Greensky Bluegrass Reunites With Billy Strings & Honors The Beatles In Boston

Greensky Bluegrass began a run of shows featuring support from old friend Billy Strings on Tuesday night but the acts did not collaborate at Portland, Maine’s State Theatre. The story was different on Wednesday at the House Of Blues in Boston, where Billy sat-in on two songs with GSBG. Once again, Greensky didn’t perform “Casual Wednesday” or have a theme in store as they had at many past Wednesday night shows prior to 2019.

Strings opened with the one-year-old original “Hollow Heart” and then paired “Thirst Mutilator” with “So Many Miles.” Billy went on to lead his band on Little Feat’s “Willin'” before rarity “Watch It Fall” and an adventurous “Meet Me At The Creek” set closer featuring a “Tweezer Reprise” jam and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” jam.

Greensky Bluegrass honored the 50th anniversary of The Beatles’ final performance by kicking off their first of two sets with “Get Back.” The five-piece had last played “Get Back” on July 22, 2016. Classic originals “Handguns” and “Living Over” were broken up by Jimmy Martin’s “Hit Parade Of Love.” Next up was the fourth-ever rendition of “Do Harm” from the group’s recently released All For Money LP. Strings then emerged to lend a hand on a “Butcher’s Girl” featuring teases of “Meet Me At The Creek” and a wild “Broke Mountain Breakdown” containing a cover of “One Way Out” within.

The quintet put the focus on All For Money during their second set in Boston. “Cathedral Eyes,” “Murder Of Crows,” “What You Need” and “Like Reflections” all made the setlist. GSBG’s closing stanza also featured old favorites “All Four,” “Just To Lie” and “Train Junkie.” The group ended the frame with a cover of Bruce Hornsby’s “King Of The Hill” and encored with Townes Van Zandt’s “White Freight Liner Blues.” Watch fan-shot videos that include some of the Billy/Greensky collaborations:

Butcher’s Girl Captured by marlasmusicclips

One Way Out Captured by Joh Maurer

Setlists (via Billy Strings Fan Page & Camp Greensky)

Billy Strings

Set: Hollow Heart, Thirst Mutilator > So Many Miles, Willin’, Dealing Despair, Watch it Fall, Meet Me at the Creek (1)(2)

• (1) “Smells Like Teen Spirit” tease
• (2) “Tweezer Reprise” jam

Greensky Bluegrass

Set One: Get Back, Handguns, Hit Parade of Love (1), Living Over, Do Harm, Butcher’s Girl (2) (3), Broke Mountain Breakdown (2) > One Way Out (2) > Broke Mountain Breakdown (2)

Set Two: Cathedral Eyes, All Four, Murder of Crows, What You Need (4), Just to Lie > Train Junkie, Like Reflections, King of the Hill

Encore: White Freight Liner Blues

• (1) – Get Back tease
• (2) – w/ Billy Strings
• (3) – Meet Me at the Creek tease
• (4) – w/ Guido Batista (vibraslap)