Getting Better All The Time: Greensky Bluegrass Impresses In New York City – Photos, Setlist & Video

Images by: Nick Price

Words by: Scott Bernstein

Greensky Bluegrass & Fruition :: 1/28/2017 :: PlayStation Theater :: New York City

Venue Segues – Greensky Bluegrass Headlining Shows In New York City 2012 > 2017: Sullivan Hall 1/19/2012 > Highline Ballroom 7/13/12 > BB King’s 4/17/2013 > Bowery Ballroom 9/21/2013 > Music Hall of Williamsburg 1/30/2014 > Gramercy Theatre 9/13/2014 > Brooklyn Bowl 1/28 & 29/2015 > Music Hall of Williamsburg 9/12/2015 > Irving Plaza 1/30/2016 > PlayStation Theater 1/28/2017

Saturday was a sad day for our nation as the repercussions of President Donald Trump’s “Muslim Ban” played out. It was hard to look away from grave news reports and anxious social media updates about those forbidden from entering our “melting pot.” After a depressing day there was nothing I needed more than a few hours of forgetting about the horrors and focusing on live music. Thankfully, Fruition and Greensky Bluegrass brought their Winter Tour to New York City’s PlayStation Theater on Saturday night just when I needed an escape most. Both bands delivered dazzling performances filled with joy and impressive musicianship.

Greensky Bluegrass continues to grow its now sizable fanbase as the Michigan-based band moves from one NYC venue to another, with each providing another step up the ladder of success. I first saw the five-piece on Jam Cruise 9 and was immediately taken with their high-energy, rock-infused brand of bluegrass. The following January I saw them with about 40 others at the tiny Sullivan Hall in New York City and after last night’s show have now seen them at seven very different venues in the Big Apple. Each time out the crowd grew as did the band’s talent and repertoire. Just when I think GSBG has hit their peak, they take it to the next level. My jaw was left agape throughout the night thanks to Greensky Bluegrass’s wonderful songs, spot-on covers and propensity to jam.

Portland, Oregon’s Fruition kicked off the action on Saturday and treated fans to a set heavy on material from their recently released Labor Of Love studio album. Fruition fuses Americana, rock, folk and roots music into their own fresh sound. Multi-instrumentalist Mimi Naja is a star of the scene, while guitarist Jay Cobb Anderson is a badass axeslinger and songwriter. Kellen Asebroek recovered from a keyboard that blew up during the first song the previous evening to utilize a new instrument on Saturday with seemingly no ill effects. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Fruition.

Greensky Bluegrass took the stage at 9:30 and played straight through for four hours besides a short intermission. I couldn’t have asked for a better setlist as the group worked through old favorites, brilliant material from 2016’s Shouted, Written Down & Quoted and choice covers. It all started with “Hold On,” the song from which the title of the band’s LP was taken. Mandolinist Paul Hoffman is a national treasure with a powerful voice, joyful stage presence and fleet fingers. His skills were on display all night long.

The first cover from Greensky was a take on Traffic’s “Light Up Or Leave Me Alone” that featured an intense jam with hints of Phish’s “Tweezer Reprise.” Despite the all-acoustic, no drums instrumentation Greensky is far from just a bluegrass band. They go all in when they jam often straying far from the normal structure of their songs. On Saturday, “Broke Mountain Breakdown” and “Don’t Lie” were the improvisational highlights. Dobro wiz Anders Becek always knew just the right riff to lay down, while guitarist Dave Bruzza has a fierce rhythmic edge to his picking. Not only does Mike Devol hold down the bottom edge on upright bass, but he has a beautiful voice perfect for high and lonesome harmonies. Then there’s Michael Bont who garners a piercing sound from his banjo that cuts through the jams.

A highlight of the night came at the start of the second set, when Greensky Bluegrass unleashed their marvelous cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City.” For my money, it’s one of the best covers regularly played by a band in the jam scene and Saturday’s rendition was no exception. After Hoffman was finished belting out the lyrics, the band vamped on the “Atlantic City” progression while Beck told the story of how he was inspired to be a better songwriter by Springsteen’s song. He said his aim was to write a tune just as good as “Atlantic City.” And while he admittedly failed he felt “Broke Mountain Breakdown” was as close as he’d come. With that Greensky embarked on an adventurous version of Beck’s song.

The second set was chock full of the aspects of GSBG’s live show that keeps fans coming back. Both “Windshield” and “The Four” are proof positive the adage “jam bands can’t write good songs” is a fallacy. The large audience screamed away to the refrain of the former, something that gave me goosebumps. After two wonderful sets Greensky could’ve been excused for a hit-it-and-quit-it encore, but instead they delivered a fine “Merely Avoiding” and a singalong cover of JJ Cale’s “After Midnight.” While I’ve been lucky in that GSBG comes back to NYC often, they’ve grown their improvisation and catalog to the level where I’m ready to start traveling to see them. I see no stop to their growth anytime soon.

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”456″ gal_title=”20170128 Greensky Bluegrass Fruition NYC Price”]

Video

[Atlantic City | Captured by jnesbihal]

Setlist

Set One: Hold On, Jaywalking, Light Up Or Leave Me Alone, 33443, 200 Miles From Montana, Hit Parade Of Love, Better Off, Who Is Fredrico?, A Day In The Life > Run Or Die

Set Two: Atlantic City -> Broke Mountain Breakdown > Miss September, How Mountain Girls Can Love > Dustbowl Overtures, Windshield > The Four > Take Cover, Don’t Lie

Encore: Merely Avoiding > After Midnight