Greensky Bluegrass Honors Bobby Osborne & Jesse McReynolds, Debuts Beatles Cover In Grand Rapids

Greensky Bluegrass finished a summer sweep through their home state of Michigan on Wednesday at Frederik Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids. The band paid tribute to a pair of bluegrass greats who recently passed away with help from mandolinist/vocalist Brian Oberlin during last night’s first set and ended the show by premiering a cover of The Beatles’ “Let It Be.”

The quintet opened the show with “Monument” off their latest album, 2022’s Stress Dreams. Greensky then linked oldies “Just To Lie” and “Bottle Dry” before looking to 2019’s All For Money for “Courage For The Road,” “Murder of Crows” and “What You Need.” The latter featured percussionist Ian MacGregor who stuck around for the ensuing “Burn Them.”

GSBG’s Paul Hoffman went on to introduce the “great and wonderful” Brian Oberlin before the six musicians launched into the beloved “I’d Probably Kill You.” Hoffman noted he learned how to play mandolin by watching Oberlin. “Still learning, that’s why he’s here,” added phoff.

Dobroist Anders Beck took a moment to address the crowd following “I’d Probably Kill You” and exclaimed “we’re keeping” Oberlin. Beck spoke about two losses suffered by the bluegrass world this past week, noting:

So at the heart of Greensky is bluegrass music, folks. As much as we often deny the hell out of it, we are a bluegrass band and it’s a sad week for bluegrass music. We lost a couple of the old school greats. One of those was Jesse McReynolds, he was a great mandolin player … Jim & Jesse. We’re gonna play one of his tunes and then after that we’re gonna play a song by Bobby Osborne, who also passed away this week — great mandolin player. This is the roots of all the shit that we do. It’s just a reminder that not everyone’s gonna be around forever. So think about that sometimes and hug the people that you love.

Jesse McReynolds died of natural causes at age 94 last Friday, June 23 as per Bluegrass Today. The mandolinist/singer-songwriter teamed with his brother, the late Jim McReynolds, under the Jim & Jesse moniker. Greensky Bluegrass guitarist Dave Bruzza fronted the group and Brian Oberlin on a debut cover of Jim & Jesse’s “The Midnight Train.”

“Many years ago I met these boys and they were nuttier than squirrel turds and they still are, give it up for Greensky Bluegrass,” Oberlin exclaimed before leading the band on Bobby Osborne’s version of “Head Over Heels In Love With You.” Bobby Osborne partnered with his brother Sonny to record and perform as the Osborne Brothers. The pair scored a hit with “Rocky Top” in 1967, which became the unofficial state song of Tennessee.

Bobby Osborne died on Tuesday at age 91 according to a statement from The Grand Ole Opry executive producer and vice president Dan Rogers published by The Tennessean. Greensky was joined by Bobby Osborne for “Rocky Top” at Bonnaroo 2017.

“Head Over Heels In Love With You,” another first for Greensky, was written by Lester Flatt and recorded by the Osborne Brothers in 1978. Last night’s opening frame ended with a “Burn Them” featuring an impressive mandolin duel between Paul Hoffman and Brian Oberlin. The second set was a career-spanning affair that included Stress Dreams cuts “Screams,” “Worry For You” and “Grow Together.” Hoffman helmed the Greensky debut of The Beatles’ “Let It Be” to close the show.

Official audio via nugs.net

Setlist (via Phantasy Tour)

Set One: Monument, Just to Lie > Bottle Dry, Courage for the Road, Murder of Crows[1], What You Need [1], I’d Probably Kill You [2], The Midnight Train [2] [3], Head Over Heels [2] [3], Burn Them [2]

Set Two: Reverend, Leap Year, Forget Everything, Hit Parade of Love, Fixin To Ruin, The Radio Blues, Screams, Worry for You, Grow Together

Encore: Let It Be [3]

• [1] – w/ Ian MacGregor (percussion)
• [2] – w/ Brian Oberlin (mandolin, vocals)
• [3] – first time played