By kicking up a wildly entertaining bluegrass dust cloud, West Michigan’s own Greensky Bluegrass launched the final day of Electric Forest in Rothbury on an energetic, smile-inducing note. (Photo gallery)
Electric Forest Jam: Anders Beck of Greensky Bluegrass on the Ranch Arena Stage Sunday. (Photo/Anna Sink)
“Good morning,” Dobro player Anders Beck announced as the Kalamazoo-based Greensky Bluegrass launched into its set, which actually started in mid-afternoon Sunday on Electric Forest’s Ranch Arena Stage. “There’s something good about a festival when you can say good morning at three in the afternoon, everyone.”
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And so began Greensky Bluegrass’ engaging hour-and-a-half performance, playing to a dust-encrusted crowd of rustic hippies, neon ravers and bluegrass enthusiasts. As one of the few Great Lakes State bands represented at the 100-plus act, four-day Electric Forest, Greensky Bluegrass proved its Michigan mettle.
“We are Greensky Bluegrass and these are instruments,” Beck quipped in introducing the band to a hyped-up crowd.
Over the course of the set, twangy harmonies layered over upbeat, rollicking finger-picking solos on banjo, mandolin and guitar had the crowd on its feet the entire time. The usual, impressive festival hula-hooping (seriously, do these guys practice all year in preparation?) and rocking out by all ages accompanied the music. For the hearing-impaired, a sign language interpreter signed the words off to the side of the stage.
“Looks like we got ourselves a bluegrass dust cloud,” guitarist Dave Bruzza remarked at the billowing dirt rising over the frolicking dancers.
Michigan Made: Mike Bont and Paul Hoffman of Greensky Bluegrass. (Photo/Anna Sink)
Like the dust fans kicked up, the audience started out modestly, but grew as festival-goers flocked to the stage. After four days of celebrating with an estimated 30,000 or so festival-goers, the wearier souls in the crowd gathered on the fringes of the courtyard, in hammocks and on blankets spread out on the grass. While some came to dance, others came just to relax and enjoy.
The band was clearly comfortable onstage, joking and interacting with the crowd. At one point the band took the time to recognize those who had attended the group’s performance at Electric Forest two years ago, standing in the rain to “laugh, dance and smile with us.”
Mandolinist Paul Hoffman, who graduated from Mona Shores High School just down the road from Rothbury, had told LocalSpins.com earlier in the week that Sunday’s Electric Forest show promised to be “a really good homecoming” for the road-warrior band. And indeed it was.
The band concluded its set with a soaring, 15-minute jam, utilizing atmospheric wah-wah pedals. The bass reverberated throughout the courtyard as the crowd bopped, nodded and moved to the groove. With this set, Greensky Bluegrass clearly cemented its Electric Forest reputation as a must-see bluegrass-jamming outfit that can make audience laugh, too.
(For Local Spins photo and video highlights of Day 3, click here. For Day 2, go online here.)
ELECTRIC FOREST DAY 3/GREENSKY BLUEGRASS: LOCAL SPINS PHOTO GALLERY (JUNE 30, 2013)
Email John Sinkevics at jsinkevics@gmail.com.
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