Billy Strings, Bryan Sutton and Royal Masat Kick Off Night One in Boone, N.C. with Carson Robinson Debut, Bust Outs and More

Photo: Stevo Rood

Billy String, Bryan Sutton, and Royal Masat turned in the latest stop of their ongoing trio tour on Thursday evening. The group’s concert at the Scharfer Center for the Performing Arts in Boone, N.C., consisted of a 36-song delivery, a handful of which were bust-outs—cover songs that had been collecting dust until last night. Mixed into the first set was a take on Carson Robison’s “Life Gets Tee – Jus, Don’t It,” a tune that Doc Watson also played, which emerged as a debut from the three-piece.

The concert opened with Sutton singing the traditional “Way Downtown,” which was also covered on Strings’ Me/And/Dad record, before he took the lead during the ensuing performance of “Shady Grove.” Strings’ Turmoil & Tinfoil co-write with Sutton, “Salty Sheep,” took shape before another deep dive into cover material, including Watson’s “Doc’s Guitar.” The night’s first bust-out, and a song last played by Strings on May 21, 2024, ending a 94-show gap. 

Before turning in their first set, the ensemble added a first-time play to their songbook, the aforementioned Robinson original, followed by the first “Southbound” since April 21, 2024, and frame one closer, another from Robinson’s bank of originals, only this time, “Open Up Them Pearly Gates.” After halftime, Strings turned up solo and worked through two choice numbers: traditional, “Matty Groves,” and Delmore’s “Brown’s Ferry Blues.” Sutton then received solo time during a take on “Italy.” 

Like the aforementioned number, “Little Sadie” was also delivered by a solo Sutton, who traded in his banjo for guitar with the arrival of the traditional song. To cap their individual plays, Sutton and Strings converged for duets on “Groundhog,” “Give The Fiddler A Dram,” “Whistling Rufus,” and “Rag Time Annie.” The second set remained standard until the encore brought “Alberta” to light, and the first “There’s More Pretty Than One,” since 2019, ending a sizable 601 show gap in live deliveries.

For the last piece of their performance, the trio played the Tony Rice-covered, traditional “Beaumont Rag.” Thursday night’s arrival at Scharfer Center for the Performing Arts represented the first in a two-night run. Strings, Sutton and Masat will return to the Boone, N.C. stage tonight. Tickets are sold out. 

Scroll down to view last night’s setlist via billybase.net. 

Billy String & Bryan Sutton with Royal Masat

Scharfer Center for the Performing Arts – Boone, N.C.

Sept. 11, 2025

Set I: Way Downtown1, Shady Grove, Salty Sheep, Greenville Trestle High1, Blue Railroad Train Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette, The Old Home1, If I Needed You1 Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright Doc’s Guitar2, Darling Corey1, Life Gets Tee – Jus, Don’t It3, Southbound1, 4 Open Up Them Pearly Gates

Set II: Matty Groves5, Brown’s Ferry Blues5, Italy6,7, Little Sadie8,9, Groundhog10, Give The Fiddler A Dram10, Whistling Rufus10, Ragtime Annie10, Miss The Mississippi And You, Talking to Casey > Poor Boy Blues, St. James Hospital, Little Darling Pal Of Mine, Nothing To It, Streamline Cannonball1, South Coast, I Told Them All About You, The Train That Carried My Girl From Town1, Black Mountain Rag

Enc.: Alberta11, There’s More Pretty Girls Than One12, Beaumont Rag

Notes:

1. Bryan Sutton on lead vocals
2. Last Time Played 2024-05-21 | 96 show gap
3. FTP – Carson Robison
4. Last Time Played 2024-04-21 | 102 show gap
5. Billy Strings solo
6. Bryan Sutton solo on banjo
7. Last Time Played 2020-01-08 | 475 show gap
8. Bryan Sutton solo on guitar
9. Last Time Played 2024-12-13 | 63 show gap
10. Duet w/ Billy Strings & Bryan Sutton on guitar
11. Last Time Played 2025-01-25 | 57 show gap
12. Last Time Played 2019-02-13 | 601 show gap

Setlist and notes via billybase.net.