Greensky Bluegrass is a band with five members that plays American bluegrass music. The group was started in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in mid-2000. Over time, the band grew from three to five members, began using electric instruments, and added a full light show during performances. Some articles mention that Greensky Bluegrass's music is not exactly bluegrass. However, the band describes its sound as a mix of traditional bluegrass and rock & roll, combining the lively sound of string bands with the creative and bold style of rock music.

Career

The band was formed in the fall of 2000 by Michael Arlen Bont (banjo), Dave Bruzza (guitar), and Paul Hoffman (mandolin). They began playing together at an open mic night. As new members to the bluegrass scene, the three musicians used many different influences and musical backgrounds. These influences are shown in their May 2004 album Less than Supper, which was recorded with bassist Chris Carr and dobro player Al Bates. Both Carr and Bates left the band soon after. Classical cellist Michael Devol first tried to help with the band's management but later joined as bassist in the fall of 2004. The group says their strong connection comes from being more like a family than just a band.

In the summer of 2006, the band won the Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Competition. This earned them a spot on the main stage of the 2007 festival. Later that year, they released their second studio album, Tuesday Letter, produced by Tim Carbone of Railroad Earth. In 2007, they added Dobroist Anders Beck to complete their group.

On September 23, 2016, the band released their album Shouted, Written Down & Quoted, produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos and co-produced, engineered, mixed, and mastered by Glenn Brown. Most of this album was recorded in Asheville, North Carolina, in October 2015. The band continued touring and released their first live album, Courage for the Road: Fall 2019 (Live), on January 10, 2020. This was the first of two live albums released that year. They followed it with Courage for the Road: Winter 2020 (Live) in March 2020.

On January 21, 2022, the band released their album Stress Dreams, produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Glenn Brown.

Collaborations

Greensky Bluegrass has performed on stage with the following artists:

• Phil Lesh
• Bill Kreutzmann & Papa Mali
• Cornmeal
• Larry Keel
• Railroad Earth
• Sam Bush
• Billy Strings
• Yonder Mountain String Band
• Jon Fishman
• Holly Bowling
• Tom Hamilton