Coming off a performance in Bend, OR that was the stuff of instant legend, Greensky Bluegrass took to the stage at Portland, OR’s Wonder Ballroom on Thursday, November 5th to kick off a three night run.

23-year-old Billy Strings came out to open the show and dropped jaws with his powerful picking and singing. He invited 4/5 of Greensky Bluegrass out for the last few numbers as his “backup band” and had the crowd thoroughly enthralled.

Greensky Bluegrass fans wondered what was in store after the set of Grateful Dead the night before. The first set turned out to be a run through of their 2008 release Five Interstates in its entirety. Billy Strings even came out and joined them for a couple of songs toward the end of the set.

After a short break, the band came back and really stretched things out, from the opening “Jaywalking” through a rocking “Can’t Stop Now”. A rendition of Billy Joel’s “Big Shot” ended the night. A great performance that got fans fired up for two more sold out shows at the Wonder Ballroom.

Check out setlists from both sets, as well as a full gallery of photos courtesy of Greg Homolka, below:

Setlist: Greensky Bluegrass at the Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR – 11/5/15

Set 1: Old Barns, Into the Rafters, Reverend, 200 Miles from Montana, Indian Trail, Just to Lie, Ryder’s Song, Train Junkie, Can’t Make Time, Freeborn Man > Ryder’s Song > Freeborn Man%, Nine Days, Dry County, Against the Days, What’s Left of the Night

Set 2: Jaywalking > King of the Hill#, Dustbowl Overtures, How Mountain Girls Can Love, Break Mountain Breakdown&! > I’m Still Here, In Control, Can’t Stop Now

Encore: Big Shot@

% With Billy Strings
# Train Junkie tease
& Anders Beck talked about trying to play the entire Five Interstates album in one song and calling it the “6th Interstate.”
! Smoke on the Water tease from Bruzza, While My Guitar Gently Weeps tease from Beck
@ Billy Joel cover, lyric change to “all impressed with your Grateful Dead”

Setlist: Billy Strings at the Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR – 11/5/15

One Set: Instrumental, Nashville Blues, Wild Bill Jones > Shady Grove, Tell It To Me, You Won’t Be Satisfied That Way, I’m Alabama Bound, Salty Dog, Rose of Old Kentucky*, Oh The Wind and Rain*, Dust in a Baggie*, Little Maggie*

* With Paul Hoffman, Michael Bont, Anders Beck, Mike Devol