Billy Strings Revisits The Shire on Night One in Asheville: Bust Outs, First-Time Covers and More

February 7, 2025

Photo: Stevo Rood

On Thursday, Feb. 6, bluegrass golden boy Billy Strings arrived at ExploreAshevlle.com Arena in Asheville, N.C., for one of six sold-out concerts at this specific location. The winter tour stop provided the necessary impetus to combine bust-outs and debut covers into a two-set performance that brimmed with the timelessness of Strings, Billy Failing, Royal Masat, Jarrod Walke, and Alex Hargreaves’ dignified approach to honoring the greats while still braiding in originals.

Striking the latter effect, Strings and company started their concert with the Highway Prayers’ feature, “In the Clear,” which merged into the ensuing traditional “Sally Johnson” and follow-up “I’d Like to Be a Train,” performed for the first time since April 13, 2024, effectively ending a 51 show lapse in plays. Next, the ensemble trickled in the Ralph Stanley-arranged “A Robin Built A Nest on Daddy’s Grave” before kicking back into their own “While I’m Waiting Here” and “Seven Weeks in County.”

Strings’ teased “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky” into “Seven Weeks” before charging into set one’s debut, Jimmie Rodgers’ “Treasure Untold,” which received a nod toward LOTR and J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth fantasy via a sampling of the “Fellowship of the Ring” theme–a nod to past Asheville runs, specifically the bandleader’s Shire inspired 2022 Halloween concert. A cover of “Hello, City Limits” arrived ahead of fan favorite, original “My Alice.”

The band went full steam ahead into traditional “The Train That Carried My Girl From Town,” followed by “Black Mountain Rag.” Strings swung back into material off his fourth studio LP, delivering “Cabin Song” before Pink Floyd’s “Brain Damage” ushered the final moments of set one. The latter half of the night bred “Red Rocking Chair,” Doc & Merle Watson’s version–to be exact. “Libby Phillips Rag” filled the gap between set two’s opening number and “Watch It Fall,” which assumed the third slot during the latter frame.

“Way Downtown,” which appeared on Me/ And/ Dad, was dusted off for the first time since July 22, 2023, ending a 112 concert gap. Hattie Nevada’s “The Letter Edged in Black” preluded a pairing of “Thurst Mutilator” and the Failing sung “So Many Miles.” Without pause, the band offered a sequence of [Renewal’s] “The Fire on My Tongue,” [Home’s] “Must Be Seven,” [Turmoil & Tinfoil’s] “Pyramid Country” into a cover of the Eddie Noack released “Psycho.” They returned to bits of “Pyramid Country” before ending the epic set two convergence with Ralph Stanley’s “Ridin’ That Midnight Train.”

For night one’s encore, Strings blew the dust off “Salty Dog Blues,” last played on November 5, 2021, closing out a 300-show break in plays. After last night’s Asheville kick-off, Strings will return to the stage tonight, Friday, Feb. 7. The concert is sold out.

For those interested in watching from home, tonight’s live show and all 14 livestreams, including the Ryman finale, are available with Nugs’ All Access subscription. A free live audio stream is also available to everyone. Don’t miss a note!

Scroll down to view the official setlist and more from last night’s concert.

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Billy Strings

Exploreasheville.com Arena – Asheville, N.C.

Feb. 6, 2025

Set I: In the Clear > Sally Johnson, I’d Like To Be A Train1, A Robin Built A Nest On Daddy’s Grave, While I’m Waiting Here, Seven Weeks in County2, Treasure Untold3,4, Hello, City Limits, My Alice, The Train That Carried My Girl From Town > Black Mountain Rag, Cabin Song > Brain Damage

Set II: Red Rocking Chair (Doc and Merle version), Libby Phillips Rag, Watch It Fall, Way Downtown5, The Letter Edged In Black, Thirst Mutilator > So Many Miles6, The Fire On My Tongue > Must Be Seven > Pyramid Country > Psycho > Pyramid Country > Ridin’ That Midnight Train

Enc.: Salty Dog Blues7

Notes: