Miércoles Casual: Greensky Bluegrass Welcomes Mariachi Band In Mexico

Greensky Bluegrass closed out the main stage action last night on the first day of Strings & Sol 2023, a bluegrass-centric destination event held at the Dreams Sapphire Resort in Puerto Morelos, Mexico. Fittingly, with the festival starting on Wednesday, the quintet enlisted a local mariachi band to interpret their song “Casual Wednesday” during the two-hour set.

“Sometimes you gotta do stuff,” GSBG dobroist Anders Beck explained after the wild “Casual Wednesday” segment. Beck put his dobro down and addressed the crowd following the band’s “Courage For The Road” opener. “I’m not sure how you look at it but either fortunately or unfortunately it starts on casual Wednesday people,” Anders noted of the 11th edition of Strings & Sol.

Anders Beck then reminded the audience Greensky played “Casual Wednesday” in Spanish at last year’s festival. Beck delivered his narration in Spanish as his bandmates sang “Miércoles Casual” at Strings & Sol 2022.

“How do you step that up another level?” Beck stated in regards to following last year’s version. “And I was thinking you probably need a mariachi band,” the dobroist added before bringing out the six-piece ensemble. Greensky stopped playing the song and ceded the stage to the mariachi band who performed “Miércoles Casual” to the delight of the audience.

Watch Greensky Bluegrass and a Mexican mariachi band play “Miércoles Casual,” aka “Casual Wednesday,” below via fan-shot footage:

Greensky Bluegrass’ 15-song performance also featured a pair of collaborations with singer-songwriter Lindsay Lou. She emerged towards the middle of the set to duet with GSBG’s Paul Hoffman on “Islands In The Stream” and “Grow Together.” The former is a cover of Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton’s 1983 smash, while the latter is an original penned by Hoffman for inclusion on Greensky’s latest studio album — 2022’s Stress Dreams.

The quintet moved on after Lou left the stage with fan-favorite “All Four.” Greensky worked the staple into their first cover of Rayland Baxter’s “Yellow Eyes” since 2020. “Worry For You” was up next before the band looked to Stress Dreams for “Screams” and “Monument,” which were broken up by oldie “The Radio Blues.” Last night’s set came to a close with “Burn Them.”

Setlist (via Phantasy Tour)

Set: Courage for the Road, Casual Wednesday [1], Wish I Didn’t Know > Bone Digger, Past My Prime, Train Junkie, Islands in the Stream [2], Grow Together [2], All Four > Yellow Eyes > Worry for You, Screams, The Radio Blues, Monument, Burn Them

• [1] – Miércoles Casual – performed by mariachi band
• [2] – w/ Lindsay Lou (vocals)