Greensky Bluegrass Trying to Be Part of Genre's Uptick

Note: Greensky will be at the Rex Theatre, South Side. Pittsburgh, December 3.

By John Benson Correspondent@News-Herald.com

The Kalamazoo shuffle is the name Greensky Bluegrass dobro player Anders Beck has given to describe his band's definitive sound.Specifically, this vibe or feeling can be experienced on the Michigan-based quintet's new mid-tempo song "Reverent," which can be found on the outfit's new CD, "Five Interstates.""It has that loping feel that this band plays very well," said Beck, calling from Kalamazoo, Mich. "It's this sort of groove, loping tempo that people can dance to but doesn't go by so fast that you miss what someone is saying. A big part of this band has always been the songwriting to make us unique and make it sound like our own, and this album has some of our best work song-wise and playing wise, too."As far as this bluegrass goes, there's always a focus on traditional bluegrass and traditional songs, things like that. We certainly pay our respects to that but also try to make it our own through original songwriting and things like that."Formed around the turn of the century, Greensky Bluegrass' rise through the ranks of the club circuit also mirrors the increased attention the genre has received over the last decade. What might have begun with the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack eventually led to the mainstream noticing Nickel Creek and Alison Krauss.

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