Today, Greensky Bluegrass, Anders Beck [dobro], Michael Arlen Bont [banjo], Dave Bruzza [guitar], Mike Devol [upright bass], and Paul Hoffman [Mandolin] proudly share the 26-song live album, The Leap Year Sessions: Volume 2. The Leap Year Sessions are a collection of songs taken from a series of live-streamed performances in 2020.
"We’d never gone that long without playing music or seeing each other.” Paul Hoffman explains, “We talked about all the things we could do to play shows, socially distanced safe shows, but it wasn’t safe for people to be together, so we thought we would do a series of live streams.”
“We tackled 8 full sessions with no repeats,” Bruzza adds. “2020, will not go undocumented. Certainly, it won’t be forgotten.”
Earlier this week, Rolling Stone Country exclusively premiered the video performance of Greensky’s take on John Prine’s “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness,” featured in TLYS Volume 2.
WATCH "SPEED OF THE SOUND OF LONELINESS"
Bruzza spoke with Rolling Stone Country saying “John Prine’s music has always inspired us. We wanted to do some different covers during these shows, and since he passed away in April we thought this would be a nice tribute to him and his music.”
Later this Spring, Greensky will hit the road for several multi-night runs across the country.
The tour kicks off on May 14 in Charleston, SC, and will take the band all across the country, hitting fan favorites like Red Rocks in Colorado and Horning’s Hideout in Oregon as well as festival appearances at Bonnaroo, 4848, Strings & Sol. More dates to be announced in the coming weeks.
Tour Dates:
May 14, 15 @ Woodlands Nature Reserve | Charleston, SC
May 21, 22 @ Westville Music Bowl | New Haven, CT
May 28,29, 30 @ Showtime at the Drive-In | Frederick, MD
June 25, 26 @ Coolray Field | Lawrenceville, GA
July 27, 28 @ Horning’s Hideout | North Plains, OR
July 29, 30 @ Roaring Camp | Felton, CA
Aug 7 @ Summer Meltdown | Darrington, WA
Sept 3, 4 @ 4848 Festival | Snowshoe, WV
Sept 5 @ Bonnaroo | Manchester, TN
Sept 17, 18, 19 @ Red Rocks | Morrison, CO **
Dec 9 - 13 @ Strings & Sol | Puerto Morelos, Mexico
** Sept 17 w/ Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real
** Sept 18 w/ Circles Around The Sun
** Sept 19 w/ Railroad Earth
About Greensky Bluegrass:
For two decades now, Greensky Bluegrass have been building an empire, brick by brick. They are widely known for their dazzling live performances and relentless touring schedule, but 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. These are real people having real experiences. As with traditional bluegrass, they write about their own contemporary day-to-day happenings, emotions, and experiences in the modern world.
The band’s underground die-hard fans pack out venues across the country. They travel in droves and sell out multiple-night show runs at iconic venues like Red Rocks and The Ryman.
“As songwriters and musicians, we have a need for people to be on board, we’re not just regurgitating the same shit,” explains Bruzza.
Hoffman adds, “we aren’t a band all for money. We did it for romantic reasons such as love, catharsis, and because it mattered to us and the listeners. It would be easy to make decisions based on our needs to eat or the desires of others, but that’s not doing it for love. We love what we do, and we’re grateful for the love we receive in return from the people listening.”
Bruzza continues, “I hope they know we’re doing this for us and them.”
