Photo: Christopher Morley

During a midweek stop at the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Fla., bluegrass golden boy Billy Strings treated attendees of the second stop on his current spring tour to a bust out of Bill Monroe’s “Old Dangerfield.” The play landed during the concert’s latter half and included components of Phish’s “Sand.” Strings and company pushed the composition past the 15-minute marker, extending their rendition of the cover to house elements of the 1999-debuted number. 

Before the arrival of the night’s most talked-about moment, Strings used his initial stage time for a solo take on the Delmore Brothers-released “Nashville Blue,” followed by the Highway Prayers feature, “Catch and Release.” Following the completion of the night’s initial offerings, Billy Failing, Royal Masat, Alex Hargreaves, and Jarrod Walker joined Strings to conjure “Freeborn Man” in the styling of Jimmy Martin before clicking into Renewal pull, “Show Me the Door.” 

The ensemble returned to covers and played through Leftover Salmon’s “Down in the Hollow” before nodding to Flatt & Scruggs’ approach to “Doin’ My Time.” Another stretch of borrowed songs and originals took the band into the night’s set break before they returned for a pairing of “Leaning on a Travelin’ Song” and the traditional “Sally Johnson.”

Set two featured the old-timey tune “Hold That Woodpile Down” ahead of the Turmoil & Tinfoil cut, “While I’m Waiting Here.” Next, the seasoned musicians seized the onset of Monroe’s 1981-released “Old Dangerfield,” which represented a bust out for Strings, who hadn’t performed the cover since July 25, 2022, effectively ending a 235-show gap. 

An explosive jam erupted from the Master of Bluegrass feature, and instrumental interludes were presented as improvisations from Strings, Hargreaves, and Failings. Seeking a pocket for entry, Strings clicked into Phish’s “Sand” before his band co-opted the move and eventually segued into follow-up, “Secrets.”  

During Stratosphere Blues / I Believe in You,” Strings pulled out a Martin 12-String HD12-28, while Masat was on a Nord Stage 3 88-Key Keyboard and Failing on Masterton ML-1: Missing Link Béla Fleck Baritone Banjo during “Stratosphere Blues / I Believe in You.” During the night’s encore, the whole band (apart from Hargreaves) gathered around a single mic at the front of the stage on the acapella “Richard Petty.” 

Hargreaves joined his bandmates for the final offerings while still positioned around a single mic to take on a cover of “Salty Dog Blues,” a nod to Hot Rize’s rendition of “Standing in the Need of Prayer” and the Grateful Dead-associated favorite, “Dark Hollow.”

After last night’s concert in Tampa, Fla., Strings will continue his spring tour tomorrow at the Enmart Arena in Savannah, Ga., where he will remain through April 12. Tickets remain on sale. For those unable to attend in person, livestream the complete run on nugs.net. 

Billy Strings 

Yuengling Center – Tampa, Fla.

April 9, 2025 

Set I: Nashville Blues1, Catch and Release1, Freeborn Man, Show Me The Door, Down In The Hollow, Doin’ My Time, Seney Stretch, Don’t Be Calling Me (at 4 AM), Red Rocking Chair, Dusty Miller, Cold Cold World, California Sober, Living Like An Animal > The Cuckoo

Set II: Leaning on a Travelin’ Song > Sally Johnson, Hold That Woodpile Down, While I’m Waiting Here, Old Dangerfield2,3, Secrets, Nothing’s Working, Kentucky Mandolin > Pretty Daughter, Stratosphere Blues / I Believe in You4, Hollow Heart

Enc.: Richard Petty5,Salty Dog Blues6,Standing In The Need Of Prayer6,Dark Hollow6

Notes:

1. Billy Strings solo
2. Last Time Played 2022-07-24 | 235 show gap
3. “Sand” (Phish) jam
4. Billy Strings on a Martin 12-String HD12-28, Royal Masat on a Nord Stage 3 88-Key Keyboard & Billy Failing on Masterton ML-1: Missing Link Béla Fleck Baritone Banjo
5. Full band (minus Alex) around single mic front of stage
6. Full band around single mic front of stage

Setlist via billybase.net.