Billy Strings and his band were back at Brooklyn Bowl on Saturday where the bluegrass rocker took a break from skating the cold streets of Brooklyn to close out his weekend run at the New York City concert venue.
Following Strings’ first night at “The Bowl” on Friday which treated attendees to a sit-in from 16-year-old Brandon “Taz” Niederauer, Saturday saw the emerging guitarist deliver a two-set, 22-song performance which included covers of Bill Monroe, David Grisman, Jackson Browne, and more.
Strings’ first set of the night started with “Taking Water”. The opening track from String’s 2019 Home album was then followed by a pair of Bill Monroe tunes in “Shenandoah Breakdown” and “My Sweet Blue-Eyed Darlin'”. The set continued with new originals from Home including “Running”, “Long Forgotten Dream”, and “Enough To Leave”, in addition to the band’s takes on John Phillips‘ “Me and My Uncle”, Muleskinner‘s “New Camptown Races”, and David Grisman’s “Unwanted Love”.
The second half of the show opened with “On The Line”, which moved right into a pair of covers in The Stanley Brothers‘ “Train 45” and Browne’s “Running on Empty”. A two-song combination of “Thirst Mutilator” into “So Many Miles” then followed before Strings returned to the Home tracklist with “Watch It Fall”, “Away From the Mire”, and “Home”. The show came to a close with all four members surrounding Strings’ main microphone for their communal vocal encore performance of “Freedom”.
[Photo: Kevin Cole]
Below, watch a selection of fan-shot videos and check out a gallery of photos from the show courtesy of photographer Kevin Cole.
Billy Strings – “Me and My Uncle” – 11/16/19
[Video: FretsmanRFS]
“New Camptown Races” > “Unwanted In Love”
[Video: Suwannee HD Streams]
Billy Strings – “Freedom” – 11/16/19
[Video: Suwannee HD Streams]
Strings’ fall tour picks up again later this week with a sold-out show at Cleveland, OH’s The Beachland Ballroom and Tavern on Tuesday. Head to Strings’ website for tickets and tour info.
Setlist: Billy Strings | Brooklyn Bowl | Brooklyn, NY | 11/16/2019
Set One: Taking Water, Shenandoah Breakdown (Bill Monroe cover) > My Sweet Blue-Eyed Darlin’ (Bill Monrow and the Bluegrass Boys cover), While I’m Waiting Here, Running, Me and My Uncle (John Phillips cover) > Long Forgotten Dream, Enough to Leave, New Camptown Races (Muleskinner) > Unwanted Love (David Grisman cover), Turmoil & Tinfoil
Set Two: On the Line > Train 45 (The Stanley Brothers cover), Running on Empty (Jackson Browne cover), Thirst Mutilator > So Many Miles, Watch It Fall, Slow Train, Away From the Mire, Home, Meet Me at the Creek
Encore: Freedom
