Jeff Austin is a shoo-in for the Most Animated Mandolin Player of the year award. There’s no doubt he’d win, if and when such an award came to be.

For Colorado's Yonder Mountain String Band, the new year is full of possibilities. The band has a rigorous winter and spring tour underway, and will be hosting their 10th annual Northwest String Summit this summer in Oregon.

Advance tickets to the tenth annual Northwest String Summit music festival featuring four days of music and camping will be available Friday, February 4 at all TicketsWest outlets and online at TicketsWest.

The initial lineup for Spring hookahville 2011 has been announced. In addition to 2 nights of ekoostik hookah, Yonder Mountain String Band will be making a return appearance and Slightly Stoopid will also perform. Many, many more acts will be announced soon.

Strong winds from the west blew across a dirt parking lot… people tuck their heads, pulling their hats tighter to their skulls as they struggle against the wind, walking towards a dusty, rock strewn patch of earth… getting closer, t-shirts and the tarps they are laid out on struggle to stay grounded as their owners try to protect their wares from the dust… Girls in ruffled tutu’s and fishnet stockings are re-thinking their outfit choices in light of the chill the wind brings with it- but dust and wind are commonplace occurrences for these veteran Colorado concert goers… rocks brought along

Check out some photos from last night's Fourmile Canyon Revival, featuring String Cheese Incident, Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon, Jon Fishman, Page McConnell, Yonder Mountain String Band, Leftover Salmon and Big Head Todd and the Monsters.  This show was a benefit for the

The dusty road leads to an unseen location. Clouds of dirt and earthy grime pass through the air. As the dust settles and the road becomes steeper, Horning’s Hideout comes into view. “Happy Horning’s,” comes a chipper voice from my right.  My window is rolled down and I turn to see a girl standing on the side of the road. She wears a neon-green shirt that reads “Volunteer”.

“Where should I park?” I ask her.

“Just keep driving,” she says with a devious smile. “You’ll find the way.”

I grinned and waved and continued down the rocky hill.

The ninth annual Northwest String Summit festival featuring three days of music and camping returns to Horning's Hideout near Portland, Ore. from Friday, July 16 through Sunday, July 18, 2010.

As I was walking on the hill in Boulder to get some Chinese food and a beer before the show, I passed by a very animated and excited Jeff Austin (mandolin player from Yonder Mountain String Band) talking to a friend.