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Watch Billy Strings Play ‘Sleep, Baby, Sleep’ For The 1st Time At Sacramento Show

October 5, 2023

Billy Strings went without a setbreak last night at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. Instead, Strings treated fans to a 10-song solo interlude that included his debut live performance of the traditional folk song “Sleep, Baby, Sleep.”

All told, Billy Strings played a three-hour concert in Sacramento in which the only break in the action was the short time between the end of the 33-song main set and the start of the encore. “I don’t quite feel like taking a setbreak right now. I kinda feel more like picking a few for you folks,” Strings told the crowd at the start of the impromptu solo frame which followed a first set heavy on cuts from 2021’s Renewal.

The guitarist began the solo portion of the night with a take on Delmore Brothers’ “Nashville Blues” that gave way to the traditional “Hold That Woodpile Down.” Strings went on to inform the audience he was about to play a song his father would sing to him when he was falling asleep. Billy then turned in a beautiful version of “Sleep, Baby, Sleep” complete with spot-on yodeling.

“Sleep, Baby, Sleep” was penned by S.A. Emery in 1869 and initially recorded by George P. Watson. Jimmie Rodgers, Lefty Frizzell and Doc Watson are among artists who have recorded covers of the lilting ballad over the past 100 years.

Check out audience-captured video of Billy’s debut live “Sleep, Baby, Sleep” cover below:

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Sleep, Baby, Sleep	00:00:00

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Channel	MrTopdogger (See 34 videos)
Band	Billy Strings (See 656 videos)

The solo “set” continued on with Strings’ first rendition of the traditional “John Henry” of 2023. He then performed the Townes Van Zandt classic “Pancho & Lefty” by request. Billy needed help with the lyrics and turned to the requester, “Taylor,” to be cued in on the verse. The guitarist had the audience show love for Taylor following “Pancho & Lefty.” After running through “The Preacher & The Bear,” “Catch & Release,” “Beaumont Rag” and “Last Day At Gettysburg,” Strings swapped his guitar for clawhammer banjo to play “Country Blues.”

Fiddler Alex Hargreaves, mandolinist Jarrod Walker, banjoist Billy Failing and bassist Royal Masat returned to the stage to launch the second full-band portion of the concert with “Fire Line.” A few songs later Failing helmed the Billy Strings debut of Tim O’Brien’s “The High Road.”

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The High Road	00:00:00

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Channel	MrTopdogger (See 34 videos)
Band	Billy Strings (See 656 videos)

Next, Jarrod Walker took a turn on lead vocals for “Nobody’s Love Is Like Mine” by The Stanley Brothers. Strings then teamed with his band to perform his recently premiered original known as “Be Your Man.” Billy noted he might have to change the title since Chris Stapleton already has a song named “Your Man.” The guitarist played and sung a little bit of the Stapleton number before performing his own tune.

Billy Strings left the stage for the first time at the conclusion of the 33-song set. He then returned with the band to cap the night with a “These Old Blues”/”Train 45” encore. Next up for Strings is a show in Palo Alto, California on Friday night. Watch a livestream via nugs.net.

Setlist (via BillyBase.net)

Set: The Fire On My Tongue > The Gold Rush, This Old World, Hello, City Limits, Old Train > Turmoil & Tinfoil, The Old Mountaineer, Doin’ Things Right > Hellbender, Everything’s The Same, Reverend, Long Forgotten Dream, Nashville Blues [1] > Hold That Woodpile Down [1], Sleep, Baby [1], [2], John Henry [1], Pancho & Lefty [1], The Preacher & The Bear [1], Catch and Release [1], Beaumont Rag [1], Last Day At Gettysburg [1], Country Blues [3], Fire Line [4], The Lonesome River, Dust In A Baggie, The High Road [5], [6], Nobody’s Love Is Like Mine [7], Be Your Man, Psycho > Hide and Seek, Love Like Me, Home Of The Red Fox > Little Maggie

Encore: These Old Blues > Train 45

[1] – Billy Strings solo
[2] – FTP – S.A. Emery
[3] – Billy Strings solo on clawhammer banjo
[4] – Band returns to stage
[5] – Billy Failing on lead vocals
[6] -FTP – Tim O’Brien
[7] – Jarrod Walker on lead vocals

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