Billy Strings Welcomes Alex Hargreaves In Madison
Hear Alex join Billy and Co. for the entire show including a Billy on banjo and fiddle duo during the encore.
By Nate Todd Mar 5, 2022 • 11:42 am PST
Billy Strings continued his three-night run at The Sylvee in Madison, Wisconsin on Friday night. Billy and the band once again welcomed fiddler Alex Hargreaves for the entirety of the concert including a Billy on banjo and fiddle encore opener.
The show got underway with the instrumental “Bronzeback” followed by “While I’m Waiting Here” from Strings’ 2017 album Turmoil & Tinfoil. A cover of Blackfoot’s “Train, Train” fell in the third slot ahead of a pair of tunes, “Heartbeat Of America” and “In The Morning Light,” from Billy’s Grammy-nominated 2021 album Renewal.
Next up, originals “Slow Train” and “Enough To Leave” proceeded a string of covers beginning with the New Grass Revival recorded “This Heart Of Mine,” the Garcia/Hunter favorite “Deal” and Gordon Lightfoot’s “10 Degrees And Getting Colder.” Billy Stings and company closed out the first frame with an expansive version of the title track to Turmoil & Tinfoil, which stretched to over 18 minutes.
The second set began with the Leftover Salmon classic “Down In The Hollow” ahead of a paring of Renewal’s “Fire Line” and the traditional “Reuben’s Train,” together clocking in at over 20 minutes. Originals “Love Like Mine” and “Highway Hypnosis” followed. A three-song, set-closing section got underway with Bob Dylan’s “Tangled Up In Blue” which headed into a 14-minute rendition of Bill Emerson’s instrumental “Home Of The Red Fox” which in turn segued into Renewal’s “Know It All” to close out the set.
Billy and Alex would emerge for the encore to perform the traditional instrumental “Jeff Sturgeon.” Banjoist Billy Failing, mandolinist Jarrod Walker and bassist Royal Masat then joined in to add some great country harmonies on Arile Duff’s 1953 tune “Y’all Come” to bring the evening to a close.
Listen to full-show audio via Ryan Sibert below:
Setlist (via BillyBase)
Set One: Bronzeback, While I’m Waiting Here, Train, Train, Heartbeat of America, In the Morning Light, Slow Train, Enough to Leave, This Heart of Mine > Deal, 10 Degrees & Getting Colder – Turmoil & Tinfoil
Set Two: Down In The Hollow, Fire Line > Reuben’s Train, Love Like Me, Highway Hypnosis, Tangled Up In Blue, Home Of The Red Fox > Know It All
Encore: Jeff Sturgeon (1), Y’all Come
Notes:
With special guest Alex Hargreaves on fiddle
(1) AH and BS Fiddle/Banjo duo
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