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Greensky Bluegrass at Humboldt Brews

Greensky Bluegrass
Humboldt Brews
Arcata, CA
July 25

Greensky Bluegrass made their way up to the redwoods for another lively show at Arcata’s local brewpub/concert venue, Humboldt Brews. The magic was in the air: Greensky Bluegrass was making their way back down from Oregon’s annual bluegrass bash, Northwest String Summit with a number of avid, smiling followers in tow. These happy-vibers mish-mashed quite nicely with the locals, bringing a unique energy with them. Though they had spent several days in the Oregon heat, the energy was high for the band also, making for an ethereal experience. Watching Anders Beck pick on the dobro, losing himself in the moment several times, or listening to Dave Bruzza crooning is nothing short of fascinating.

For anyone unfamiliar with Greensky Bluegrass, they hail from Michigan. With Dave Bruzza on guitar, Paul Hoffman picking away on the mandolin, Mike Devol bringing out the low-end on the upright bass, Anders Beck vibing on the dobro, and Mike Bont picking the banjo, this quintet has been exploding in both the jamband and bluegrass scenes alike. Each band member brings a unique, skilled component to the personality of Greensky Bluegrass, pulling together to make a complex sound unlike anything else out there. They’ve gained a strong following with their seemingly endless touring – packing shows and dominating festivals across the country.

Greensky Bluegrass is currently touring promoting their recently released jammin’-packed five song EP Handguns which is currently available for free download on their site. Mixed in with many favorites, they introduced the enthusiastic crowd to each new track, a pleasant surprise each time to hear something for the first time. This band’s ability to meld bluegrass pickin’ and country-style soulful lyrics along with the unique sound of Anders’ dobro has set them apart from the standard, making it difficult to categorize them in any one genre – which is a beautiful thing. Their cover of Pink Floyd’s “Time” was truly the highlight of the evening at Humboldt Brews, a brilliant example of their talent and pure diversity.