Billy Strings wrapped up a three-night run at Hard Rock Live at the Etess Arena in Atlantic City, NJ with a sold-out show on Saturday. Despite admitting to the audience that he was under the weather and felt “like sh–t,” the bluegrass firebrand and his trusty associates delivered a scorching 28-song performance that some fans have compared to Michael Jordan‘s famous “flu game,” where he scored 38 points in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA finals despite having the flu.
Strings and company kicked off the first set with a pair of original tunes, “Everything’s the Same”, which started with the altered lyric, “Well, I’m going to Jersey,” and “While I’m Waiting Here”, before seamlessly transitioning into “Thunder” by Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter. Next came “In Case You Ever Change Your Mind”, a song originally composed by Bill Anderson, though Strings called his band’s version of the tune a mixture of Doc Watson and Osbourne Brothers‘ versions.
Billy Strings – “Everything’s the Same”, “While I’m Waiting Here” – 2/18/23
The covers continued with a pairing of “A Robin Built a Nest on Daddy’s Grave” by Ralph Stanley and “Walk On Boy” by Doc Watson, followed by “Running the Route”. After a ride on “Reuben’s Train”, the band hoofed it once more with “Running”, which gave way to Strings staple “All Fall Down” by John Hartford. Strings then offered a tribute to the late Jeff Austin with a cover of “Fiddling Around”. “Love Like Me” and New Grass Revival‘s “Whisper My Name” capped off the first set of the evening, but the band had more where that came from.
Set two also featured several covers beginning with “Home of the Red Fox” by Bill Emerson > “How Mountain Girls Can Love” by The Stanley Brothers. Other covers included Doc Watson’s “The Train That Carried My Girl From Town”, the traditionals “Black Mountain Rag” and “Been All Around This World”, Harley “Red” Allen‘s “Hello City Limits”, The Dillards‘ “Ernest T. Grass”, Bob Dylan‘s “Drifter’s Escape”, and a set-closing “Uncle Pen” by Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys. Mixed in amongst the covers were a few originals including ‘This Old World”, “Watch It Fall”, “Home”, “Long Forgotten Dream”, “Show Me the Door”, and “Wargasm”.
Click below to check out fan-shot video of Billy Strings at Hard Rock Live at the Etess Arena in Atlantic City, NJ.
Billy Strings tour continues tonight, Sunday, February 19th at Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, TN. For a full list of upcoming tour dates and ticketing details, visit Billy Strings’ website.
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Billy Strings – “Thunder” (Robert Hhunter) – 2/18/23
[Video: Doug Heck]
Billy Strings – “In Case You Ever Change Your Mind” (Bill Anderson) – 2/18/23
[Video: Matt Frazier]
Setlist: Billy Strings | Hard Rock Live at the Etess Arena | Atlantic City, NJ | 2/18/23
Set 1: Everything’s the Same, While I’m Waiting Here > Thunder (Robert Hunter), In Case You Ever Change Your Mind (Bill Anderson), A Robin Built a Nest on Daddy’s Grave (Ralph Stanley), Walk On Boy (Doc Watson), Running the Route, Reuben’s Train (Traditional) > Running, All Fall Down (John Hartford), Fiddling Around (Jeff Austin), Love Like Me, Whisper My Name (New Grass Revival)
Set 2: Home of the Red Fox (Bill Emerson) > How Mountain Girls Can Love (The Stanley Brothers), This Old World, The Train That Carried My Girl From Town (Doc Watson) > Black Mountain Rag (Traditional), Watch It Fall, Hello City Limits (Harley “Red” Allen), Home, Ernest T. Grass (The Dillards), Drifter’s Escape (Bob Dylan), Been All Around This World (Traditional), Long Forgotten Dream, Show Me the Door, Wargasm, Uncle Pen (Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys)
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