Greensky Bluegrass Throws Two-Night Hometown Thanksgiving Bash In Kalamazoo [Photos/Videos]

Greensky Bluegrass returned to Kalamazoo, MI for a two-night hometown throwdown at Kalamazoo State Theatre on Friday and Saturday.

The five-piece string band comprised of Dave Bruzza, Paul Hoffman, Michael Bont, Anders Beck, and Mike Devol kicked things off on Black Friday with a bluegrass jam sandwich with “The Four” encapsulated within “Courage for the Road”. “Streetlight”, a tune from the band’s most recent release, Stress Dreams, came next ahead of Joshua Davis‘s “Dustbowl Overtures” and Benny Burle Galloway‘s “Train Junkie”.

Greensky Bluegrass – “Courage for the Road” > “The Four” [Pro-Shot] – 11/25/22

The band continued with additional covers including Kokomo Arnold‘s “Milk Cow Blues” and Talking Heads‘ “Road to Nowhere”, with a detour through “Worry for You”, a mother Stress Dreams track, in the middle. “Demons” closed the first set of the weekend.

Upon returning from set break, GSBG dropped into Chris Jacobs‘s “Bone Digger”, followed by “Better Off”, “Give a Sh–t”, and the never-recorded “333443”. A hot-burning “Kerosene”, “What You Need”, and another Stress Dreams track “Congratulations and Condolences” then gave way to “Fo Sho Uh Huh”. A pairing of Wayword Sons‘ “Tarpology” and Bob Marley’s “Could You Be Loved” closed the second set before the band returned for a two-song encore featuring the Merle Haggard classic “Sing Me Back Home” and “Windshield”.

Night two likewise featured diverse setlists beginning with a three-song sequence of “Reasons to Stay”, from Stress Dreams, “Worried Abut the Weather”, and “When I Get My Hands on You” by The New Basement Tapes. The band continued with “Tied Down”, “Take Cover”, Paul Hoffman and Billy Strings‘ “In the Morning Light”, and “Burn Them” before wrapping the first frame with “Jaywalking” > “Monument”.

Greensky Bluegrass – “Reasons to Stay” > “Worried About the Weather” [Pro-Shot]– 11/26/22

Set two also opened with a song off Stress Dreams, “Get Out”, followed by a cover of “Reuben’s Train” by The Dillards. The band stuck to material composed by its members including “Living Over”, “In Control” by Paul Hoffman, “A Letter to Seymour” by Dave Bruzza, and “Wish I Didn’t Know”, which flowed directly into the set’s first true cover, Ween‘s “Exactly Where I’m At”. The quintet finished the set with “Past My Prime”, “New & Improved”, and “Leap Year”.

The two-night stand concluded with another two-song encore, this time featuring “Old Barns” into Jerry Garcia Band favorite “After Midnight” by J.J. Cale.

View fan-shot videos and a gallery of photos from Greensky Bluegrass at Kalamazoo State Theatre courtesy of photographer Steve Baran below.

Greensky Bluegrass has an upcoming appearance at Strings & Sol, a two-night New Year’s Eve run at The Tabernacle in Atlanta, Ga and winter tour dates starting in January. The band is also slated to perform at WinterWonderGrass in Steamboat Springs, CO, Byron Bay Bluesfest, Bluesfest Melbourne, and Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival. For a full list of dates and tickets, visit the band’s website.

Greensky Bluegrass – “Sing Me Back Home” (Merle Haggard) – 11/25/22

[Video: Ryan Boldrey]

Greensky Bluegrass – “In The Morning Light” (Paul Hoffman & Billy Strings) – 11/26/22

[Video: TheFestivalCandy]

Setlist [via Phantasy Tour]: Greensky Bluegrass | State Theatre | Kalamazoo, MI | 11/25/22

Set 1: Courage for the Road > The Four > Courage for the Road, Streetlight, Dustbowl Overtures (Joshua Davis), Train Junkie (Benny Burle Galloway), Milk Cow Blues (Kokomo Arnold), Worry for You > Road to Nowhere (Talking Heads), Demons

Set 2: Bone Digger (Chris Jacobs), Better Off, Give a Sh–t, 33443, Kerosene, What You Need, Congratulations and Condolences, Fo Sho, Uh Huh, Tarpology (Wayword Sons) > Could You Be Loved

Encore: Sing Me Back Home (Merle Haggard), Windshield

Setlist [via Phantasy Tour]: Greensky Bluegrass | State Theatre | Kalamazoo, MI | 11/26/22

Set 1: Reasons to Stay > Worried About the Weather > When I Get My Hands on You (The New Basement Tapes), Tied Down, Take Cover, In the Morning Light (Paul Hoffman & Billy Strings), Burn Them, Jaywalking > Monument

Set 2: Get Out, Reuben’s Train (The Dillards), Living Over, In Control, A Letter to Seymour, Wish I Didn’t Know > Exactly Where I’m At (Ween) > Past My Prime, New & Improved, Leap Year

Encore: Old Barns > After Midnight (J.J. Cale)

Greensky Bluegrass | State Theatre | Kalamazoo, MI | 11/25/22 | Photos: Steve Baran