Yonder Mountain String Band will be playing at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater with Widespread Panic this Friday. Yonder plays neo-bluegrass that has, in the past year, brought out over 250,000 fans.

The members of the band all began individually exploring music from different roots, yet none of the four grew up listening to bluegrass. They all appreciated classic rock and rock and roll. Adam Aijala (guitar and vocals) said he went through several different musical genres, loving everything from metal to the Beatles. Other influences include Bob Dylan, Neil Young and The Grateful Dead.

Aijala said now their music strives for an “unorthodox approach to bluegrass” including drums, an element no other bluegrass band has.

They described their goals as a band as presenting, “something unique because we never try to be someone else.” They have created a sound no other band can boast; an original and liberal taste of traditional music. The band consists of Aijala, Ben Kaufmann (bass, vocals), Jeff Austin (mandolin, vocals) and Dave Johnston (banjo, vocals).

Bess Troiano, a sophomore majoring in phycology, said, “both Widespread and Yonder are really great talented bands that strayed from the mainstream sounds. They really know how to play. You can tell they have been inspired by so many types of music and they combine it to make their own sound.”

Paste Magazine said the band has “found a formula that works; take rootsy bluegrass influences, add in some rock ‘n’ roll, and seek out an adventurous audience.”

This week, that adventurous audience is in Tuscaloosa and tickets are sold out.

Yonder has played with Widespread Panic a half a dozen times or so.

They played in Tuscaloosa last year and Adam Aijala (guitar and vocals) said, “we love Tuscaloosa, it was really cool; Alabama is always good to us anyway.”

They will play a completely different set than they played last year, playing music from their new albino “The Show” and will showcase material that will be released in 2012. They have played with iconic bands like Dave Mathews Band and at festivals all over the nation including Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Summerfest, Bonnaroo, Rothbury, and All Good. They sell out top historic venues like The Fillmore, Best Buy Theater, and Red Rocks Amphitheater.

Heather Saad, a sophomore majoring in marketing, said, “having this type of music and this talented of artists is essential to the music life of Tuscaloosa. Especially after the tornado, it is so important that we be seen as a place that desires to have music like this.”

They are excited to be back and said they were “really stoked to see everyone and be back again”. They said they are “very fortunate because there are so many people out there doing it. We took this opportunity and have never taken it for granted”.

The band is hosting a music festival, Harvest Fest, Oct.13 to 16, for 7500 fans. This festival will highlight numerous artists including Bela Fleck and the Flecksones, Peter Rowan, Bill Kreuztmann of Grateful Dead and Todd Snider.

“This is something that can surely not to be missed,” Saad said.