Years active 2000–present | Past members Chris Carr
Al Bates | |
 | ||
Origin Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA Genres Progressive bluegrass, jam band Website www.greenskybluegrass.com Members Dave Bruzza
Paul Hoffman
Michael Bont
Anders Beck
Mike Devol Albums If Sorrows Swim, Five Interstates, Tuesday Letter Profiles | ||
Greensky bluegrass demons second story garage
Greensky Bluegrass is a five-piece American bluegrass/rock band founded in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 2000. The band has evolved over the years, growing from 3 to 5 members, adding electric effects and touring with a full light show. "The whole notion of “traditional bluegrass” strangely remains a sticking point for plenty of the genre's faithful. Partly because of their name, every article written about the band addresses the fact that what Greensky does is “not quite” bluegrass. These depths have been plumbed. In fact, in their own promotional material, GSBG describes their sound as “their own version of bluegrass music, mixing the acoustic stomp of a stringband with the rule-breaking spirit of rock & roll.” Greensky Bluegrass is known for their improvisation, multiple set shows, and open audience recording policy (akin to Phish and The Grateful Dead) and have broken through to a multi genre fanbase covering songs from Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, John Hartford, Dawes, Phish, The Grateful Dead, Rolling Stones, Prince and more.
Contents
- Greensky bluegrass demons second story garage
- Lay down sally cornmeal greensky bluegrass rock covers eric clapton song 2011 harvest fest
- Career
- Collaborations
- Songs
- References
Greensky Bluegrass' fanbase are known as 'Campers'.
Lay down sally cornmeal greensky bluegrass rock covers eric clapton song 2011 harvest fest
Career
The band was formed in the fall of 2000 by Michael Arlen Bont (banjo), Dave Bruzza (guitar), and Paul Hoffman (mandolin). As newcomers to the bluegrass scene, the three drew upon an array of influences and varied musical backgrounds, reflected in their May 2004 release of Less than Supper, recorded with bassist Chris Carr and dobro player Al Bates. Both Bates and Carr left the band shortly thereafter. In the fall of the same year, bassist Michael Devol joined the group.
In the summer of 2006 the band were winners of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Competition, earning them a spot on the main stage of the 2007 festival. Soon thereafter they released their second studio album, Tuesday Letter, produced by Tim Carbone of Railroad Earth.
In November 2007 the band released its first live recording Live At Bell's, documenting two shows at Bell's Brewery in their hometown of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Just over a month later Greensky Bluegrass added Anders Beck of Wayword Sons to the line-up.
In August 2008 the band released their third studio recording Five Interstates, also produced by Tim Carbone.
A live series, All Access was released in 2010 with volumes 1 & 2, featuring live performances in their entirety.
Their fourth, and most critically acclaimed album at the time, Handguns, made its debut on Billboard's Bluegrass Charts at No. 3 in October 2011, and spent nine weeks on the chart, landing at No. 33 for 2011 on Billboard's Year End Bluegrass Chart.
In 2013, Greensky became a staple on the popular Telluride Bluegrass Festival with their name appearing on the lineup each year.
Later in 2013 Greensky Bluegrass played Red Rocks Amphitheatre for their first time, an opening slot for Railroad Earth and Galactic. Over the next 3 years Greensky made repeated visits to the venue in a supporting role and finally headlining a sold out concert at the famed venue in 2016.
2014 brought a new album from the band titled If Sorrows Swim. The album was much with much critical acclaim debuting at #1 on the US Bluegrass Charts.
On September 23, 2016 Greensky Bluegrass released their latest studio effort Shouted, Written Down & Quoted produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos
Collaborations
On-stage collaborations have paired Greensky Bluegrass with:
Some of the acts the band has also shared bills with include:
Songs
Burn ThemIf Sorrows Swim · 2014
Past My PrimeShouted - Written Down - & Quoted · 2016
Living OverShouted - Written Down - & Quoted · 2016