Bluegrass Generals at Cervantes' [Review]
Generals once again prove they’re worthy of rank
By Che Harness
Monday, January 9, 2017
Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom, a dual venue with The Other Side, has always done its best to provide their guests with a lineup that keeps the dancing going all night. Saturday night's packed-house pickin' party featuring The Bluegrass Generals was no exception. The Generals headlined a two-night run at the venue and showed why they deserve the rank with a 5-star performance.
Consisting of Andy Hall on dobro and Chris Pandolfi on banjo from The Infamous Stringdusters, Paul Hoffman from Greensky Bluegrass on mandolin, Jon Stickley from the Jon Stickley Trio on guitar and Greg Garrison from Leftover Salmon on bass, The Bluegrass Generals brought a powerful arsenal of crowd pleasing songs to blow our musical minds. I mean, how can the night not be good when you play a twangy version of the A-Team theme song to start the show?! They were also helped out for a few songs by special guests Tyler Grant on guitar and Anders Beck on dobro, making for some incredible dueling-dobro moments between Anders and Andy.
They gave one another the musical nod by playing songs from each other's individual bands and the crowd loved every minute, but I think the night was punctuated by a couple of covers they laid down. Paying tribute to the late George Michael with a bluegrass version of "Faith", the crowd raised up to a jubilant level and brought the band with them. That level of excitement was matched a bit later when the band pulled "Poor Heart" by Phish out of their bag. It is always a pleasure to see such talented musicians playing off of one another with big smiles on face, and The Bluegrass Generals never disappoint in that regard.
Each night also including a variety of talented supporting bands to help fill out five hours of music on the two stages. Saturday night began with hometown musicians The Grant Farm and the guitar proficiency of flat-picking champion Tyler Grant. Showing us more of the jam-rock side of bluegrass, they demonstrated very well how multiple styles can intermingle so seamlessly. Playing a variety of songs from their latest release, Kiss The Ground as well as covers of some jam favorites, the night couldn't have started out any better.
While Tyler was working the Other Side, Minnesota-based band The Last Revel was warming up the Ballroom. This trio of musicians captured my attention with some beautiful harmonies in their folk stylings and a rockabilly energy that pumped up the crowd to get them fiercely dancing. These talented multi-instrumentalists reminded me that good things do come out of the upper midwest (jab at my midwestern buddies!).
I didn't get to see as much of the other two bands as I would have liked once the BG's started, but I caught enough of them to know I need to make an effort to see their full shows.
Playing during the Ballroom's set break was Lineage Music Project. A six-piece jam-grass band out of Fort Collins, CO, LMP packs a rich and full sound that showed why a fiddle and drums should be a part of every bluegrass band.
The band that finished out the night on the Other Side was Liver Down The River. Out of Durango, CO, Liver Down The River had one of the most unique sounds I've heard out of a bluegrass band. Their ‘grass was hard-hitting and rather traditional but with some very funky overtones. It was obvious that they have some funk influence and they do a great job of incorporating it into their music. Liver Down The River kept my tired feet moving.