Most of the cyclists only heard a couple songs of this mountain’s fine set, but it was sure a memorable musical experience for me — one of those times when I know virtually nothing about a band and then, the moment they start playing, I immediately feel like I’m listening to a story told by a long lost friend.

The six members (Matt Martin, Zach Chandley, Patrick Taylor, Andrew Gibbens, Taylor Green, and Cody Ledford) then schlepped their gear over to The Jinx, where they played a long, rousing show for a big Labor Day weekend crowd. The set could have been a little tighter, but there were some mic issues, a broken string, some extra required tuning — the occasional pauses didn’t take away any of the crowd’s enthusiasm.

this mountain, which has only been playing together since 2010, describes its sound as “folk-rock”, but I don’t know if that’s the best label.

I’ve taken a lot of photos at The Jinx, and as usual I didn’t really have adequate lighting conditions to get consistently good shots of all the band members. Sorry! But three members of the six-piece band were lined up just about perfectly for composition — and their interactions made for some great visuals.

Click here to find this mountain on Facebook.

Click here for this mountain’s Bandcamp page.

And here you can sample that album, future ghost:

I’m certainly hoping to catch this mountain again soon.

Since so many of these look similar at this size, I’d suggest clicking for larger versions and then scrolling through with the directional arrows on your keyboard. I just love how the band members seem physically connected in some of these.

The first few are in Telfair Square, and then we move to The Jinx:

While the cyclists were making their way back to Telfair Square, this mountain — a great bluegrass influenced rock band from Johnson City — played in Telfair Square. By the time the ride was completed and folks were filling up the VIP tables, chatting about the ride, enjoying New Belgium beer, and generally enjoying the pleasant but humid evening, the band Ponderosa was on stage.

The Atlanta-based Ponderosa has recently released a critically praised new album Pool Party and have a sound that took on special resonance under the live oaks of Telfair Square, with the Telfair Academy, Trinity UMC, and the Jepson Center — buzzing with some sort of special event — in the background.

The music was programmed by Savannah Stopover, which — as one would expect — made great booking choices. Capital A Productions did a great job with sound and staging.

So I don’t really have any photos of the ride itself, but here’s a taste of the rest of the event.

this mountain played a latenight set at The Jinx. I took so many photos that I’m saving those for their own post.

Click here for an album of photos by Geoff L. Johnson on the Savannah Stopover Facebook page.

Enjoy:

We have been busy helping our friends at the Savannanh Bike Campaign with their 4th Annual Midnight Garden Ride . On September 1, after the festive nighttime bike ride, we will be co-hosting their “Good & Evil Party” with some spectacular live music acts. We have the pleasure of announcing our very own Stopover 2012 alum, Ponderosa, performing with folk-rockers this mountain. [. . .]

In a musical landscape rife with fleeting fads and overnight electro-pop sensations, it doesnâ€t exactly make sense to start a band steeped in the sounds of artists like the Faces, Leon Russell, and Joe Cocker. Yet, here stands Ponderosa, an upstart with a veteran sound. On its New West Records debut, Moonlight Revival, the Atlanta-based act crafted music thatâ€s genuine, soulful, and psychedelic. Lead vocalist and songwriter Kalen Nash suggests one more adjective: timeless.

Here’s Ponderosa with “Black Hill Smoke”:

And Johnson City’s this mountain:

$10 @ door, $25 VIP tickets. Tables can also be reserved.

Click here for more on the various Midnight Garden Ride events and for tickets.