Billy Strings Debuts New Cover & Pulls Out More Rarities In Worcester

Billy Strings completed a two-show run at DCU Center Arena in Worcester, Massachusetts on Wednesday night. Much like the concert at the same venue on Tuesday, last evening’s setlist featured a few rarities, as well as the guitarist debuting a cover of a controversial country music classic.

Partway through the first set, Strings and his bandmates, fiddler Alex Hargreaves, bassist Royal Masat, banjo player Billy Failing and mandolinist Jarrod Walker, premiered their arrangement of “Blackjack County Chain” by acclaimed Nashville songwriter Red Lane. The song was popularized by Willie Nelson in 1967, but its controversial lyrical content regarding law enforcement in the South purportedly led to radio stations banning the single. Nelson later re-recorded “Blackjack County Chain” with Waylon Jennings.

The second set saw Strings and his cohorts perform the traditional song “The Two Soldiers” for just the second time. The previous offering of the song, whose lyrics reference nearby Boston, was played by Strings at his March 2022 show in Boston, marking a span of 226 concerts between performances.

Wednesday’s concert began with Strings’ instrumental original “Pyramid Country,” which he reprised near the end of the second set. The first set also featured the second performance of Dan Fogelberg’s “Along The Road” played by Strings this year and the emergence of his custom “Bride” Preston Thompson Guitar for a rendition of “Home.”

The second set produced the first time Larry Sparks’ “These Old Blues” made it to one of Strings’ setlists this year. Strings once again summoned his “Bride” for the encore, which consisted of a portion of “Guitar Peace” introducing Pink Floyd’s “Fearless.”

Billy Strings’ tour continues Friday, August 2 with the first of two shows at Penn State University’s Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pennsylvania. Free livestreams are available for nugs.net subscribers of all remaining summer shows. Last night’s concert can be viewed on-demand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wAmuv0uBxo

Setlist (via BillyBase)

Set One: Pyramid Country > The Fire On My Tongue > Secrets, Taking Water > Ice Bridges, Along The Road, These Memories Of You, Cabin Song, Hellbender, Blackjack County Chain [1], Dark Hollow, Gone A Long Time, Home [2], Slow Train

Set Two: Red Daisy, While I’m Waiting Here, Fire Line > End Of The Rainbow, These Old Blues [3], On The Line > Train 45, Planet Caravan > Spinning > Wargasm, The Two Soldiers [4], Likes Of Me > Pyramid Country [5] > How Mountain Girls Can Love

Encore: Fearless [2],[6]

Notes:

• [1] FTP – Red Lane
• [2] Billy Strings on his “Bride” Preston-Thompson D-SBA Custom guitar
• [3] Last Time Played 2023-11-10 | 47 shows
• [4] Last Time Played 2022-03-15 | 226 shows
• [5] Reprise
• [6] “Guitar Peace” intro. fakeout