Michigan’s finest jamgrass pickers teamed up on Sunday in Grand Rapids where Greensky Bluegrass welcomed Billy Strings for an extensive sit-in. Lansing-born Billy teamed up with Kalamazoo-birthed Greensky for most of the second set at Frederik Meijer Gardens Amphitheater, and the ensemble closed out the show with an emotional tribute to the late Jeff Austin by way of a Rolling Stones cover.
Strings has long maintained that Greensky Bluegrass was one of his major sources of inspiration as he transitioned into playing bluegrass music as his main outlet following an extensive foray into heavy metal as a teenager. The two camps have enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship since Billy’s climb up the jamgrass food chain, and it was a 2018 tour opening for Greensky that first put Billy on many fans’ radars. Since Strings has ascended to playing sold-out arenas around the country and making fans around the world, he still hasn’t forgotten about the people who inspired him and gave him a pivotal early chance.
After breezing through Wendy Waldman‘s “Can’t Stop Now”, the original “Cold Feet”, and Cris Jacobs‘ “Bone Digger”, Greensky fired up “I’d Probably Kill You”. During the setlist regular from 2011’s Handguns, mandolinist/vocalist Paul Hoffman altered the lyrics to, “Might burn your house down / If I was somehow sure that Billy Strings was in there,” as the guitarist strolled onstage mid-song. Billy added his titular Strings to a run of Greensky originals including “Demons”, a “Hot Dogs on Parade” performed as a duo with guitarist Dave Bruzza, “Reverend”, and a climactic “Monument” that saw the deepest improvisation of the collaboration.
Though Strings departed to let Greensky finish the set with “Windshield” and “Run or Die”, he would return for the encore. Together, Billy Strings and Greensky Bluegrass paid tribute to their mutual monumental inspiration Jeff Austin with a cover of The Rolling Stones’ “No Expectations”, a staple of the late mandolinist’s performances throughout his career with Yonder Mountain String Band and the Jeff Austin Band. Though Greensky Bluegrass was certainly a pivotal creative force for Billy, few besides the likes of Doc Watson and Bill Monroe have had the level of impact on the bluegrass wunderkind than Austin, for whom Billy assembles a small shrine atop his amplifier at every show.
Billy Strings wasn’t the only special guest at Sunday’s show, with Brian Oberlin joining in for the first set. The Full Cord mandolinist and fellow Mitten Stater is a frequent guest of Greensky’s annual trip to Grand Rapids, and this time added his frenetic runs to “Take Cover”.
Watch Billy Strings join Greensky Bluegrass in Grand Rapids in a series of videos and scroll down to check out a gallery of images from the show courtesy of photographer Steve Baran. Greensky’s tour continues on Tuesday in Fort Wayne, IN. Visit the band’s website for tickets and a full list of tour dates.
Greensky Bluegrass, Billy Strings — “I’d Probably Kill You” — 6/9/24
View this post on Instagram
Setlist: Greensky Bluegrass | Frederik Meijer Gardens Amphitheater | Grand Rapids, MI | 6/9/24
Set One: Who Is Frederico, Wish I Didn’t Know, New And Improved. Old Barns, Take Cover [1] [2], Born Again, Entirely Mine, Solstice
Set Two: Can’t Stop Now (Wendy Waldman), Cold Feet, Bone Digger (Cris Jacobs), I’d Probably Kill You [3], Demons [3], Hot Dogs On Parade [4], Reverend [3], Monument [3], Windshield, Run Or Die
Encore: No Expectations (The Rolling Stones) [3]
[1] w/ Brian Oberlin
[2] Simpsons theme tase
[3] w/ Billy Strings
[4] Only Dave Bruzza and Billy Strings
The post Greensky Bluegrass & Billy Strings Team Up For Jeff Austin Tribute & A Whole Lot More In Michigan [Photos/Videos] appeared first on L4LM.
