Yonder Mountain String Band will be at Bottom Lounge this Friday, March 6th, at 9pm! The band may hail from the foothills of Colorado, but two members of Yonder Mountain String Band are from much closer to home. Founding member and banjo player, Dave Johnston, is from Aurora, Illinois, and fiddle player, Allie Kral, grew up in St. Charles. Though there at different times, both developed a love for bluegrass music while at the University of Illinois, Urbana.
Kral grew up playing classical violin, having started Suzuki at the age of 5. Her childhood was spent absorbed in the violin, including playing for the Elgin Youth Symphony, the DuPage Youth Symphony, and the Vivaldi Strings Tour Group. She took first place in every school district competition she ever played in, and won first place in Geneva, Illinois’ Swedish Days Competition. While at U of I as a violin performance major, Kral started playing bluegrass with a band called Blue Mountain Grass. Hooked on bluegrass music, she headed back to Chicago where she joined Chicago roots and bluegrass jamband, Cornmeal. She toured with Cornmeal for 10 years, and taught for a bit at the Old Town School of Folk Music, before heading west to join Yonder Mountain. Although she now lives with her family in Missouri, Kral says, “Chicago is quite simply home to me!”
Bluegrass Chicago chatted with Kral about some of her favorite things about our favorite city:
Favorite pizza? Uno’s. Always.
Cubs or Sox? Cubs… [Dave and I] try and get to Wrigley field for a hometown game every year.
Favorite place for live music? Martyrs–I used to play Martyrs every Wednesday and have so many great memories from there! And The Green Mill–I love their vibe, the music is always on point and they have great cocktails.
Favorite Chicago performance? Yonder at the House of Blues in 2017. I waited for my hometown show to announce my pregnancy with friends and family in the audience–my band members surprised me by dressing up in onesie pjs and giant diapers and pacifiers! They snuck lullabies into our tunes. I was laughing so hard, and was also so touched! In a way they were showing their continued support for my growing family as we tour and make music like we always have! It’s been difficult being a mom and on the road, but my touring days started in 2002 and I’m not about to stop.
Watch Kral and Yonder Mountain String Band performing “Bad Taste” off of their latest album Love. Ain’t Love in Telluride, Colorado: