The rock/bluegrass hybrid band Greensky Bluegrass is coming to play at the Columbia Music Farm this Thursday, March 9.
Greensky Bluegrass, formed in Kalamazoo, Michigan, has been together since 2000. They got their start by playing open mic nights and other smaller shows until eventually they began to tour more and more and started to build a fan base.
“I would describe it as a small, steady rise,” banjoist Michael Arlen Bont said.
Today, Greensky Bluegrass tours around the country often, including festival appearances like Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, Forecastle, the New Orleans Jazz Festival and Outside Lands. The whole time the band was touring and growing, they were developing their live show into something they feel is unique.
“I would expect the unexpected,” Bont said when asked what USC students should expect from their show. “We are very improvisational and though we are song-based, the instrumental aspect is always changing in the show.”
Greensky Bluegrass runs a line between traditional bluegrass and a more modern rock sound. This is evident in their most recent album, “Shouted, Written Down & Quoted,” which was released last year.
“This album is a crazy carnival one minute, and it’s a psychedelic Pink Floyd jam the next,” guitarist Dave Bruzza said in the band’s bio.
The band’s successes have also come without the help of a label. While Greensky Bluegrass has managed to stay independent, Bont doesn’t view this as something important to him simply stating, “If it's not broke, don’t fix it.”
Bont encourages people to watch some of their live recordings to get a taste of their show. You can also follow the band on Twitter at @campgreensky.
The doors at the Music Farm open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. The show is 16 and over and ticket prices are $20 to $22.