Billy Strings Pulls Through Midwest Summer Tour Stops, Performs “Tangled Up in Blues” as Nod to Bob Dylan in Minneapolis

Photo: Stevo Rood

Billy Strings took his Summer Tour through the Midwest this weekend, stopping at two locations, the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis., on August 8, and Minneapolis’ Target Center, the following evening, Saturday, August 9. Night one emerged as a pace-setter, two-jam fueled sets accentuated by the brazen musicianship and the five-piece’s extensive knowledge of the bluegrass canon, which trickled over into their ensuing stand in the neighboring Minnesota. During their follow-up, Strings led the band through Bob Dylan’s “Tangled Up in Blue,” which functioned as a nod to the famed bard, who was born in Duluth. 

Strings’ Midwest weekend commenced on Friday night in Milwaukee, the gig represented the musicians’ first since their participation in Dead & Company’s Golden Gate Park concert series, celebrating 60 years of Grateful Dead music. During their arrival in the Badger State, the group found an access point on “Malfunction Junction,” and lined up originals: “The Fire On My Tongue,” “Heartbeat Of America,” and “In The Morning Light.” Merle Travis and Tex Atchison penned “I’m a Natural Born Gamblin’ Man,” which emerged before the traditional, “The Old Mountaineer.” 

Original “Love Like Me,” cut the lineup of covers, which ultimately resumed through the arrival of Bad Livers’ “Ghost Town” and a classic take on “Ole Slew Foot.” Another series of originals took the group into a set break, and eventually a single mic return for hair-raiser “Richard Petty,” and Bill Monroe’s “My Sweet Blue Eyed Darling.” Taking the third slot, Gordon Lightfoot’s “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” boosted the night’s status, with a scorching siege of track, which was played for the first time since April on Saturday night. 

Before turning in their Milwaukee stand, the band teased in “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” during Frank Wakefield’s “End of the Rainbow,” following with a sequence that consisted of “While I’m Waiting Here,” “Pyramid Country,” “John Hardy,” and the Carter Stanley- penned “How Mountain Girls Can Love.”

The band’s follow-up in Minneapolis served as a throughline after Friday’s gig, a continuation of original songs interspersed with select covers that showed off the group’s capacity to strike a sense of timeless similarity to purveyors of the genre. During the band’s initial batch of songs, they placed Dylan’s “Tangled Up in Blue” in set one’s sixth slot. Its emergence in the Land of 10,000 Lakes functioned as a nod to the songwriter, who was born in Duluth before spending his adolescence in Hibbing, Minn. The latter faded into a scorching rendition of Hartford’s “All Fall Down,” and another plow of originals. 

A solo Strings started the second half of the Minnesota concert, performing the Watson-released “Nashville Blues,” followed by his own “Catch and Release.” Putting down his instrument, the artist stunned via a cappella, “And Am I Born To Die?” The band returned for a final slide into originals and covers, including a three-piece sequence, “George Gershwin’s famed “Summertime” into JJ Cale’s “Ride Me High” and a concert ending, “Hide and Seek.” 

Next up, Strings and his band play at Scheels Arena in Fargo, N.D., on Tuesday, August 12. Tickets remain on sale.

Scroll down to view the weekend’s setlists.

Fiserv Forum – Milwaukee, Wis. 

August 8, 2025 

Set I: Malfunction Junction, The Fire On My Tongue, Heartbeat Of America, In The Morning Light, I’m a Natural Born Gamblin’ Man, The Old Mountaineer, Love Like Me, Ghost Train >

Ole Slew Foot, Stratosphere Blues / I Believe in You1, In the Clear, Seven Weeks in County

Set II: Richard Petty2, My Sweet Blue Eyed Darling3, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgeraldm Fire Line> End Of The Rainbow4, While I’m Waiting Here > Pyramid Country > John Hardy, How Mountain Girls Can Love

Notes:

1. Billy Strings on a Martin Grand J-28E, Royal Masat on a Nord Stage 3 88-Key Keyboard & Billy Failing on Masterton ML-1: Missing Link Béla Fleck Baritone Banjo
2. Full band (minus Alex) around single mic
3. Full band around single mic
4. “Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (Amy Turk) tease

Via billybase.com 

Billy Strings 

Target Center – Minneapolis 

August 9, 2025 

Set I: Taking Water > Running The Route > Hollow Heart, Hellbender, Happy Hollow, Tangled Up In Blue > All Fall Down, Be Your Man, Long Forgotten Dream, I’m One Of Those, Turmoil & Tinfoil

Set II: Nashville Blues1, Catch and Release1, And Am I Born To Die?2, Home, My Alice, Pretty Daughter, Psycho, Red Daisy > On The Line > Train 45, Summertime > Ride Me High > Hide and Seek

Notes: 

1. Billy Strings solo
2. Billy Strings solo a cappella

Via billybase.com