Billy Strings capped off a two-night stay in historic Savannah, GA on Saturday with his first cover of Bob Dylan classic “Tangled Up in Blue” since 2022.
After opening up with a walk around the traditional “Cattle in the Cane”, Strings, Billy Failing, Jarrod Walker, Royal Masat, and Alex Hargreaves took that momentum into “Tangled Up in Blue”. The cover had not been seen since December 30th, 2022 in New Orleans, a gap of 181 shows per BillyBase. Released on Dylan’s 1975 jewel Blood on the Tracks, “Tangled Up in Blue” became a live staple for the Jerry Garcia Band—though on Saturday, Billy opted for a more Dylan-esque reading complete with yodeling. Brimming with energy, the cover powered Billy and the Enmarket Arena through the rest of the first set, including the dichotomy of the tender “In the Morning Light” with the shattered glass of Widespread Panic‘s “All Time Low” (perhaps an early birthday nod to WSP’s John Bell, who turned 63 on Monday).
Billy Strings — “Cattle In The Cane” (Traditional) > “Tangled Up In Blue” (Bob Dylan) — 4/12/25
That energy didn’t let up in the second set, as Strings started off the frame on clawhammer banjo for traditionals “Frosty Morn” and “Crawdad Hole”. Strings’ clawhammer got a good workout over the weekend in Savannah, where he started the run with an appropriate “Georgia Buck” and banjo duet with Billy Failing on “Dos Banjos”. The highlight of Saturday’s final set arrived early on with a frenetic train of “Fire Line” > “Running the Route” > “Gild the Lily” that went on for nearly half an hour.
Check out videos from Billy Strings in Savannah, GA on Saturday below and restream the entire show on nugs. Not a nugs subscriber yet? Sign up here. [Editor’s Note: Live For Live Music is a nugs affiliate. Ordering your nugs subscription or purchasing a download via the links on this page helps support our coverage of the world of live music. Thank you for reading!] Billy’s tour continues Tuesday with a one-off show in Charlottesville, VA. Find tickets and a full list of tour dates here.
Billy Strings — “All Time Low” (Widespread Panic) > “White Freightliner Blues” (Townes Van Zandt) — 4/12/25
[Video: Matt Haire]
Setlist: Billy Strings | Enmarket Arena | Savannah, GA | 4/12/25
Set One: Cattle In The Cane (Traditional) [1] > Tangled Up In Blue (Bob Dylan) [2], Red Daisy, Heartbeat Of America, In The Morning Light, All Time Low (Widespread Panic) > White Freightliner Blues (Townes Van Zandt), Richard Petty [3], If Your Hair Is Too Long, There’s Sin In Your Heart (Bobby Davidson) [3], Fearless (Pink Floyd) [4], Turmoil & Tinfoil
Set Two: Frosty Morn (Henry Reed) [5], Crawdad Hole (Traditional) [5], Fire Line > Running The Route > Gild the Lily, Happy Hollow, Hello, City Limits (Johnny Elgin, Benny Martin), Be Your Man, Sally Goodin (Traditional) > Ridin’ That Midnight Train (Ralph Stanley), Taking Water > End Of The Rainbow (Frank Wakefield)
Encore: My Little Georgia Rose (Bill Mornoe)
[1] Last Time Played 2024-05-21 | 57 show gap
[2] Last Time Played 2022-12-30 | 181 show gap
[3] Full band (minus Alex) around single mic front of stage
[4] “Guitar Peace” intro
[5] Billy Strings on clawhammer banjo, Jarrod Walker on guitar, and Alex Hargreaves on fiddle single mic front of stage