Northern Natural Cidery in Kaleva, Michigan, welcomed an early‑season visit from Michigan’s own Dave Bruzza, best known for performing with the jam‑grass legends Greensky Bluegrass. Over the past few years, Dave has played three to five solo shows annually—mostly in the Midwest—and this spring’s run included Chicago’s new “Garcias” venue, Ann Arbor’s folkie listening room The Ark, and Holland’s Park Theatre before he pointed his wheels north to Kaleva. With a population of just 500 and situated northeast of Manistee near the Lake Michigan coast, Kaleva is about as remote a concert destination as one could imagine—but it’s well worth the drive. The cidery boasts a beautiful outdoor stage, a bar offering in‑house ciders, beers, and wines, a food truck serving pizza and burgers, plus disc golf and hiking trails on the grounds.
Seth Bernard, owner of Earthworks Music and proprietor of the Earthworks Harvest, booked this as Northern Natural’s first ticketed show of the year, reaching out to Dave to close out his Midwest tour. Opening the evening was Kellen Asebroek, who delivered a 45‑minute solo set of songs he had written for his band Fruition. Known primarily for festival appearances alongside Greensky, Kellen is rarely seen solo, making his stripped‑down acoustic rendition of crowd favorite “The Meaning” particularly poignant—many in the audience were moved to tears, and his performance set the perfect tone for the night.
When Dave took the stage, he began alone—on electric guitar rather than the acoustic he plays with Greensky—and ran through band workhorses like “Like Reflections,” “200 Miles from Montana,” “Cold Feet,” and “Wings for Wheels.” He then invited drummer Michael Shimmin and bassist Brennan Andes—dubbed “the Neutralizers” for this tour—to join him. During his solo numbers, Dave shared the stories behind each song and their personal significance. With the full band assembled, he shifted seamlessly from singer‑songwriter to rocker, mixing originals such as “Struttin’ Up” with Greensky classics like “Worried about the Weather,” driven by Shimmin’s impeccable martial‑style beat.
The set reached a fever pitch with “Heart of Santa Cruz,” an instrumental surf‑rock tune Dave penned during the pandemic, prompting fans to shed jackets and rush the stage. As twilight deepened and the stage lights illuminated newly budding trees, it felt like pure magic—everywhere else in the world faded away, leaving only the music and this small group of revelers deep in the forest. The excitement only grew when Kellen and Seth Bernard joined onstage, transforming the performance into full‑blown electric rock. Seth’s exuberant stage presence—strutting and gesturing wildly—contrasted perfectly with Dave’s still, eyes‑closed focus as his fingers danced across a Fender Jaguar fret for fret, guitar and player united in singular purpose.
After barreling through classics including the Little Milton song & often Garcia cover “That’s What Love Will Make You Do,” the band briefly exited, then returned for a final explosive run of Dave’s jam‑grass staple “Kerosene,” now electrified by dual guitars. Though short and intense—just under five minutes—the performance left the crowd hungry for more. As the band slipped backstage and the night stretched on, everyone carried with them the memory of dancing under the stars to music both familiar and new, in a place that somehow felt like home. Heaven indeed—and a perfect preview of the summer nights yet to come.
