Greensky Bluegrass brought their summer tour to the Kresge Auditorium in Interlochen, Michigan on Monday. The home state show saw GSBG welcoming longtime collaborator and Michigan-based singer-songwriter Joshua Davis for a pair of his songs to close out the first set.
Greensky Bluegrass — mandolinist Paul Hoffman, guitarist Dave Bruzza, bassist Mike Devol, banjoist Michael Bont and dobro player Anders Beck — launched the show with the bluegrass standard “Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down.” Oldies from Greensky’s catalog, “Lose My Way” and “Jaywalking,” followed before the quintet broke out Bruce Hornsby’s “King Of The Hill” for the first time in 2023, last time played on August 26, 2022, as per Phantasy Tour.
Up next, “Give A Shit” from the band’s latest studio album, 2022’s Stress Dreams, ahead of the band’s recent single, “Congratulations and Condolences,” a co-write between Joshua Davis and Paul Hoffman that emerged from the Stress Dreams sessions. Bruzza then helmed his “A Letter To Seymour” before GSBG brought out Davis.
Greensky Bluegrass formed in 2000 at the University of Western Michigan in Kalamazoo. The band and Michigan-based singer-songwriter Joshua Davis — who is now an instructor at the Interlochen Arts Academy — have long been friends and collaborators, with Greensky performing Davis’ “Last Winter In The Copper Country” acorss decades.
Josh and GSBG launched their team up with the song. ”Last Winter In The Copper Country” appears on Josh’s longtime band Steppin In It’s 2002 album of the same name. Greensky and Davis concluded their collab with the latter’s “Delta 88.” GSBG had not played the song since July 12, 2019 for a total gap of 253 shows, as per Phantasy Tour. “Delta 88” concluded the first frame.
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Greensky kicked off the second set with the staple “Demons” before pairing up Stress Dreams closer “Reasons To Stay” and the band’s cover of the Bruce Springsteen/The Band classic “Atlantic City.” “Living Over,” “Past My Prime, “ Streetlight, “Wheel Hoss” and “Who Is Frederico?” followed. Greensky Bluegrass wrapped the second set with “Run Or Die” before returning to encore with “Tied Down.”
Official audio via nugs.net
Setlist (via Phantasy Tour)
Set One: Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down, Lose My Way, Jaywalking, King of the Hill, Give a Shit, Congratulations and Condolences, A Letter to Seymour, Last Winter in the Copper Country[1], Delta 88[1]
Set 2: Demons, Reasons to Stay > Atlantic City, Living Over, Past My Prime, Streetlight, Wheel Hoss, Who Is Frederico?, Run or Die
Encore: Tied Down
Notes:
[1] w/ Josh Davis (vocals, guitar)
