The Infamous Stringdusters welcomed singer-songwriter and guitarist Cris Jacobs during the first set of their New Year’s Eve concert at The National in Richmond, Virginia. The first set also saw the pickers weaving the song “Machines” throughout the first set.
“Machines” kicked off the first frame and headed into the live staple “Run To Heaven.” “Changes” came next ahead of the title track to their 2019 album Rise Sun. “Changes” then led back into “Machines” before falling into “Gravity.” Next, Jacobs joined the Dusters on a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s protest song “Fortunate Son” from the legendary rock band’s 1969 album, Willy And The Poor Boys. Jacobs lent his signature, twangy style to the CCR classic. “Just Like Heaven” came next ahead of a continuous block that contained “Wake The Dead” from Rise Sun before segueing into a cover of Peter Rowan’s “Midnight Moonlight.” The song became a staple for bluegrass supergroup Old And In The Way with Jerry Garcia on banjo. Jerry would also bring the song to the Dead and it later became an oft-played song for them as well. The Dusters headed back to “Machines” to bookend the set.
From “17 Cents,” off of their 2010 album Things That Fly, they jumped into “Big Sandy Disco” to start the second set. The segues kept coming with “Planets” into “Get It” which then led into “Cuckoos.” Then it was time for the NYE festivities, first with a cover of “2001” (otherwise known as “Also Sprach Zarathustra”), then the countdown and finally “Auld Lang Syne.” Fittingly, the Dusters played “20/20 Vision” after the countdown — a song Phish also played earlier in their NYE run — before getting into Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away.” The pickers kept the covers coming with The Beatles’ 1966 single “Rain” that in turn hopped off into The Allman Brothers Band’s “Jessica.” The band then got the disco party started with Daft Punk and Pharrell’s “Get Lucky.” The Dusters closed out the second set with the Rise Sun track “Truth And Love.”
The Infamous Stringdusters came back out from an encore of “Fork In The Road.” Listen to the whole show taped by Bryan Belay below:
Watch video of the countdown and “Auld Lang Syne” shared by the band:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=455071128502332
Here’s fan-shot video captured by Sarah Dean of “Fortunate Son”:
Setlist
Set One: Machines -> Run to Heaven, Rising Sun, Changes -> Machines -> Gravity, Fortunate Son (w/Cris Jacobs), Just Like Heaven, Wake the Dead -> Machines -> Midnight Moonlight -> Machines
Set Two: 17 Cents -> Big Sandy Disco, Planets -> Get It -> Cuckoos, 2001 -> Auld Lang Syne, 20/20 Vision -> Not Fade Away, It’ll Be Alright -> Rain -> Jessica, Get Lucky -> Truth & Love
Encore: Fork In The Road
