Review: Cornmeal, Greensky Bluegrass & Union Street Preservation Society
Cornmeal, Greensky Bluegrass & USPS @ Sullivan Hall, February 10
Words: Bob Frank
Photos: Rob Chapman
Get on the bus > take the train > catch the plane, your flight is boarding. During the second stop of the five-night SkyMeal tour at NYC’s Sullivan Hall, Cornmeal delivered and took its passengers to new heights. Destination unknown, everyone from the audience celebrated, danced and spun to a ripping Thursday evening of intense progressive bluegrass and roots music.
[All photos by Rob Chapman]
Setting the mood early at 8:45PM with intertwined accurate harmonies, timely riffs and a June Carter reminiscent attitude; Union Street Preservation Society played to the knee-buckling, swaying, attentive crowd. On mandolin and vocals, Sara Bouchard traded licks with Alex Borsody on his open-tuned round neck dobro, while Jason Bertone laid down a generous vibe on upright bass. The young and talented Harrison Hollingsworth carried the fiddle responsibilities with a command Vassar Clements would be proud of. David Leiberman sang with a unique voice and magnetic personality that kept the energy of the evening soaring. The youthful, eager quintet impressed the crowd as they filtered in for a major dose of pickin’ and grinning.
Cleverly paired on a five-night tour with Cornmeal, Greensky Bluegrass fell right in place with their second selection, Stop That Train. There was no stopping the uptown express intensity from reaching its arrival. The quintet from Michigan, led by Paul Hoffman on lead vocals and mandolin, created a sound scape all its own, veering sideways off the traditional expectations.
READ ON for more on last Thursday’s concert…
