Greensky Bluegrass, The High Hawks (album release)
Dylan Langille
The band Greensky Bluegrass at the fairgrounds.
Greensky Bluegrass
Michigan quintet Greensky Bluegrass works inside the traditional framework of the genre, but the tremendously distinctive sound the group has built over the last couple of decades is undeniably on the progressive side of the fence. Through steady touring and a string of excellent recordings, Greensky in 2024 stands tall as a giant in the bluegrass world. Double bonus: Opening is The High Hawks, an Americana-jam supergroup (Adam Greuel of Horseshoes and Hand Grenades is a member) whose new album, Mother Nature’s Show, was released Feb. 16.
$35 ($28 adv.).
media release: Greensky Bluegrass are widely known for their thoughtful lyricism, edgy and genre-expansive sound, dazzling live performances and relentless touring schedule.
However, that is only the tip of the complex tale of the five musicians that make up Greensky Bluegrass: Anders Beck [dobro], Michael Arlen Bont [banjo], Dave Bruzza [guitar], Mike Devol [upright bass], and Paul Hoffman [Mandolin]. The five are connected through a deep bond, just as they are seasoned road warriors, they’re a band of brothers who have seen each other through decades of ups and downs, personal and collective highlights, and the moments when life turns it all upside down.
For the past century, bluegrass music has traditionally relayed real tales of American life, struggle, tragedy, and triumph. It gives a voice to the quiet, yet colorful stories woven into the fabric of the country itself. Greensky Bluegrass live these stories through their records and performances.
“Greensky is and always has been very unique in our world,” says Paul Hoffman. “We put our love, energy, and focus into what we appreciate about our music. We come together as a band in a way that’s organic. We take a lot of pride in how we grow and challenge each other too. We’re maturing together. I think we get more Greensky all of the time.”
The High Hawks have premiered a new lyric video for their timely song "Temperature Is Rising." Americana Highways premiered the video, writing that the song's "swaggery roots rock launches this probe into the confusion and conflict that we experience with the uncontrolled experiment we all live within – social media." As we dive head first into another presidential election year, the song and video hit home ahead of the anticipated division tearing at the social fabric of this country. The song appears on their upcoming sophomore album, Mother Nature's Show, out February 16, 2024 on LoHi Records.
The song's co-writer, Tim Carbone, shares: "Social media has turned into a poison and it’s played a large part in the disconnect and dissonance in our society. 'Temperature Is Rising' tries to chronicle and address that."
The High Hawks features Vince Herman (Leftover Salmon), Tim Carbone (Railroad Earth), Chad Staehly (Great American Taxi), Adam Greuel (Horseshoes & Hand Grenades), Brian Adams (DeadPhish Orchestra), and Will Trask (Great American Taxi), all bring decades of recording and touring history to the project which they recorded during a snowy January at Minnesota's famed Pachyderm Studios. The song sequence — a musical travelogue — takes the listener down Highway 61, the oft-called “Blues Highway” immortalized by Bob Dylan, that follows the Mississippi River from Minnesota to New Orleans, passing through St. Louis, Memphis and the Mississippi delta.
The rest of of the songs on Mother Nature's show represent a variety of musical stylings — from Southern, country and psychedelic rock to honky-tonk and even a ballad and a waltz — with The High Hawks’ sonic cohesiveness claiming each style as their own.
Pre-order CD/vinyl editions of the album via the LoHi store — all physical pre-orders (CD/vinyl) will be automatically entered for a chance to win win an Epiphone acoustic guitar autographed by the band: https://www.lohirecords.com/