Hear Greensky Bluegrass Dust Off ‘Ride Captain Ride’ Cover On ‘Casual Wednesday’ In Dillon

Greensky Bluegrass launched a four-night run through Colorado on Wednesday with their first of two concerts at the scenic Dillon Amphitheater. Last night was fan Max “Funk Captain Max” Berde’s 250th GSBG show and the band honored the occasion in a number of ways, including by breaking out their cover of Blues Image’s “Ride Captain Ride” for the first time in nearly two years.

The jamgrass quintet went heavy on covers in Dillon, where they opened the first set with the classic folk song “Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down” and closed the frame with a rendition of Bob Marley’s “Small Axe” dedicated to Berde. “On behalf of all of us here at Greensky Bluegrass, we’d just like to send a warm, cozy, wet, slippery, sloppy I love you to our friend Max,” mandolinist Paul Hoffman proclaimed as the band started the reggae song. “250 damn shows, man. I’ll never get tired of watching you smile, my friend. Here’s to 250 more.”

A nicely-extended “Lose My Way” followed “Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down,” and then Greensky worked through Stress Dreams b-side “Get Out” and took on Paul Simon’s “Gumboots.” From there the five-piece coupled “It’s Not Mine Anymore” off 2019’s All For Money with the title track from their 2011 LP Handguns. Next, the band played Flatt and Scruggs’ “Cryin’ Holy Unto The Lord” and their own “Stress Dreams” before performing the “Small Axe” in tribute to Funk Captain Max. In addition to the dedication, phoff changed a lyric in the Marley cover to “these are the words of my Maxster.”

Hoffman led his bandmates through “Worry For You” to get last night’s second set underway. Greensky Bluegrass then covered “Ride Captain Ride” for the first time since September 19, 2021 — a span of 165 shows. Up next was the day-appropriate “Casual Wednesday.” Dobroist Anders Beck‘s narration included additional shout outs to Berde. Max was also the subject of a lyric change in “I’d Probably Kill You” a few songs later as GSBG sang, “Might burn your house down pretty sure Captain Max was in there.”

The second set concluded with “Before Bring Out Your Dead” giving way to “Bring Out Your Dead.” Greensky threw in a “Reverend” encore for good measure. It’s back to Dillon Amphitheater tonight for the band before they return to the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre outside Denver on Friday and Saturday.

Watch videos from the special night in Dillon below:

Official Audio (via nugs.net)

Setlist (via Phantasy Tour)

Set One: Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down, Lose My Way, Get Out, Gumboots, It’s Not Mine Anymore, Handguns, Cryin’ Holy Unto The Lord (Rock Where Moses Stood), Stress Dreams, Small Axe

Set Two: Worry for You, Ride Captain Ride, Casual Wednesday, Freeborn Man, Bone Digger, I’d Probably Kill You, Hit Parade of Love, Take Cover, Before Bring Out Your Dead > Bring Out Your Dead

Encore: Reverend