Nashville’s Bluegrass Get Down: Anders Beck, Jason Carter and Tim O’Brien Join Billy Strings During Bridgestone Arena Run
Photo: Stevo Rood
Billy Strings took his Winter Tour 2025 to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Friday and Saturday night. The Michigan native turned Music City resident used the regional return as an opportunity to tap fellow bluegrass mainstays for assistance on select numbers during the two-night reign, including Greensky Bluegrass’ Anders Beck, fiddler Jason Carter–known for his extensive tenure in the Del McCoury Band, and recent solo ascent–and Tim O’Brien.
Night one stirred up a surfeit of customized moments, meant to exhilarate the crowd of nearly 20,000. With pre-conceived thought and hometown pride, the ensemble stepped on stage and saluted the state on the Jimmy Martin co-write, “Tennessee.” To follow, they initiated Renewal pull, “Red Daisy” before clicking into Highway Prayers’ “Malfunction Junction,” effectively kicking off a motif that would see a continuation of originals, a back and forth of Renewal and Highway Prayers selects (“Secrets,” “Gild the Lily”).
“Dust in a Baggie” and the Doc Watson-associated “Walk on Boy” preluded the arrival of the concert series’ first guest. For Beck’s first sit-in, the band nodded to their guest’s Greensky Bluegrass release on the Paul Hoffman-penned “Reverend,” ahead of bluegrass staple, “Katy Daley.” Sans guests, the billed band performed “Away From the Mire” and Emmitt-Nershi Band’s “New Country Blues.”
Set two found Strings step out with his Masterton ML-1: Missing Link Béla Fleck Baritone Banjo. The namesake was joined by Billy Failing on guitar for a captivating take on “Leadfoot.” The format would return later in the frame and parse to a solo Strings, but not before the full band ran through “Love and Regret,” “Dusty Miller,” “Hello City Limits,” and a nonstop segue of “California Sober” into “Run Down.”
On the other side of the fiery stretch of songs, Strings stepped out solo for a lyrical nod to the city on the Watson-released “Nashville Blues.” After he met Failing at the center of the stage, the pair played through traditional “Froggie Went A-Courtin’,” and dedicated the number to Failing’s wife. “Stratosphere Blues / I Believe in You” found Strings on a Martin 12-String HD12-28, Royal Masat on a Nord Stage 3 88-Key Keyboard and Failing on Masterton ML-1: Missing Link Béla Fleck Baritone Banjo.
Beck returned for the final song of set two, adding Dobro on “Meet Me at The Creek.” The night’s encore saw Strings, Failing, and Masat gather around a single mic for their hair-raising rendition of “Richard Petty.” For the first time during the event, Carter showed up, adding fiddle over the Monroe-associated “With Body & Soul,” traditional “Katy Hill,” the concert’s only debut, before closing the show after good ole’ “Uncle Pen.”
Saturday’s start leaned heavily into originals before Strings paid homage to Larry Sparks with two pulls, “Hellbender,” last performed on Nov. 11, 2023, and “Slow Train.” “Escanaba” separated the arrival of traditional “I’ve Been All Around This World,” featuring O’Brien on mandolin, which struck a similar chord to renditions by Jerry Garcia and David “Dawg” Grisman, considering the instrumental format.
O’Brien stuck around for Bob Dylan’s “Señor.” Notably, O’Brien opened his 1996 Red on Blonde Dylan covers album with the latter, making for a pithy nod. To follow, they added originals as well as George Gershwin’s “Summertime” and traditionals, which took the band to their mid-concert break. The ensemble resumed with a pairing of “Taking Water” into “Reuben’s Train,” and capped the segued songs with “Long Forgotten Dream.”
Carter (on fiddle) and O’Brien (on mandolin), joined their hosts once again, this time, covering “Big Spike Hammer,” Turmoil & Tinfoil inclusion “All of Tomorrow” and Me/And/Dad feature “I Haven’t Seen Mary in Years,” last played on Sept. 13, 2020, effectively ending a significant 395 show gap. The aforementioned company remained for Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys’ “Roanoke.” Sans guests, the band added to “Turmoil & Tinfoil” with “Inspector Gadget Theme” to create a one-of-a-kind jam, ahead of “Slewfoot” and “Beginning of the End.”
The final songs of the Bridgestone Arena run saw Beck on Dobro, Carter on fiddle, and the rest of the band back around a single mic at center stage for a four covers: Jimmy Martin released and recorded “Sophronie,” traditionals “Little Maggie,” “Dark Hollow” and “Roll on Buddy, Roll On.” The series highlighted the ensemble’s timeless bluegrass chops.
After Friday and Saturday’s memorable performances at Bridgestone Arena, Strings will remain in town for his highly anticipated arrival at the Ryman Auditorium. The sold-out concert will be livestreamed on nugs.net.
Scroll down to view setlists and content for this weekend’s Bridgestone Arena shows.
Billy Strings
Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, Tenn.
Feb. 28, 2025
Set I: Tennessee, Red Daisy, Malfunction Junction > Secrets, Gild the Lily, Dust In A Baggie, Walk On Boy, Reverend1, Katy Daley1, Away From The Mire, New Country Blues
Set II: Leadfoot2, Love and Regret, Dusty Miller, Hello, City Limits, California Sober > Run Down, Nashville Blues3, Froggie Went A-Courtin’4,5 > Stratosphere Blues / I Believe in You6, On The Line > Train 45 > Ruby, Meet Me At The Creek1
Enc.: Richard Petty7, With Body & Soul8,9 > Katy Hill8,10, Uncle Pen8
Notes:
- w/ Anders Beck (Greensky Bluegrass) on dobro
- Billy Strings on his Masterton ML-1: Missing Link Béla Fleck Baritone Banjo & Billy Failing on Guitar
- Billy Strings solo front of stage
- Billy Strings and Billy Failing duo front of stage
- Dedicated to Mrs. Failing, Billy Failing’s wife
- 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
- Full band (minus Alex) around single mic front of stage
- Full band with Jason Carter on fiddle around single mic front of stage
- Last Time Played 2023-09-14 | 105 show gap
- FTP – Traditional
Billy Strings
Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, Tenn.
March 1, 2025
Set I: Hide and Seek, The Fire On My Tongue> Bronzeback, Hellbender, Blue Virginia Blues1, Slow Train, Escanaba, I’ve Been All Around This World2, Señor (Tales Of Yankee Power)2, Gone A Long Time, Seven Weeks in County, Summertime, The Train That Carried My Girl From Town > Black Mountain Rag
Set II: Taking Water > Reuben’s Train ,Long Forgotten Dream, Big Spike Hammer3, All Of Tomorrow3, I Haven’t Seen Mary In Years3,4, Roanoke3,5, Turmoil & Tinfoil6, Ole Slew Foot, The Beginning of the End, Sophronie7, Little Maggie7, Dark Hollow7, Roll On Buddy, Roll On7
Notes:
- Last Time Played 2023-11-11 | 86 show gap
- w/ Tim O’Brien on mandolin and lead vocals
- w/ Jason Carter on fiddle and Tim O’Brien on mandolin
- Last Time Played 2020-09-13 | 395 show gap
- Last Time Played 2023-09-14 | 106 show gap
- “Inspector Gadget Theme” (Saben & Levy) jam
- w/ Anders Beck on dobro and Jason Carter on fiddle around single mic front of stage
Setlist via billybase.net.
