Sun, April 17, Yonder Mountain String Band

Like many recent neo-traditionalists, Yonder Mountain String Band isn’t a ringer for the bluegrass of yore. The Colorado quartet lacks a fiddle, and while beholden to flatpicking, banjos and mandolins, it woos jam-band enthusiasts with live grooves that owe more to Jerry Garcia than Flatt & Scruggs. It’s a fruitful blend of inspirations as the hyperactive bluegrass pulse dissipates typical hippie languor and the sometimes witty, contemporaneous themes are a pleasant break from sepia-toned romanticism. But like any string band, most of the focus is on fleet-fingered prowess (ample!) which has won both barefoot and buttoned-down adherents. 2708 J Street, www.yondermountain.com.