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Written by: Matthew McGuire
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The Jeff Austin Band and Way Down Wanderers plugged in and stripped down their sound on Wednesday, September 16 in downtown Carbondale, Illinois.

The doors opened at 8 p.m. and the Way Down Wanderers performed from 9-10 p.m. Their traditional bluegrass sound reminded me of the Henhouse Prowlers. Both bands showcase the Chicago bluegrass style, and I enjoyed listening to their approach to live music before the Jeff Austin Band got ready to go.

Jeff Austin Band live at Hangar 9

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Jeff Austin Band

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“My time with Yonder has taught me what is possible,” Austin says. “It has shown me that if you work hard at it and you believe in it and there’s a part of you that’s meant to do it, it will happen. It’s clichéd, but it’s true.” – Jeff Austin

After seeing Jeff grow with the Yonder Mountain String Band since 2003, and recently exit the band, I understand a lot of his backstory.

My first YMSB show was at Bonnaroo 2003, when the band performed on the Which Stage to 30,000-50,000 guests in love with the music.

After experiencing the band for over 10 years, I could feel the fuel getting low within the creative tank across the board. As much as I would like to see them playing together again, I find that the new additions to each band gives a breathe of fresh air to the sound.

During the show, I headed over to the bar and started talking with a good friend about Austin’s departure from YMSB. He noted that a group of our friends had talked directly with Jeff about him leaving the band. It is not my story to tell, and I feel that Jeff has gone through a lot with the transition. If it were me, I would hope that audiences respect a new band, a new sound, and touring across the states to entertain people is enough.

In 2012, I spoke with the band in an interview for JamBase, and really started to get to know each musician. I noted that the band was not showing any signs of slowing down, and even with a breakup, their love for music is so deep, they have continued to push forward.

That level of enthusiasm was shown on the stage Wednesday night with the Jeff Austin Band.

Photo Gallery

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