Highlighting Anders Beck on Dobro and Mike Bont on banjo, a sense of humor passed through the next two tunes, I’d Probably Kill You followed by All 4. Introducing a couple new tunes, they spread their wings on No Idea and Jaywalking. Having joined the band in 2004, Mike Devol held court on Thursday night, thumpin’ the bass and causing the audience to stomp harder. While keeping the unique sound of GSBG on track, Dave Bruzza handled his Robinson Guitar with finesse and confidence. Taking his turn on vocals, Dave and the boys ran through the familiar King and Mountain Girls before it was time to wind down and let Cornmeal do some cooking in the kitchen.
The plane was ready for take off as Cornmeal took the stage for the grand finale. The five-piece band from the Chicago area took the late night crowd by storm. Eyes closed, arms wide open, the ethereal lofty moment we are all searching for appeared in a whirlwind, with Allie Kral treating the listeners to talented precision and speed on the fiddle. Cornmeal copped an attitude with Shake a Leg early on in the set. The intensity revved up and the flight never landed throughout the rest of the evening.
Chris Gangi on bass and drummer JP Nowak have been holding down the rhythm section for ten years together since the inception of Cornmeal. Kris Nowak on guitar and “Wavy Dave” Burlingame on banjo rounded out the strings, with precise fast licks. Sullivan Hall, filled to capacity, showed no signs of it being a school night, as the dance floor swayed and stayed late on in the evening. At the end of the night, Cornmeal and Greensky Bluegrass capped off the festivities by performing Peter Rowan’s Midnight Moonlight together – a fitting end to a wonderful night.
2 Responses
This show was one of the best I have seen there, 3 great bands!!!
what time did they play till?