Greensky Bluegrass took a moment to acknowledge the three-year anniversary of Yonder Mountain String Band founder Jeff Austin‘s tragic passing at the band’s show with Holly Bowling at The Rooftop at Pier 17 in New York City on Friday. Bowling joined the band on piano as they played “Keep On Going”, a Jeff Austin tune off Yonder’s 2001 album, Mountain Tracks: Volume 1, in homage to the late mandolinist.
“I wanna say, three years ago today we lost a dear friend of ours,” Anders Beck told the crowd. “His name was Jeff Austin and he was a madman of a musician. We’re gonna play you one of his tunes because we miss him a lot.” Before starting the song, he added, “Remember to hug your friends everybody—hug your friends. That’s what I got to say about that. We send this one out to Jeff.”
Jeff Austin made an indelible mark on the bluegrass and jam world both as a member of Yonder Mountain String Band and as a solo artist. His frenetic playing and bombastic onstage energy wowed crowds and earned him widespread love and acclaim before his untimely death shocked the live music world in 2019.
Greensky Bluegrass shared a video of the band’s tribute to Jeff Austin, which shows the group’s five members and Holly Bowling trading solos on the tune against the backdrop of New York’s Brooklyn Bridge. Watch Greensky Bluegrass members Dave Bruzza, Paul Hoffman, Michael Bont, Anders Beck, and Mike Devol pay homage to Jeff Austin accompanied by Bowling on piano below, and view the band’s upcoming tour dates and purchase tickets here.
Greensky Bluegrass – “Keep On Going” (Yonder Mountain String Band)