Greensky Bluegrass Welcomes Steppin’ In It Members In Michigan

Greensky Bluegrass concluded their three-night run at Shagbark Farm in Caledonia, Michigan on Sunday. As they did on Friday and Saturday, GSBG welcomed members of the opening band, this time around from fellow Michigan-born group Steppin In It.

Greensky got things going with “What You Need,” which featured crew member Guido Bautista on vibraslap, ahead of “Blood Sucking F(r)iends” and “Reverend.” Steppin’ In It keyboardist Mike Lynch then emerged with an accordion for the Talking Heads’ “Road To Nowhere.” GSBG kicked the song off with the a cappella intro before mandolinist Paul Hoffman led the band through the first couple verses with Lynch adding some spot-on accordion touches as the original contains a squeezebox. Lynch would also take a solo before the band brought the song home.

The quintet continued alone with “Courage For The Road,” which featured some tasty banjo pickin’ from Michael Bont, who celebrated his birthday on Sunday. Dobroist Anders Beck also delivered a killer solo and fit in a tease of “Tweezer Reprise” by Phish. “Courage For The Road” then headed into “Miss September.” Guitarist Dave Bruzza’s “Wings For Wheels” came next ahead of a set-closing segment of “Broke Mountain Breakdown” and Jimi Hendrix’s “The Wind Cries Mary,” last time played on January 15, 2020 for a total of 52 shows, as per Phantasy Tour. A reprise of “Broke Mountain Breakdown” would bring the first frame to a close.

The second set got underway with some birthday t-shirt cannon shenanigans presided over by Bont and Beck with accordion accompaniment from Lynch. The band got the music going with a set-opening section of “Wish I Didn’t Know” and “It’s Not Mine Anymore” capped off with the band finishing up “Courage For The Road.” Bruzza led the way on his “A Letter To Seymour” before Greensky welcomed Steppin’ In It’s Joshua Davis on electric guitar. Davis would take the wheel on his own “Last Winter in Copper Country,” a song GSBG often covers.

GSBG then went it alone for “Jaywalking” and “Ain’t No Bread In The Breadbox.” “Worried About The Weather” would close out the second set which contained elements of both “Demons” and “Leap Year,” two songs that were played consecutively the previous night. Greensky reemerged for the encore with all of Steppin’ In It in tow including drums. The collab featured “Dustbowl Overtures” followed by the GSBG debut of the poignant Bob Seger classic “Against The Wind” to wrap up the guest-filled Shagbark run.

Check out pro-shot video of “What You Need” and “Blood Sucking F(r)iends” below:

Setlist (via Camp Greensky)

Set One: What You Need (1), Blood Sucking F(r)iends, Reverend, Road to Nowhere (2), Courage for the Road (3) > Miss September, Wings for Wheels, Broke Mountain Breakdown > Wind Cries Mary > Broke Mountain Breakdown

Set Two: Wish I Didn’t Know > It’s Not Mine Anymore > Courage for the Road, A Letter to Seymour, Last Winter in Copper Country (4), Jaywalking, Ain’t No Bread in the Breadbox, Worried About the Weather (5)(6)

Encore: Dustbowl Overtures (7), Against the Wind (7)

Notes:

• (1) – w/ Guido Bautista (virbraslap)
• (2) – w/ Mike Lynch
• (3) – Tweezer Reprise tease
• (4) – w/ Joshua Davis
• (5) – Demons tease
• (6) – Leap Year tease
• (7) – w/ Stepping In It