Billy Strings Welcomes Micah Nelson on “Wild Horses,” Performs “Drifter’s Escape” to Mark Bob Dylan’s Birthday

Photo credit: Stevo Rood

On Saturday, May 24, Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour arrived at Cascades Amphitheater in Ridgefield, Wash., approximately 22 miles from Portland, Ore., for its second-to-last stop on the spring leg. During the weekend appearance, Billy Strings brought  out Micah Nelson on guitar and lead vocals for a cover of The Rolling Stones’ classic “Wild Horses.” Before closing out his roaming festival set, Strings performed the Bob Dylan original “Drifter’s Escape” to mark the bard’s 84th birthday. 

With the sun perched above the outdoor venue, Strings and his band–Billy Failing, Alex Hargreaves, Royal Masat, and Jarrod Walker–found the concert’s entry point on the Home featured, “Guitar Peace” with an apt twist of The Beatles’ “Here Comes The Sun.” The Pink Floyd original “Fearless” came before a pairing of “Bronzeback” and traditional “Little Maggie.” Next, the ensemble references the bandleader’s Lindsay Lou co-write, “Nothing’s Working,” ahead of the Doc Watson release “I’m a Natural Born Gamblin’ Man.”

Strings let Failing take the driver’s seat next, leading his bandmates through his own “So Many Miles.” The latter ran into John Hartford’s “I’m Still Here” and continued with a “Running” addition, sans pause. “Seney Stretch” and “Doin’ Things Right” set up the arrival of The Beatles’ “I’ll Cry Instead,” which brought Masat into the lead role. After completing the Hard Day’s Night entry, Strings welcomed Nelson, who led The Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses.” Notably, the pair had joined forces during the tour’s previous stop in Spokane, Wash., on May 22, where they paid homage to the tour host with his adopted Irving Berlin number, “Blue Skies.” 

Before concluding his frame, Strings turned in “Long Forgotten Dream” and “Know It All” prior to nodding to her previous collaborator, Dylan, with a rendition of “Drifter’s Escape.” The John Wesley Harding feature appeared in Strings’ archive in 2022 and was performed on 21 occasions [including Saturday night]. During the weekend’s rendition, it was a welcome reference to Dylan’s birthday. 

Following Strings’ participation in the Outlaw Country Tour this last weekend, the musician tacked on new live dates to his Summer Tour, including a pair of Pacific Northwest gigs: August 22 at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Wash., and Eugene, Ore.’s Matthew Knight Arena on August 23. This morning, Tuesday, May 27, Strings added another stop, slated for September 17, at The Signal in Chattanooga. See more on the musician’s official website. 

Billy Strings 

Outlaw Music Festival 

Cascades Amphitheater – Ridgefield, Wash.

May 24, 2025

Set: Guitar Peace1 > Fearless, Bronzeback> Little Maggie, Nothing’s Working, I’m a Natural Born Gamblin’ Man, So Many Miles2 > I’m Still Here > Running, Seney Stretch, Doin’ Things Right > I’ll Cry Instead3, Wild Horses4, 5 > Long Forgotten Dream, Know It All > Drifter’s Escape6

Notes via billybase.net: 

1. “Here Comes the Sun” (The Beatles) tease
2. Billy Failing lead vocals
3. Royal Masat on lead vocals
4. w/ Micah Nelson on guitar and lead vocals
5. Last Time Played 2024-05-11 | 71 show gap
6. Bob Dylan’s original for his birthday