Mabon signifies the autumnal equinox and at the Planet Bluegrass Ranch in Lyons, CO, it’s a time to celebrate with some down-home bluegrass music, home cooked food, an overabundance of libations, and down to earth fun. Last night Adam Aijala and Ben Kaufmanm of the Yonder Mountain String Band, jammed for almost 3 hours as part of the Mabon festival. For these 2 dudes, bluegrass is their passion and jamming is their specialty. Between these 2 gifted musicians, they played the bass, rhythm, steel, and celtic guitars, the banjo and mandolin, harmonica and keyboards (used during Pink Floyd’s “The Thin Ice”), alternating between each instrument with ease and panache. Adam and Ben kept the show mellow but lively, strumming away for a modest 400 people. However, it was Zoe who stole the show. Zoe, Adam’s dog, had been wandering around the grounds throughout the day and wanted an up close piece of the action on stage, so just a few songs in to the first set, she sauntered on stage affectionately lying down at the guys’ feet. And so it was that Zoe stole the hearts of the audience.

It pays to know someone who knows someone because after the show we got to chill with the crew backstage thanks to Shawn “the Mayor” Hines who knows just about everyone in the state of Colorado (it pays off to work for a company that allows you to trade beer for schwag). Although last night was an intimate sort of show, I had to keep reminding myself that these guys, along with Yonder, play sold out shows at places like Red Rocks. To be sitting around shooting the shit with these 2 guys who are totally unpretentious and goofy was pretty cool. Ben, literally hanging out in his kilt, has quite a repertoire of jokes (most not appropriate for kids), Adam is the more soft spoken of the two, and both are friendly, nice guys.

And now, it’s Vegas baby.