After releasing his new studio album, Highway Prayers, and announcing a winter tour on Friday morning, Billy Strings left his band shortly before they were to take the stage on the first night of his sold-out Renewal festival to welcome the arrival of another highly anticipated creation—his first child with wife Ally Apostol.
Just before Strings’ headlining set was about to commence, his manager Bill Orner and Scotty Stoughton of Bonfire Entertainment announced that he was flying home to be with Ally and their coming baby, leaving fans with a mix of excitement for Billy and confusion as they wondered what they were about to witness.
Strings’ trusty band—comprised of Billy Failing (banjo), Royal Masat (bass), Jarrod Walker (mandolin) and Alex Hargreaves (fiddle)—took the stage along with cellist Nat Smith and opened with the suitable selection of “I’m Coming Back But I Don’t Know When”, with Failing and Walked supplying lead vocals. As the performance progressed, each member of the band took on vocal duties, and near the midpoint of set, the band welcomed guitarist Larry Keel to sit in on “Sally Goodin”, “Steam Powered Aereo Plane”, “Mr. Charlie”, and “Mountain Dew” to close the set.
For set two, the band was once again joined by Nat Smith and also added John Stickley, who played Billy’s guitar, to the lineup. The set included the debuts of John Hartford‘s “Back in the Goodle Days” and Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys‘ “I’m Blue, I’m Lonesome”. To close the frame, mandolinist Drury Anderson and guitarist Luke Black of Mountain Grass Unit joined in on a raucous “Turmoil & Tinfoil”.
Click below to view a gallery of photos courtesy of photographer Peter Wallace.
Renewal wraps up tonight, Saturday, September 28th. Congrats to Billy and Ally!
Setlist [via BillyBase]: Billy Strings | Renewal Festival | Buena Vista, CO | 9/27/24
Set 1: I’m Coming Back But I Don’t Know When [1, 2, 3], The Old Mountaineer, The High Road [4], I’ll Cry Instead [5], Libby Phillips Rag, I’m Troubled [6], Show Me The Door [7], Sally Goodin [8], Steam Powered Aereo Plane [4, 8], Mr. Charlie [5, 8, 9], Mountain Dew [3, 8]
Set 2: E.M.D. (Eat My Dust) [10], Ole Slew Foot [11], Back in the Goodle Days [6, 12], West Dakota Rose, I’m Blue, I’m Lonesome [4, 13], My Little Georgia Rose [8, 14], Midnight Moonlight [8, 14, 15], Blue Skies [5], Old Home Place [11], Manzanita [16], Turmoil & Tinfoil [17, 18]
Show Notes:
- Prior to the start of the show, Billy’s manager and Bonfire Entertainment announced that Billy was flying home to be with Ally and his coming baby. Set 1 lineup (w/out Billy) — band plus Nat Smith (cello)
- Last Time Played 2022-08-10 | 189 Shows
- Billy Failing and Jarrod Walker lead vocals
- Billy Failing lead vocals
- Royal Masat lead vocals
- Alex Hargreaves lead vocals
- Jarrod Walker lead vocals
- w/ Larry Keel (guitar)
- Last Time Played 2021-06-11 | 276 Shows
- Set 2 lineup (without Billy) — band, Nat Smith (cello) & John Stickley (guitar)
- Jon Stickley lead vocals
- FTP – John Hartford
- FTP – Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys
- Larry Keel lead vocals
- Last Time Played 2021-03-28 | 343 Shows
- Last Time Played 2023-10-07 | 64 Shows
- w/ Drury Anderson (mandolin) & Luke Black (guitar) from Mountain Grass Unit
- Drury Anderson lead vocals
The post Billy Strings Leaves Opening Night Of His Sold-Out Renewal Festival To Welcome First-Born Child [Photos] appeared first on L4LM.
