Greensky Bluegrass, String Cheese Incident: Progressive Bluegrass Begins To Find Comfort In a New Feel

String Cheese Incident Poster

Greensky Bluegrass

19. String Cheese Incident: Texas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqzrBeBQqU8
String Cheese Incident has quite possibly the most success out of all of the progressive bluegrass groups that have been covered. However, the group is often seen more as a jam-band than a bluegrass group. This song stands out due to its lyrics, which frequently references drugs and alcohol. In fact the song is telling the story of a road trip in Texas where the band was caught with mushrooms after crashing into a liquor store. These type of lyrics are a stark contrast to the rather wholesome world of traditional bluegrass that deals mostly with love, nature, and emotions. It is quite fitting that such outspoken lyrics come from a band that has really reshaped the meaning of bluegrass in many circles. This selection comes from a concert played on December 30, 2007.

20. String Cheese Incident: Smile
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr93rs4_Xkg
This track uses keyboard, drums and long freestyle jams that distinguish the song as different from bluegrass music. However, the driving string instrumentals and that dominate throughout the song reflect ties to tradition. It is interesting to see how this hybrid bluegrass group has captured the culture of a jam-band. In this video from 2007 you can see many hippies and marijuana usage in the audience. This type of crowd is clearly day and night with a traditional bluegrass crowd. The music is still quite appealing due to its innovative freestyles, harmonious string accompaniments, and simple vocals.

21. Greensky Bluegrass: Get No Better
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1VaZfcynWU
Once again we see Greensky Bluegrass as epitomizing the alterity of progressive bluegrass based primarily on its different instruments. This track, which comes from a festival in March, 2008, shows the group’s use of both a cello and drums. These two instruments help separate the group from traditional bluegrass and they give a fresh and creative sound. It is interesting that so many previous groups had experimented with different instruments, but almost no groups had decided on utilizing the cello, which is a king of string instruments. Another important element of this band is their use of 7 group members, which is seen as excessive in the traditional bluegrass community.