Yonder Mountain String Band took on a bit of Bob Dylan with a cover of “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” in a video the band shared on Friday. The cover comes as the bluegrass outfit continues to explore a wide range of covers from quarantine.
In just the past few months, YMSB has put their mark on the Grateful Dead‘s “Candyman“, Elvis Presley‘s “Suspicious Minds“, Pink Floyd‘s “Goodbye Blue Sky“, and many more on their YouTube page. While the vast majority of these videos are recorded remotely, it still fosters a sense of community between the band and its fans.
Along with the help of their friend Hines on the trombone, Yonder executes the New Orleans-infused track from 1966’s Blonde on Blonde. As the weather worsens outside and the rain begins to fall—as we’re all stuck inside looking out the window—the mood of “Rainy Day Women” remains ever-relevant to an audience of people just trying not to feel so all alone.
For the cover, several of the band members pull double duty including bassist Ben Kaufman who picks up the saxophone in addition to his normal low end duties. The song also features guitarist Adam Aijala donning the harmonica in addition to picking up the snare drum and tambourine, along with violinist Allie Kral who switches over to the piano for this track. As Yonder points out in the video’s description, Hines took the song’s famous refrain a little too seriously—surely just alluding to the point when Hines pretends to hit himself in the head with a stone.
Watch Yonder Mountain String Band cover Bob Dylan’s “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” below.
Yonder Mountain String Band – “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” (Bob Dylan)
[Video: Yonder Mountain String Band]