Billy Strings and Bryan Sutton reached a high point in their run of intimate, collaborative performances last night, kicking off a two-night stand at the Mother Church of Country Music, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, with a special Sunday service featuring the tour’s first special guest: banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck.
Joined by bassist Royal Masat, Strings and Sutton got the first set underway with a survey of American roots music, with Sutton stepping forward on lead vocals for “Way Downtown”, “Little Darling Pal Of Mine”, and “Southbound”, while Strings’ own soulfulness came through on numbers like “Shady Grove”, “Walk On Boy”, “Summertime”, and more. They also revisited “Salty Sheep”, a medley of traditional songs “Salt Creek” and “Sheep in the Meadow” the duo arranged for Strings’ 2017 album Turmoil & Tinfoil.
The night’s big surprise came when Fleck emerged midway through the set, adding his singular banjo voice to a run that included Bob Dylan‘s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright”, “The Old Home”, “Life Gets Tee – Jus, Don’t It”, and “St. James Hospital”. Fleck remained onstage to help finish the set off with Doc Watson‘s “Nothing To It” and “We Shall All Be Reunited”, trading breaks with Strings and Sutton in a dazzling display of bluegrass brilliance.
Billy Strings & Bryan Sutton With Béla Fleck & Royal Masat – “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” (Bob Dylan) – 9/14/25
[Video: Ben Hunt]
Billy Strings & Bryan Sutton With Béla Fleck & Royal Masat – “The Old Home” (The Stanley Brothers) – 9/14/25
[Video: Michael Wilker]
Billy Strings & Bryan Sutton With Béla Fleck & Royal Masat – “St. James Hospital” – 9/14/25
[Video: Michael Wilker]
Billy Strings & Bryan Sutton With Béla Fleck & Royal Masat – “We Shall All Be Reunited” – 9/14/25
[Video: MB1 Music]
Strings swapped his guitar out for a banjo to open the second set with a solo take on “Country Blues” before welcoming Sutton to join him for a “Frosty Morn” duet. Later on, Sutton showcased his own multi-instrumentalist talents, wielding a mandolin and singing lead on the traditional “What Does The Deep Sea Say?”. The pair kept listeners rapt with heartfelt renditions of “Beaumont Rag”, “Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette”, and “Darling Corey”, among others, before closing with “Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar”. For the encore, the trio returned with “Solid Gone” and “Nashville Blues”, sending the congregation home grinning and ready for round two.
Click below to watch additional video highlights from night one of Billy Strings and Bryan Sutton at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, and scroll down to view the full setlist.
Strings and Sutton return to the Ryman tonight, September 15th, for a second sold-out performance before wrapping the tour at The Signal in Chattanooga, where Strings will perform with his full band the following night.
Ahead of the trio tour closer, Strings is set to be the keynote speaker at the International Bluegrass Music Association‘s 2025 World of Bluegrass Convention, where he will sit down for a live, onstage conversation with acclaimed radio and podcast host Tom Power on Tuesday, September 16th at 4 p.m. ET at the Chattanooga Convention Center.
After that, he has an appearance at Farm Aid 40 alongside Willie Nelson & Family, Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds, and Margo Price on September 20th before heading back to Europe in October. He’ll return stateside for a run of U.S. fall dates, kicking off with three nights in Huntsville, AL and another two-night Halloween run in Baltimore. Find a full list of upcoming tour dates on his website and head here for tickets.
Billy Strings & Bryan Sutton With Royal Masat – “Way Downtown” (Traditional), “Shady Grove” (Traditional), “Little Darling Pal Of Mine” (Carter Family) – 9/14/25
Billy Strings & Bryan Sutton With Royal Masat – “Walk On Boy” (Mel Tillis) – 9/14/25
[Video: Michael Wilker]
Setlist [via BillyBase]: Billy Strings & Bryan Sutton w/ Royal Masat | Ryman Auditorium | Nashville, TN | 9/14/25
Set 1: Way Downtown [1], Shady Grove, Little Darling Pal Of Mine [1], Salty Sheep, Walk On Boy, There’s More Pretty Girls Than One, Summertime, Southbound [1], If I Needed You [1], Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright [2], The Old Home [1][2], Life Gets Tee – Jus, Don’t It [2], St. James Hospital [2], Nothing To It [2], We Shall All Be Reunited [2]
Set 2: Country Blues [3], Frosty Morn [4], Talking to Casey Poor Boy Blues, Miss The Mississippi And You, What Does The Deep Sea Say? [1][5], Beaumont Rag, Alberta, Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette, The Train That Carried My Girl From Town [1], Black Mountain Rag, St. Louis Blues, Darling Corey, Moody River, South Coast, Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar [1]
Encore: Solid Gone [1], Nashville Blues
[1] Bryan Sutton on lead vocals
[2] w/ Bela Fleck on banjo
[3] Billy Strings solo on clawhammer banjo
[4] Duet w/ Billy Strings on clawhammer banjo & Bryan Sutton on guitar
[5] Bryan Sutton on mandolin