Billy Strings got back to doing what he does best Thursday night in North Carolina, pickin’ and grinnin’ for a sold-out crowd at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre. The first show of the three-night run in Cary kicked off the second leg of Strings’ U.S. summer tour, set to run through the end of July before he and his band head back overseas for another European trek.
Billy’s appreciation for being back on the road was palpable before he even stepped onstage. Prior to the show, the guitarist swung through the parking lot to hang out and talk music with his devoted fans who showed up bright and early for the evening’s concert.
Billy Strings – Parking Lot Jam – 7/13/23
[Video: Billy the Kid]
Come showtime, Strings seemed about as happy to see the crowd as they were to see him as he, Billy Failing (banjo), Royal Masat (bass), Alex Hargreaves (fiddle), and Jarrod Walker (mandolin) strolled onstage to open with “Know It All”. Showing no signs of rust gathered over a well-deserved monthlong break, Strings and company got right back in the swing of things with a first set highlighted by a lengthy and continuous run through “Fire On My Tongue” > “Must Be Seven” > “Pyramid Country” > “Hide and Seek”. Before taking set break, Strings serenaded the crowd with a solo, a cappella take on Charles Wesley‘s hymn “Am I Born To Die?”
Billy Strings – “Know It All”, “Bronzeback” [Pro-Shot] – 7/13/23
Coming back for set two, the band hit the ground running with a “Highway Hypnosis” opener before a pairing of “Thirst Mutilator” and “Steam Powered Aereo Plane” turned the mic over to Billy Failing for the John Hartford cover. Midway through the set, Strings took the opportunity to showcase some of his recent work with the Willie Nelson collab “California Sober” followed by the full-band debut of “Be Your Man”. Strings debuted the latter song solo during his encore in Cleveland last month.
Winding down the second set, Billy and his band were “Running” through the final songs, stitching together Eddie Payne‘s “Psycho” and “Away From The Mire” before closing down with “Little Maggie”. For the encore, Billy dedicated Cousin Emmy‘s “Ruby” to the late mandolinist Bobby Osborne of the Osborne Brothers who passed away last month.
Check out some videos from Billy Strings in North Carolina along with the annotated setlist. Strings and company return for another sold-out show tonight, July 14th. Check out the full tour schedule here. nugs.net subscribers can tune in to complimentary livestreams of the first several shows of the tour.
Billy Strings – “Pyramid Country” > “Hide And Seek” – 7/13/23
[Video: Billy the Kid]
Setlist: Billy Strings | Koka Booth Amphitheatre | Cary, NC | 7/13/23
Set One: Know It All, Bronzeback, Taking Water > Cruising Timber (David Harvey), The Fire On My Tongue > Must Be Seven > Pyramid Country > Hide and Seek, My Alice, Hello, City Limits (Johnny Elgin, Benny Martin), And Am I Born To Die? (Charles Wesley) [1]
Set Two: Highway Hypnosis, Thirst Mutilator > Steam Powered Aereo Plane (John Hartford), Lumpy, Beanpole, & Dirt (Bad Livers), Secrets, California Sober, Be Your Man [2], Key Signator (Darol Anger), Running, Psycho (Eddie Payne) > Away From The Mire, Little Maggie (Traditional)
Encore: Ruby (Cousin Emmy) [3]
[1] Billy Strings acapella
[2] Second time played and first time with full band
[3] Billy dedicated this to the legendary bluegrass player Bobby Osborne who recently passed away on 6/27/23