Following the sudden unexpected departure of host/headliner Billy Strings, who was forced to take off before his Friday night performance when he received word that his wife had gone into labor with their first child, Renewal festival concluded on Saturday with a slightly altered schedule featuring extended sets from bluegrass stalwarts Full Cord, Mountain Grass Unit, Jerry Douglas Band, and Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway.
Despite Strings’ absence, the night culminated in an unforgettable all-hands-on-deck headline show. The first set saw Billy’s band (comprised of Billy Failing on banjo, Royal Masat on bass, Jarrod Walker on mandolin, and Alex Hargreaves on fiddle) leading a “Clusterpick” set featuring cellist Nat Smith and sit-ins from Larry Keel, members of Mountain Grass Unit, Golden Highway, Christian Sedelmyer from the Jerry Douglas Band, and Mark Levy from Circles Around The Sun, who provided rare percussive accompaniment on drums.
Related: Billy Strings Welcomes New Baby Boy After Missing Renewal Performances [Update]
The second set introduced the Renewal Family Band, with Molly Tuttle taking the reins and leading Billy’s band and friends through a selection of bust-outs and debuts. Jerry Douglas joined in soon after to help elevate the set with his renowned dobro playing. Over the course of the evening, the ensemble delivered 29 tracks, including debuts of tunes like the traditional ” Ola Belle Reed’s “High on a Mountain”, Jimmy Wakely’s “I Wonder Where You Are Tonight”, Bill Monroe‘s “Stoney Lonesome”, Ole Rasmussen and His Cornhuskers‘ “Sleepy-Eyed John”, Bill Frissell‘s “Stoney Lonesome”, Fred Rose‘s “Roly Poly”, and a fitting Beatles encore, “With a Little Help From My Friends”, which served as a clever nod not only to the family of musicians who stepped up to save the day in Strings’ absence, but also to Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, who leant his private jet to Strings so that he could join his wife in labor as quickly as possible.
The setlist also included covers of Jefferson Airplane‘s “White Rabbit”, The Band‘s “Up On Cripple Creek”, the traditional and Grateful Dead staple “Cold Rain & Snow”, Bob Dylan‘s “All Along The Watchtower”, and the popular uplifting hymn “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” to close out the night.
Although the day didn’t unfold as planned, the musicians’ ability to adapt and deliver an extraordinary experience ensured the spirit of Renewal stayed alive. Billy’s post-festival announcement that he would offer refunds for all tickets further underscored his deep connection to his fans, wrapping up the weekend on a heartfelt note. Many fans responded in kind, pledging to donate their refunds to help support those affected by Hurricane Helene. Strings also promised in a subsequent social media post, “Next year will be the best yet.”
Click below to view the full annotated setlist and a gallery of photos from day two of Billy Strings’ Renewal festival courtesy of photographer Peter Wallace. For a list of upcoming Billy Strings tour dates and ticketing details, head here.
