Billy Strings teamed up with the Cris Jacobs Band for a “Psychedelic Circus” performance on Saturday night at the Aiken Bluegrass Festival in Aiken, South Carolina. Special guests included guitarist Neal Casal, vocalist Lindsay Lou and bassist Royal Masat.
Strings and the Cris Jacobs Band presented a wide range of covers over the course of a late-night performance that ended well after 4 a.m. The ensemble started the first of two sets with Edgar Winter Group’s “Hangin’ Around” and Bobby “Blue” Bland’s “Farther Up The Road.” Jacobs then sang and shined on the Grateful Dead’s “Althea” before Billy starred on the traditional Irish song “Whiskey In The Jar” and Johnny Winter’s “Cheap Tequila.” A pairing of “cheap” tunes continued with ZZ Top’s “Cheap Sunglasses.”
Saturday’s first set continued with Jacobs leading the ensemble through Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ “Breakdown” and Strings fronting the traditional “Going Down The Road Feelin’ Bad.” A slick segue connected “GDTRFB” and Petty’s “Runnin’ Down A Dream.” The frame concluded with lots of fretboard fireworks during Jimi Hendrix’s “Red House” and “Fire” as well as a take on “Johnny B. Goode” by Chuck Berry.
The second set of Billy Strings’ Psychedelic Circus got off the ground with a cover of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid.” Next, Strings handled lead vocals on the Grateful Dead’s “Deal.” A pairing of Pearl Jam’s “Corduroy” and Neil Young’s “Down By The River” followed. The classic rock covers continued with James Gang’s “Funk 49” and Traffic’s “Dear Mr. Fantasy.” From there, the ensemble tore through Johnny Cash’s “Big River.” Lindsay Lou then emerged for Dr. John’s “Right Place, Wrong Time” and “That’s What Love Will Make You Do” by
Thigpen, Banks and Marion. Lou also led the group through Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times Bad Times.” A run of Junior Parker’s “Mystery Train,” Son Seals’ “Funky Bitch” and Sabbath’s “Sweet Leaf” brought the set to a close. Strings and the gang ended the night with an “Iko Iko” encore.
Watch videos captured by T Shaw’s Progressive Bluegrass Page:
Corduroy > Down By The River
Paranoid
Right Place Wrong Time > That’s What Love Will Make You Do
Good Times Bad Times
Sweet Leaf
Setlist (via Billy Strings Fanpage)
Set One: Hangin’ Around, Farther Up The Road, Althea, Whiskey In The Jar, Cheap Tequila, Cheap Sunglasses, Breakdown, Going Down The Road Feelin’ Bad > Runnin’ Down A Dream, Red House, Fire, Johnny B. Goode
Set Two: Paranoid, Deal, Corduroy > Down By The River, Funk 49, Dear Mr. Fantasy, Big River, Right Place Wrong Time > That’s What Love Will Make You Do, Good Times Bad Times, Mystery Train, Funky Bitch, Sweet Leaf
Encore: Iko Iko
