated to begin at 8 p.m. at the Pearl Street Nightclub in Northampton, the opening act, Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem, did not start until about 8:30. Their set was fairly uneventful, which intensified the crowd's anticipation of YMSB. Perhaps YMSB's one claim to fame, should they get "discovered," is that their drum set is totally homemade, consisting of such items as cat-food cans, cardboard boxes, cymbals on hangers and an old suitcase, which the whole drum kit packs into for easy travel.

When Yonder finally came onstage, the audience offered more applause than the band expected for just appearing. This was bound to be a special show-it was originally billed for the Calvin Theater in Northampton, a larger, more luxurious venue. However, while the Pearl Street felt cramped, the setting was much more intimate, allowing the musicians to look audience members directly in the eye. The most applause went to Darol Anger, the guest violinist. You should know that name if you've ever listened to Dave Grisman, one of Jerry Garcia's best friends and certainly his musical equal in spirit. A good portion of the crowd just wanted to see Anger, and he by no means disappointed.

Starting off the set with "Idaho" to warm up the crowd, YMSB then tore into "Loved You Enough" off their 2002 album "Town by Town." They slowed the set down a bit with "Going Cross the Sea," but then Kauffman stepped up to sing "Bloody Mary Morning," the group's famous drinking song. By now the crowd was feverous, and YMSB jammed into "Dawn's Early Light," where they let Anger take a long solo and where Austin sadly broke a string. But one string did not stop them from finishing off the set with a bang. As they took one of the happiest set breaks of their career, they ate cookies that Aijala's mom had brought for them.

The second set started off with a loud scream by Austin, definitely the most charismatic of the quartet, and then they broke into "Ramblin' in the Rambler," a huge crowd-pleaser. After numerous great songs the show ended, but with the crowd's entusiastic response, YMSB had to encore quickly to avoid a riot (Dave Maxted '05 was already on stage), so they waltzed with "Troubled Mind." All in all, I've never seen a band have more fun at a show as they reveled in the crowd response. Yonder Mountain String Band has found a new convert.