Article Contributed by Russell Levine
Published on 2026-11-10
Greensky Bluegrass | The Parker | Fort Lauderdale, FL | November 5th, 2026 - photos by Russell Levine
Seven weeks. That's how long Greensky Bluegrass had gone without playing together. Apparently, nobody told the band.
Opening their Greensky Bluegrass Fall Tour 2026 at Lillian S. Wells Hall at The Parker in Fort Lauderdale on November 5, the five musicians hit the stage with the kind of chemistry that made their extended break seem like a minor scheduling detail. There was no awkward reunion, no searching for the groove, no easing back into things. They just picked up where they left off.
The tour continues the celebration of XXV, the band's 25th-anniversary milestone album. Greensky marked the occasion in 2025 with special hometown performances in Kalamazoo, Michigan, celebrating a musical journey that began back in 2000. Twenty-five years in, they're still finding ways to push the boundaries of bluegrass while keeping their roots firmly planted.
The audience had its own story. I met people who had traveled from Chicago and other cities specifically to be there for the first night of the tour. These weren't casual fans making a weekend out of a concert. They knew the band, recognized the crew, knew people's names, and followed the activity behind the scenes as closely as what was happening onstage. Looking around the room, you could see that familiarity everywhere. Hugs, greetings, big smiles, and conversations between people who clearly hadn't seen one another in a while. The crowd seemed almost as connected as the band itself.
This was Greensky country, even hundreds of miles from home.
The band had joked about their seven-week break, even suggesting perhaps they shouldn't be telling people about it. But whatever time had passed between performances disappeared almost immediately. The five musicians moved together like old friends finishing each other's sentences. Every turn seemed familiar, every musical exchange effortless. It was less like a band getting back together and more like a conversation that had simply been put on hold. And the conversation got pretty interesting.
Greensky opened with the traditional bluegrass standard “I'm Working on a Building,” immediately establishing the roots of the evening. Beneath the band's adventurous improvisations and jam-band sensibilities is a deep appreciation for the music that came before them. They know where they come from, even when they're taking the music somewhere entirely different.
The first set moved through “Lose My Way,” “Burn Them,” “Train Junkie,” “Through the Trees,” and “Old Barns,” before reaching one of the evening's instrumental highlights, “Broke Mountain Breakdown.” This was an opportunity for the band to really open things up. The song provided a wide canvas for winding acoustic picking, instrumental interplay, and musical exploration. With five musicians who understand one another so well, the possibilities seem almost endless. They can take a piece of music and let it develop organically, following one another through twists and turns without losing the thread.
“Grow Together” brought the first set to a close, leaving the audience ready for more.
The second set brought one of the night's most entertaining moments with “Jaywalking,” played at the request of someone in the audience. I spotted five women who had traveled to the show wearing matching shirts proclaiming “40 and Still Jaywalking.” It was a clever reference to one of the band's songs and a perfect example of the relationship Greensky has built with its fans. These weren't casual concertgoers. They were part of the family. And the band gave them a moment worth remembering.
As the introduction to “Jaywalking” began, the lighting narrowed its focus to Paul Hoffman on mandolin and Mike Devol on upright bass. The two moved together beneath a single dramatic spotlight, holding hands center stage. Their deadpan expressions made the moment even funnier. It was playful, unexpected, and perfectly Greensky. The band was having fun with the audience, the audience was having fun with the band, and Lincoln's lighting helped turn a musical moment into a memorable visual one.
“Gumboots,” Paul Simon's song from Graceland, brought another burst of energy. Greensky took the distinctive rhythmic character of the original and translated it into their own acoustic bluegrass vocabulary. The result was lively and infectious, a wonderful example of the band's willingness to reach beyond traditional bluegrass while making the material unmistakably their own.
The second set continued with “In Control” and “A Letter to Seymour,” before moving into one of the evening's more atmospheric moments. “Last Winter in the Copper Country,” originally recorded by Michigan's Steppin' In It, offered a change of mood. Greensky settled into a haunting, minor-key atmosphere, creating a striking contrast to the playful energy elsewhere in the performance. The song's evocative title seemed particularly fitting on a warm South Florida evening. For a few moments, the music transported the room somewhere a little colder, darker, and more atmospheric.
The band shifted gears again with Jimmy Martin's “Hit Parade of Love,” bringing traditional bluegrass energy back to the forefront. The set continued with “What You Need,” “Fo Sho Uh Huh,” “The Four,” and “Solstice,” bringing the second set to a close. But Greensky wasn't quite finished. The encore was “Better Off,” giving the evening one more chapter before the band called it a night. All told, it was a 19-song performance spread across two sets and an encore, with plenty of musical ground covered along the way.
There was even a little musical mischief tucked into the evening. During one of the jams, the band worked a recognizable passage from the Twilight Zone theme into the music. I was busy behind the camera when it happened, but it was one of those unexpected touches that makes a Greensky performance so much fun. You never quite know where they're going to take you.
The lighting production throughout the evening was exceptional, but there was a story behind it that made the experience even more meaningful. During set break, I had the opportunity to introduce myself to Greensky's lighting director, Andrew “Lincoln” Lincoln. He was standing with Chris Kuroda, the legendary Phish lighting designer known to fans as CK5.
What began as a conversation about the production that night quickly turned into something much more meaningful. We talked about the lineage of concert lighting, beginning with Candace Brightman and her pioneering work with the Grateful Dead, the influence she had on Chris Kuroda, and the inspiration Lincoln has drawn from both.
When Candace's name came up, something happened that I'll remember long after the show. At the same moment, both Lincoln and Chris placed a hand over their hearts. No prompting, no grand gesture, just a spontaneous expression of deep respect for someone whose influence on live music is difficult to overstate.
It was one of those moments when you realize that the history of live music isn't just about the musicians. There is an entire creative family working behind the scenes, passing along ideas, inspiration, and a shared appreciation for the art of creating something special onstage.
The fact that Kuroda was there, spending time with Lincoln at the lighting console, made the evening even more interesting. Here were two lighting artists whose work is part of a larger creative lineage, connected through the influence of someone who helped change the way audiences experience live music. Lincoln's work at The Parker was a perfect example of that artistry. The lighting wasn't simply there to make the stage look good. It moved with the music, created moments of intimacy, and gave the performance another dimension. The moment with Hoffman and Devol during “Jaywalking” was a perfect illustration of how a lighting cue can become part of the story.
What stayed with me most wasn't any single song or extended musical passage. It was the sense of connection. Between the musicians, between the band and the crowd, and among the people working behind the scenes to bring the whole production to life.
Seven weeks away might have been the longest the band had ever gone without playing together, but it certainly didn't show. From the opening notes of “I'm Working on a Building” to the encore of “Better Off,” Greensky Bluegrass seemed completely at home. The crowd responded in kind, dancing, singing, laughing, and enjoying every minute of it.
Some nights remind you why you keep going to shows, why you keep carrying a camera, and why live music remains such a powerful thing. This was one of those nights.
Greensky Bluegrass is back on the road, continuing the celebration of 25 years of making music together. If this opening night of the Fall Tour was any indication, there's plenty more musical magic ahead.
