After kicking off his winter tour with his largest indoor show to date on Friday and then breaking his own record on Saturday, Billy Strings finished his three-night run in Denver on Sunday with help from members of Greensky Bluegrass. Mandolinist/vocalist Paul Hoffman and guitarist/vocalist Dave Bruzza of the long-running jamgrass band stopped by Ball Arena to offer the ever-ascending Strings some “Courage For the Road” as he sets off on his latest cross-country tour.
Strings has always diligently emphasized the impact Greensky Bluegrass’ music had on him, helping revive his childhood love of bluegrass. The band helped Strings get to where he is today both literally and figuratively, as a 2018 tour opening for GSGB was one of Strings’ first big breaks in getting in front of larger audiences. So it was a full-circle moment for Hoffman and Bruzza to step onstage in front of the sold-out, 20,000-capacity arena that their former opener had filled all on his own.
“Yeah, these fellas thought they were gonna come to the show and not have to work for it,” Strings joked as the guests arrived. “Not gonna happen.”
Onstage, notions like which band had been around longer or who had the most Grammys didn’t matter or whose name was on the marquee didn’t matter. As Hoffman and Strings traded lyrics and Billy and Dave locked in eye-to-eye in a dual-guitar jam on “Reverend”, it was just a pickin’ party between some old friends. The ensuing cover of John Hartford‘s “Get No Better”—rather than an original by either group—underscored this fact, as the ensemble celebrated the forefathers of progressive bluegrass who paved the way for the day that tens of thousands would come to hear some mountain music.
Finally, the visiting Greensky Bluegrass dignitaries saw Strings off with their own “Courage for the Road”. While Billy and his band have covered “Reverend” many times (21 since 2019, per Setlist.fm), this marked only their second performance of the All for Money favorite following the cover debut during the 2021 Wizard of Oz Halloween run in Asheville. Strings gave the Greensky original a bit of the Billy touch by sending the jam into a chaotic acoustic swirl of psychedelia, threatening to spiral into a bad trip before Hoffman yanked on the cord and brought it back to the chorus amid a cascade of applause from the arena.
Watch Greensky Bluegrass’ Paul Hoffman and Dave Bruzza join Billy Strings for some GSBG songs and a John Hartford cover in Denver. Strings’ 2025 winter tour is officially underway, heading to Asheville, NC next for six shows spread across two weekends (2/6–2/8, 2/14–2/16). Find tickets on Ticketmaster and tune in for a subscriber-exclusive livestream on nugs. Not a nugs subscriber? Start with a seven-day free trial. [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 Strings, Paul Hoffman, Dave Bruzza — “Reverend” — 1/26/25
[Video: Steve_Avers]
Billy Strings, Paul Hoffman, Dave Bruzza — “Get No Better” (John Hartford) — 1/26/25
[Video: Steve_Avers]
Billy Strings, Paul Hoffman, Dave Bruzza — “Courage For The Road” — 1/26/25
[Video: MrTopdogger]
Setlist: Billy Strings | Ball Arena | Denver, CO | 1/26/25
Set One: Slow Train (Larry Sparks), Must Be Seven, Ralph’s Banjo Special (Ralph Stanley), While I’m Waiting Here > Train, Train (Shorty Medlocke), Ernest T. Grass (The Dillards) > Little Maggie (Traditional), Hellbender, Love and Regret, Streamlined Cannonball (Roy Acuff), Stratosphere Blues / I Believe in You, Turmoil & Tinfoil
Set Two: In the Clear, Taking Water > Ice Bridges, Gone A Long Time, Be Your Man, Highway Hypnosis, Reverend [1], Get No Better (John Hartford) [1], Courage for the Road [1] [2], The Beginning of the End, Richard Petty [3], Tennessee (Jimmy Martin) [3]
[1] w/ Paul Hoffman & Dave Bruzza
[2] LTP 10/30/21
[2] Band around single mic