Greensky Bluegrass
(Not your Grandmothers Bluegrass)
The band was formed in the fall of 2000 by Michael Arlen Bont (banjo), Dave Bruzza (guitar), and Paul Hoffman (mandolin). As newcomers to the bluegrass scene, the three drew upon an array of influences and varied musical backgrounds, reflected in their May 2004 release of Less than Supper, recorded with bassist Chris Carr and dobro player Al Bates. Both Bates and Carr left the band shortly thereafter. In the fall of the same year, bassist Michael Devol joined the group.
In the summer of 2006 the band were winners of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Competition, earning them a spot on the main stage of the 2007 festival. Soon thereafter they released their second studio album, Tuesday Letter, produced by Tim Carbone of Railroad Earth.
In November 2007 the band released its first live recording Live At Bell's, documenting two shows at Bell's Brewery in their hometown of Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Just over a month later Greensky Bluegrass added Anders Beck of Wayword Sons to the line-up, replacing Al Bates on dobro. In August 2008 the band released their third studio recording Five Interstates, also produced by Tim Carbone.
Their fourth, and most critically acclaimed album, Handguns, made its debut on Billboard's Bluegrass Charts at No. 3 in October 2011, and spent nine weeks on the chart, landing at No. 33 for 2011 on Billboard's Year End Bluegrass Chart.
Greensky Bluegrass has been known to share the stage with act like Sam Bush, The Hackensaw Boys, Larry Keel, and Railroad earth.
