After sitting in with Phish during a brief lull in his tour schedule, Billy Strings linked up with his (very) old friend Willie Nelson at The Gorge Amphitheatre for the nonagenarian’s Outlaw Music Festival.
Strings joined a heavy-hitting lineup featuring Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, and Brittney Spencer for an energizing evening of down-home music set against the gorgeous backdrop of the mighty Columbia River. The bluegrass firebrand and his band played a short opening set comprised mostly of original tunes. One exception was “Alberta”, a traditional originally recorded by Lead Belly and later released by Bob Dylan on his 19070 album Self Portrait.
Another highlight was Strings’ collaboration with Willie Nelson from last year, “California Sober”, which earned the pair a nomination for Best American Roots Song at the 66th Grammy Awards.
“I was telling you, we went on that Outlaw Tour before, and after we got home from that, I just came home with this little diddy in my head. I thought, man, ‘I can’t even record this if I don’t do it with Willie. So, I sent it over to him and said, ‘Willie, you want to do this tune?’ The response was a resounding, ‘Hell yes!’” Strings told the crowd as he introduced the tune.
“I’m so grateful. It was awesome. [It’s] so awesome to be here and looking forward to seeing the old bird play again tonight. Anyhow, this one’s called ‘California Sober’.”
Unfortunately, The Red Headed Stranger—now not so red-headed—did not sit in on the tune, but fans wouldn’t have to wait long for his headlining set, which did feature a collaboration between Strings’ entire band and the country music legend.
Watch “California Sober” and other video highlights from Billy Strings Outlaw Festival set courtesy of Max Berde. Scroll down to view the full setlist.
Strings returns to the road this weekend in California (appropriately enough). Find tickets and a full list of tour dates on his website. If you can’t make it in person, tune in for a livestream on nugs, free to all subscribers. [Editor’s Note: Live For Live Music is a nugs affiliate. Ordering your nugs subscription or purchasing a download via the links on this page helps support our coverage of the world of live music. Thank you for reading!]
Billy Strings – “California Sober” – 8/10/24
[Video: Max Berde]
Billy Strings – “Alberta” (Traditional) – 8/10/24
[Video: Max Berde]
Billy Strings – “Liberty Phillips Rag” – 8/10/24
[Video: Max Berde]
Billy Strings – “In The Morning Light” – 8/10/24
[Video: Max Berde]
Billy Strings – “Taking Water” > “Ice Bridges” – 8/10/24
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[Video: Max Berde]
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Setlist: Billy Strings | The Gorge Amphitheatre | George, WA | 8/10/24
Set: Red Daisy, Taking Water > Ice Bridges, In the Morning Light, Hellbender, California Sober, Libby Phillips Rag, Alberta (Traditional), Wargasm, Fire Line > Thirst Mutilator > Cabin Song, Meet Me at the Creek
The post Watch Billy Strings Play Willie Nelson Collab “California Sober” At The Gorge For Outlaw Music Festival [Photos/Videos] appeared first on L4LM.
