Greensky Bluegrass shines at 49th Ann Arbor Folk Fest

The Michigan bluegrass band headlined the first night of the annual music festival at Hill Auditorium.

Jan. 31, 2026 at 12:15pm

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Sound and light melted together inside Hill Auditorium on Friday night as the five-piece Michigan bluegrass jam band Greensky Bluegrass performed in Ann Arbor for the first time in nearly 13 years, headlining the first night of the 49th-annual Ann Arbor Folk Fest. The high-energy show featured extended instrumental jams blending mandolin, banjo, acoustic guitar, dobro and upright bass, accompanied by hypnotic and psychedelic colored lights.

Why it matters

Greensky Bluegrass has earned critical acclaim from publications like Rolling Stone while touring the country and bringing bluegrass to a new generation. The band's return to Ann Arbor for the Folk Fest marked a homecoming of sorts, as the group formed in Kalamazoo in 2000 and last played in the city during the Sonic Lunch summer concert series in 2013.

The details

Greensky Bluegrass bassist Mike Devol, guitarist and singer Dave Bruzza, mandolinist and singer Paul Hoffman, dobro player Anders Beck, and banjo player Michael Bont took the stage at the historic Hill Auditorium, playing several songs from the band's catalog going back over a decade, including "Cold Feet" and "Demons." The band ended the night with an encore featuring a classic tune with the message: "Be thankful you're living, drink up and go home." Country musician Junior Brown, 73, opened the show with a four-piece band including his wife Tanya Rae Brown on rhythm guitar.

  • Greensky Bluegrass last played in Ann Arbor during the Sonic Lunch summer concert series in 2013.
  • The 49th-annual Ann Arbor Folk Fest took place on January 30, 2026.

The players

Greensky Bluegrass

A five-piece Michigan bluegrass jam band that has earned critical acclaim from publications like Rolling Stone while touring the country and bringing bluegrass to a new generation.

Junior Brown

A 73-year-old country musician who opened the show with a four-piece band including his wife Tanya Rae Brown on rhythm guitar.

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What they’re saying

“When I worked at Food Dance in Kalamazoo for nine years, I used to drive here and get bread for Food Dance. I might have deserved to go to jail.”

— Paul Hoffman, Mandolinist and singer, Greensky Bluegrass

“It was good to come out to the Folk Fest and play for a Michigan crowd.”

— Anders Beck, Dobro player, Greensky Bluegrass

The takeaway

Greensky Bluegrass' high-energy performance at the 49th Ann Arbor Folk Fest showcased the band's ability to blend bluegrass instrumentation with a modern, jam-band sensibility, captivating the audience with extended improvisational passages and psychedelic lighting effects. The festival's return to Ann Arbor after a 13-year absence highlighted the enduring appeal of bluegrass music and the band's connection to its Michigan roots.