Flying high:
Greensky Bluegrass’ hybrid of styles is drawing crowds
Greensky Bluegrass thrives by refusing to be bound by genre definitions.
Inthe course of the past two decades, Greensky Bluegrass has carved out a unique niche for itself. Structurally, the quintet is arranged like a traditional bluegrass outfit – dobro player, mandolinist, banjo player, guitarist and an upright bassist. But sonically, Greensky Bluegrass leans hard into jam and roots rock. It creates an interesting dynamic, one that makes the “bluegrass” in the band’s name slightly misleading.
“I think it’s a cool, in-between space,” bassist Mike Devol said. “Jam (music), honestly is where I’m most comfortable. I don’t think we’re a bluegrass band. I like traditional bluegrass, but we don’t have an interest in being in something with all those rules.
“Our music doesn’t have that Nashville polish; we can be bluegrass in a rowdy way,” he continued. “We want to rock.”
Greensky Bluegrass’ story starts at the turn of the last millennium in Kalamazoo, Mich., as a trio rooted in traditional bluegrass. That sound is reflected in the band’s 2004 debut LP, “Less than Supper.” By the time the 2006 follow-up “Tuesday Letter” rolled around, Greensky Bluegrass was subtly shifting its style to incorporate country and Americana.
As the band began to expand its sound, the members found themselves at a bit of a crossroads. Should they continue branching out at the risk of alienating fans drawn to their original sound or follow their creative muse and see where it takes them?
“At one point I remember we made a personal management choice,” Devol recalled. “We had to ask ourselves, ‘What are we trying to become? Are we trying to be traditional bluegrass or do this other thing?’
“We decided that we owe it to ourselves to explore this other thing,” he added. “There’s too much out here to have limited ourselves. We’re not trying to perfect one genre and we’re fortunate to have had the opportunity to create something new.”
And trying something new has paid off. Greensky Bluegrass has built a loyal following on the jam band circuit, with Devol noting that he’s met fans who’ve “come out for 100 shows.” In September, the group will be headlining three consecutive nights at Red Rocks.
Well before those shows, Greensky Bluegrass will be coming to the Palace. The Jan. 10 concert comes nearly a year since the band’s Capital Region debut, a sold-out January 2018 gig at The Egg. The ability to book shows like Red Rocks or play a 518 venue over double the size of the one they appeared at 50 weeks prior is a testament to the real work Devol and his band mates put in to make inroads into the jam community and grow their audience.
“We had a built-in crowd with bluegrass. It’s taken a lot longer to get established in the jam band world,” Devol noted. “We’ve earned some of that following because we give them something different each night. We keep it fresh. It’s a lot of work.”
A week after Greensky Bluegrass’ Palace show, the guys will be releasing “All for Money,” their sixth studio release. Concertgoers shouldn’t be surprised if they hear some of the new tunes at the Palace. The album was recorded quickly over three separate weeklong sessions. Since the concert setting is the preferred creative outlet for the band, the live experience was kept in mind throughout the recording sessions.
“Spending a lot of time in the studio, to us, has seemed dangerous,” Devol explained. “We tried to capture a live, in-the-moment kind of feel.
“We designed a lot of the material with the live show in mind. We always try to re-create those sounds and palettes in the studio, but this album more than the others we really kept that in mind,” he continued. “The live show is where the Greensky experience is defined.”