Greensky Bluegrass Welcomes Lil Smokies’ Andy Dunnigan For Bruce Hornsby & Beatles Covers In Montana

Greensky Bluegrass kicked off a two-show run across Montana on Sunday with a concert at The Wilma Theatre in Missoula. Montana’s own Andy Dunnigan of The Lil Smokies served as the welcoming committee by joining GSBG for an original and a medley of Bruce Hornsby and The Beatles covers to end the first set.

The Lil Smokies have a long history with Greensky Bluegrass that includes the Montana-based string band touring as support for the Michigan-birthed jamgrass act in 2019. Dunnigan sat in on “Living Over” last summer in Bonner, Montana, while more recently, Andy and bandmate fiddler Jake Simpson were GSBG’s special guests on July 27, 2024, in Winter Park, Colorado.

Greensky got last night’s show underway with a string of “Better Off,” “Do Harm,” and “Run Or Die” before performing the location-appropriate “200 Miles From Montana.” A take on Flatt & Scruggs’ “Cryin’ Holy Unto The Lord” was then followed by “Distracted” off GSBG’s 2023 Iceland Sessions EP recorded with keyboardist Holly Bowling.

Andy Dunnigan emerged to lend a hand on oldie “Lend A Hand.” Greensky Bluegrass and their guest then launched into an 18-minute version of Bruce Hornsby’s “King Of The Hill” that featured The Beatles classic “Why Don’t We Do It On The Road?” within. The White Album gem was last played by GSBG on July 3, 2021 — a span of 263 shows.

Yet, “Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?” wasn’t the biggest bust out of the night. A second set that contained such beloved favorites as “I’d Probably Kill You,” “Bring Out Your Dead,” “In Control” and “Burn Them” also featured “Cold Sheets Of Rain.” Greensky Bluegrass hadn’t performed the Virginia Squires cover since June 4, 2016 — a span of 676 shows.

Greensky Bluegrass had one more surprise in store for fans in Missoula. The quintet selected “Drink Up And Go Home” as the encore. The Jimmy Martin cover had been on the shelf since January.

Watch fan-shot video of Greensky performing “China Cat Sunflower > Burn Them” and “Cold Sheets Of Rain” in Missoula:

Greensky Bluegrass comoletes their visit to Montana on Tuesday in Three Forks. It’s then off to Colorado for their annual run at Red Rocks.

Official Audio (via nugs.net)

Setlist (via PT GSBG)

Set One: Better Off, Do Harm, Run or Die, 200 Miles from Montana, Cryin’ Holy Unto The Lord, Distracted, Lose My Way* > King of the Hill* > Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?* > King of the Hill

Set Two: I’d Probably Kill You, Broken Highways > Before Bring Out Your Dead > Bring Out Your Dead, In Control, Cold Sheets of Rain, Worried About the Weather, China Cat Sunflower > Burn Them

Encore: Drink Up and Go Home

* – with Andy Dunnigan (dobro)