Billy Strings wrapped up his Meet Me At The Drive-In Tour on Saturday at the Exposition Gardens in Peoria, Illinois. The guitarist also announced a livestream concert from Red Rocks on September 26 via nugs.tv.
SURPRISE! Weâre heading to Colorado next Saturday to perform LIVE from Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, Sept 26th. GetâŚ
Posted by Billy Strings on Saturday, September 19, 2020
Billy and the band kicked things off in Peoria with a bluegrass standard, The Stanley Brothersâ âSharecropperâs Sonâ followed by an original tune, âOn The Line,â the opening track from his 2017 debut album, Turmoil & Tinfoil, the latter of which saw a frenetic banjo solo from Billy Failing. Strings then delivered a pair of covers with the late great Jeff Austinâs âRun Downâ â with Austinâs brother in mandolin Jarrod Walker serving up a tasty solo â and the bluegrass standard âThis Heart Of Mine,â which led into the original âDealing Despair.â The Billy instrumental âThirst Mutilatorâ came next followed by more covers in Pearl Jamâs âIn Hidingâ â which saw Billy cranking the distortion and belting out the chorus â followed by the traditional âThe Train That Carried My Girl From Townâ played by Doc Watson and others as well as another trad, the instrumental âBlack Mountain Rag.â A well-jammed âHome,â the title track from Stringsâ 2019 album, came ahead of a trio of covers to close out the set including Bill Monroeâs âOn And On,â the Tony Rice instrumental âTipperâ and the Jackson Browne classic âRunning On Empty,â which once again saw Billy reeling of a scorchinâ solo, to bring the first frame to a close.
The second set got underway with the classic âDust In A Baggieâ which headed into the stellar Peter Rowan song, âMidnight Moonlight.â Perhaps being back on the road had Billy in a locomotive mood as he capped off a trifecta of âRunâ related songs with âRunning.â Another mini-theme followed with Marty Stuartâs âOld Mexicoâ and the Grateful Dead-popularized âMe & My Uncle,â which references Mexico as well. Billy kept the bluegrass nods up with Del McCouryâs âBeauty Of My Dreamsâ before turning to more contemporary music with Post Maloneâs âCircles.â The end of the second set saw the band stretching out a bit beginning with a 15-minute âAll Fall Down,â a favorite John Hartford jam vehicle. While heâs been known to phase it out, Billy turned to some auto-wah which bubbled over Royal Masatâs bounding bassline. The Stanley Brothersâ âKaty Daleyâ came next ahead of the second set closer âMeet Me At The Creek.â While it wasnât the 20-minute monster from Mohegan, the band certainly took the song out with a careening crescendo to cap it off led by the Billys, first Failing and then Strings cranking up the distortion again to put an exclamation point on the tour.
Listen to the entire Meet Me At The Drive-In Tour closer below via Michael Frasca:
Setlist
Billy Strings at Exposition Gardens
Set 1
- Sharecropper’s Son  On the Line
- Run Down Â
- This Heart of Mine  Dealing Despair
- Thirst Mutilator
- In Hiding Â
- The Train That Carried My Girl From Town  Black Mountain Rag Â
- Home
- On and On Â
- Tipper Â
- Running on Empty Â
Set 2
- Dust in a Baggie  Midnite Moonlite Â
- Running
- Old Mexico Â
- Me and My Uncle Â
- Beauty of My Dreams Â
- Circles Â
- All Fall Down Â
- Katy Daley Â
- Meet Me at the Creek
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