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Watch Billy Strings Bid Rain At Red Rocks Adieu With ‘I Can See Clearly Now’ Cover Debut

May 15, 2023

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Billy Strings wrapped a two-night run at Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado on Friday. After a wet night one, Billy offered the weather appropriate debut of the Johnny Nash-penned, Jimmy Cliff-popularized classic “I Can See Clearly Now” as the fourth song in the first set.

Still battling technical issues from the soggy Thursday night, which was one of the wettest days on the Front Range in recent memory, Billy and the band — mandolinist Jarrod Walker, bassist Royal Masat, banjoist Billy Failing and fiddler Alex Hargreaves — gathered around a single mic. Strings noted that they had intended to do the single mic segment to end the show but decided to start with it as last-minute gear fixes were implemented.

The three-song single mic opening sequence started with the bluegrass standard “Ruby” followed by the first Billy Strings performance of The Stanley Brothers’ “Love Me Darlin’, Just Tonight,” since February 14, 2020. The 2023 Red Rocks version marked just the third time Billy performed the song since its debut on June 25, 2016. The single mic favorite “If Your Hair Is Too Long, There’s Sin In Your Heart” concluded the opening sequence.

The band returned to their usual places and delivered the debut of “I Can See Clearly Now.” Johnny Nash included the song on his 1972 album of the same name. Roughly 20 years later, reggae legend Jimmy Cliff recorded a version for the soundtrack to the film, Cool Runnings. After the weather issues, Billy’s version was well-placed and got the Red Rocks audience moving especially when the quintet kicked it up into double time.

Following “Red Daisy,” off the band’s 2021 album Renewal, and “I’ll Remember You, Love, In My Prayers,” Billy returned to elements of “I Can See Clearly Now” during a 13-minute version of the instrumental “Pyramid Country.” The band then headed into “Must Be Seven” and a cover of Greensky Bluegrass’ “Letter To Seymour.” Billy then broke out Led Zeppelin’s “Four Sticks,” last time played on September 16, 2021 for a total gap of 186 shows. “Dust In A Baggie” came next ahead of “My Alice” and a cover of Frank Wakefield’s “End Of The Rainbow.” Renewal’s “Know It All” capped the first set.

The quintet chug-a-lugged into “Slow Train” to begin the second set before embarking on a 20-minute “Meet Me At The Creek.” Renewal cuts “Show Me The Door” and “Secrets” followed. Billy then went it alone for “Catch And Release” — a song about a run-in with the law Billy had with Vince Herman of Colorado’s own Leftover Salmon — and the Delmore Brothers’ “Brown’s Ferry Blues.”

The band then rejoined Strings for “Heartbeat Of America” followed by Pearl Jam’s “Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town.” After “This Old World,” the new tune “Cabin Song” (debuted on March 18. 2023) kicked off a three-song seamless sequence that included Tony Rice’s “Tipper” and concluded with an 18-minute “Turmoil & Tinfoil,’ which saw elements of Phish’s “Bathtub Gin.” The bluegrass standard “Katy Daley” sealed the second set. The band returned for a single-mic version of “Freedom” off Billy’s Grammy-winning 2019 album, Home, to bring the two-night Red Rocks run to a close.

Watch fan-shot video of “I Can See Clearly Now,” pro-shot video of the single mic opening sequence plus more and listen to full-show audio via G-Man below:

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I Can See Clearly Now	00:00:00

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Channel	Steam Powered Aerodyne
Band	Billy Strings (See 620 videos)

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Ruby	00:09:35
Love Me Darlin Just Tonight	00:16:28
If Your Hair’s Too Long, There’s Sin In Your Heart	00:19:42
I Can See Clearly Now	00:23:46
Red Daisy	00:27:00
I’ll Remember You, Love, In My Prayers	00:30:03

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Channel	Billy Strings (See 93 videos)
Band	Billy Strings (See 620 videos)

[Hat Tip – BillyBase]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CsMGoRjOpt6/?hl=en

Setlist (via BillyBase)

Set One: Ruby[1], Love Me Darlin’, Just Tonight[1], If Your Hair Is Too Long, There’s Sin In Your Heart[1]
I Can See Clearly Now[2], Red Daisy, I’ll Remember You, Love, In My Prayers, Pyramid Country[3] > Must Be Seven > Letter To Seymour, Four Sticks, Dust In A Baggie, My Alice, End Of The Rainbow, Know It All

Set Two: Slow Train, Meet Me At The Creek, Show Me The Door, Secrets, Catch and Release[4], Brown’s Ferry Blues[4], Heartbeat Of America, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, This Old World, Cabin Song > Tipper > Turmoil & Tinfoil[5], Katy Daley

Encore: Freedom[6]

Notes:

[1] Impromptu, the band used a single mic after technical difficulties on stage
[2] FTP – Johnny Nash
[3] “I Can See Clearly” (Johnny Nash) tease
[4] Billy Strings solo
[5] “Bathtub Gin” (Phish) tease
[6] Band circled around single mic

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