Tomorrow night, one of the nation’s most critically acclaimed bluegrass bands, Greensky Bluegrass, will be performing at the Lyric Oxford.
However, according to the group’s banjo player, Michael Bont, bluegrass might just be the last type of music attendees should expect to hear.
“We play bluegrass instruments, but we don’t play bluegrass,” Bont said. “We can play bluegrass, but we kind of delve into every genre of music. It’s hard to understand unless you actually come see a show.”
Many of the members of the band receive heavy influence from legendary psychedelic rock group Grateful Dead as well as rock group Phish, but this has not stopped them from taking a little bit from almost every genre across the board.
“A lot of us are into indie rock and classic rock and jazz and punk,” said Bont. “We kind of like all the genres of music, but we just happen to play bluegrass instruments.”
This grand experiment of sorts began with humble roots. The original members of the band started their careers in music by doing open mic nights in their hometown of Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Even then, the band did not define themselves as a bluegrass band exclusively. Most of the members did not pick up traditional bluegrass instruments, such as the mandolin or the banjo, until early adulthood.
“We all had a mutual interest in the genre,” Bont said. “We started doing open mics. And then one thing led to another, and we started playing some shows here locally. We just kept learning tunes, and now, here I am.”
More than a decade has passed since the band’s inception, and now Greensky Bluegrass has been widely recognized as one of the major up-and-comers within the bluegrass genre, securing positive reviews in publications such as “Garden & Gun” and “Rolling Stone.” Perhaps the aspect of the group that is highlighted by both the band and the press is their live show, something that Bont feels truly defines Greensky.
“I think there is something to be said about the live show experience,” Bont said. “Our show is never the same every night. You can go see our band every night of the week and it’s not going to be the same show that you saw the night previous. Usually, people come see our show and they end up being fans after they leave.”
As a consequence of this attitude, the band has devoted themselves to a severely exhaustive touring schedule, playing back to back shows all over the country in order to spread the brand of music that is Greensky Bluegrass.
The show on Thursday is the first stop for their fall tour, which will head west into a variety of cities in California and Oregon, eventually wrapping back around to their hometown in Michigan. The band boasts a regular touring schedule of up to 175 shows a year.
The newest album available from Greensky Bluegrass, “If Sorrows Swim,” was released in September of last year. It is the band’s fifth studio album, and Bont feels it is a perfect follow-up to their fourth release, “Handguns”.
“I feel like it’s a continuation of where Handguns left off,” Bont said. “Our first two albums are kind of bluegrassy. (‘If Sorrows Swim’ and ‘Handguns’) have more of that Greensky sound. Like the culmination of all different influences and genres. We try to create more soundscapes.”
The show on Thursday begins at 7 p.m. Tickets range in price from $15 to $18.
