Watch: Billy Strings Begins New Year’s Stand in New Orleans, Offers Debuts, Bust Outs and Covers

Photo Credit: Jesse Faatz via Billy Strings’ Facebook

On Friday, Dec. 29, Billy Strings arrived at the UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans for the first of three nights celebrating the impending New Year. The bluegrass golden boy turned up solo for the initial song of the night, delivering “Crawdad Hole” on the clawhammer banjo, prior to the arrival of bandmates Billy Failing, Royal Masat, Jarrod Walker, and Alex Hargreaves for an ensuing traditional, “Sally Goodin” and “Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow.”

In continuation of the first set, Strings and company dusted off “Maggie Walker Blues,” ending a 149-show gap in plays, before cascading originals and covers, leading to Hargreaves’ take on “I’m Troubled.” “Shady Grove” and “Mountain Dew” arrived before a first-time performance of traditional “Big Sciota,” which merged into “Everything’s The Same” to cap the initial half of the night. 

To start the latter portion of the concert, the band dipped into an original, followed by a debut of “Uncloudy Day,” a tune attributed to Willie Nelson’s 1976 Honeysuckle Rose set. Instrumental, “Soldier’s Joy” followed by “All Of Tomorrow.” Then, they dusted off the cover of “Keep On The Sunny Side,” ending a 230 show gap. After another trickle of tunes, Strings broke up the frame with four solo deliveries, starting with a debut of “A-Roving on a Winter’s Night.” The follow-up, “Doc’s Guitar,” featured Bob Dylan’s  “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” outro jam.

String’s solo segment presented the original “Catch and Release” and a cover of “Nashville Blues” next before a full band arrived just in time for “Harbor of Love.” After the cover, they picked up another traditional, this time a debut of “Forked Deer.” For the final songs of the second frame, the band ran through the Nelson co-written “California Sober,” which ran into “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.” 

For the night’s encore, Strings and his band returned to the stage, huddled around a single mic, and covered “Angel Band,” followed by the Lindsay Lou and Strings’ co-authored “Freedom.” With the first of three nights complete, Strings will return to UNO Lakefront Arena tonight and tap into the run’s masquerade theme. 

Tickets for night two of Strings’ New Year’s celebration in The Big Easy remain on sale and can be purchased here. For those unable to attend in person, livestream options are available via nugs.net. 

Scroll down to view Billy Strings’ NYE night one setlist via billybase.net. 

Billy Strings 

UNO Lakefront Arena – New Orleans

Dec. 29, 2023

Set I: Crawdad Hole+, Sally Goodin > Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow, Maggie Walker Blues#, Hellbender, Red Daisy, Wild Bill Jones, This Old World, I’m Troubled&, Shady Grove, Mountain Dew, Big Sciota* > Everything’s The Same

Set II: Gone A Long Time, Uncloudy Day%, Soldier’s Joy, All Of Tomorrow, Keep On The Sunny Side@, Cabin Song, Big Sandy River > Little Maggie, A-Roving on a Winter’s Night^, Doc’s Guitar~, Catch and Release~, Nashville Blues~, Harbor of Love, Forked Deer*, California Sober >  Will The Circle Be Unbroken

Enc.: Angel Band!, Freedom!

Notes:

+ Billy Strings solo on clawhammer banjo

# Last Played on Aug. 10, 2022, 149 show gap 

& Alex Hargreaves on lead vocals 

*First time played, traditional 

@ Last Played 2021-11-16 | 230 show gap

^ Billy Strings solo | First time played, traditional

% Billy Strings solo |  “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” (Bob Dylan)  outro jam 

~ Billy Strings solo

! Full band around a single mic

Setlist via billybase.net.