Billy Strings, Bryan Sutton, and Royal Masat capped their two-night run at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Monday with another evening of bluegrass brilliance. After welcoming banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck during a special Sunday service at the Mother Church of Country Music, the trio invited mandolin maestro Sam Bush to help bolster the Nashville finale.
The opening set once again saw Sutton step into the spotlight early, taking lead vocals on several tunes, including “Way Downtown”, “Little Darling Pal Of Mine”, “Southbound”, and Townes Van Zandt‘s “If I Needed You”. Strings countered with the dark balladry of “Shady Grove”, a haunting “The House Carpenter”, a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright”, and more. The first frame reached a poignant close with “We Shall All Be Reunited”, tying a bow on a set steeped in Appalachian storytelling.
Set two further showcased each player’s range. Strings opened solo with the murder ballad “Matty Groves” and “Brown’s Ferry Blues” before Sutton responded in kind with a clawhammer banjo spotlight on “Italy”, saying, “[It’s] not about the country Italy. It’s about a little community up in Jackson County.” The duo then locked in for a playful sequence of twin-guitar duets—“Give the Fiddler a Dram”, “Whistling Rufus”, and “Ragtime Annie”.
The night’s biggest fireworks came when Sam Bush walked out to a roar of recognition, mandolin in hand. Together, the quartet tore through “Watson Blues”, “What Does The Deep Sea Say?”, “Sleep, Baby, Sleep”, “St. Louis Blues”, “Nashville Pickin’”, and “Streamline Cannonball”. Bush even took a turn on lead vocals for “Summertime” before helping to close out the set with “The Train That Carried My Girl From Town” and “Black Mountain Rag”.
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The energy carried through to the finish as the quartet returned for an encore that featured “I Told Them All About You” and “I’m a Natural Born Gamblin’ Man”, closing the Ryman run on a jubilant note.
Check out video highlights from Monday’s show at Ryman Auditorium, and scroll down to view the full setlist.
After two sold-out nights at the Mother Church, Strings, Sutton, and Masat will close out the tour tonight, Tuesday, September 16th, at The Signal in Chattanooga, where Strings will perform with his full band on Wednesday.
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 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. He also just announced his first batch of 2026 tour dates. Find a full list of upcoming tour dates on his website and head here for tickets.
Billy Strings & Bryan Sutton With Sam Bush & Royal Masat – “Watson Blues” – 9/15/25
[Video: LawsonFilms]
Setlist [via BillyBase]: Billy Strings & Bryan Sutton w/ Royal Masat | Ryman Auditorium | Nashville, TN | 9/15/25
Set 1: Way Downtown [1], Little Darling Pal Of Mine [1], Blue Railroad Train, Hold That Woodpile Down, Fifteen Cents [1], Shady Grove, The House Carpenter, Southbound [1], If I Needed You [1], Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright, Talking to Casey > Poor Boy Blues, We Shall All Be Reunited
Set 2: Matty Groves [2], Brown’s Ferry Blues [2], Italy [3], Give The Fiddler A Dram [4] > Whistling Rufus [4] > Ragtime Annie [4], Watson Blues [5], What Does The Deep Sea Say? [1][5], Sleep, Baby, Sleep [5], St. Louis Blues [5], Nashville Pickin’ [5][6], Streamline Cannonball [1][5], Summertime [5][7], The Train That Carried My Girl From Town [1][5] > Black Mountain Rag [5]
Encore: I Told Them All About You [5], I’m a Natural Born Gamblin’ Man [5]
[1] Bryan Sutton on lead vocals
[2] Billy Strings solo
[3] Bryan Sutton solo on clawhammer banjo
[4] Duet w/ Billy Strings & Bryan Sutton on guitar
[5] w/ Sam Bush on mandolin
[6] Last Time Played 2020-01-08 | 478 show gap
[7] w/ Sam Bush on lead vocals