Watch Yonder Mountain String Band & Friends Tie ‘Traffic Jam’ With ‘Whipping Post’ At Strings & Sol

Strings & Sol 2023 began on Wednesday with Yonder Mountain String Band‘s first set of the destination event. YMSB were joined by four special guests for a 20-minute “Traffic Jam” that featured a take on The classic “Whipping Post” within to close the set at Dreams Sapphire Resort in Puerto Morelos, Mexico.

The band — bassist Ben Kaufmann, guitarist Adam Aijala, banjoist Dave Johnston and multi-instrumentalist Nick Piccininni — have been a featured Strings & Sol artist since the concert vacation festival was founded. Yonder brought out mandolinist Ronnie McCoury and fiddler Jason Carter of The Travelin’ McCourys as well as Leftover Salmon‘s Drew Emmitt on mandolin and The Lil Smokies fiddler Jake Simpson to help them bring the opening set on the beach to its conclusion.

The Kaufmann-penned “Traffic Jam” has long been a staple and improvisational springboard for Yonder Mountain String Band. At Strings & Sol, the lengthy rendition featured solos from nearly every performer on the stage. All eight musicians transitioned from “Trafic Jam” into “Whipping Post” after the triple mandolin attack of Emmitt, McCoury and Piccininni threw down. Nick Piccininni handled lead vocals on “Whipping Post.” YMSB and their guests reprised “Traffic Jam” following a duel between Simpson and Carter.

Watch audience-captured footage shot by Rob Turner of last night’s “Traffic Jam” > “Whipping Post” > “Traffic Jam” below:

Yonder Mountain String Band will play two more times at Strings & Sol 2023. The quartet’s set on Wednesday was followed by a Greensky Bluegrass performance on the beach.