Watch Billy Strings Play Solo ‘Catch & Release’ At Fall Tour Opener In Idaho

Billy Strings kicked off his 2023 Fall Tour at Ford Idaho Center Arena in Nampa, Idaho on Wednesday. Billy delivered a solo segment in the first set beginning with “Catch and Release” followed by a pair of bust out covers.

Billy Strings and his band — mandolinist Jarrod Walker, bassist Royal Masat, banjo player Billy Failing and fiddler Alex Hargreaves — kicked off the concert with a pairing of Bill Emerson’s “Home Of The Red Fox” and the traditional “Little Maggie.”

The first set also saw Billy offering his collaborative single with Willie Nelson, “California Sober,” and the Danny Barnes-penned, Jeff Austin-covered “Pretty Daughter.” Additionally the first frame featured the first performance of Delmore Brothers “Blues Stay Away From Me” since April and Bill Monroe’s “Lonesome Moonlight Waltz” for the first time since February.

Following “Meet Me At The Creek” with a cover of The Doors’ “Hyacinth House” sandwiched in, Billy went solo for “Catch and Release.” The song tells the tale of a harrowing fishing trip with Leftover Salmon’s Vince Herman. However, Idaho’s Clearwater River is renowned for its fishing and the line “Figure we’d try to get into some Smallies in the clear water” got a rise out of the Nampa audience.

The guitarist then delivered the first cover of Jethro Tull’s many-versed “Thick As A Brick” since May 5, 2020, which came during a solo livestream. The last performance in front of an in-person audience at Camp Greensky in 2019, as per BillyBase. Strings then delivered another fishing number, the Tracy Schwartz-penned, New Lost City Ramblers tune “Fishin’ Creek Blues” before closing the set with “Cocaine Blues.”

The second set got underway with another traditional “John Hardy,” followed by a rendition of Dan Fogelberg’s “Along The Road.” After “Thirst Mutilator” kicked off a six-song seamless sequence, Billy Failing hopped on lead vocals for his “So Many Miles” followed by “Everything’s The Same,” “I’m Still Here,” “Taking Water” and Frank Wakefield’s “End Of The Rainbow.”

A cover of Bob Dylan’s “Señor (Tales Of Yankee Power)” came next ahead of “Wargasm” and just the second performance of Ray Griff’s “It Rains Just The Same In Missouri,” which Billy debuted on June 16, 2022. The band gathered around a single mic for “If Your Hair Is Too Long, There’s Sin In Your Heart” and “Freedom” to cap the concert.

Watch Billy go solo for “Catch and Release’ below:

Billy Strings fall tour continues on Friday in Portland, Oregon. Livstreams are available via nugs.net.

Setlist (via BillyBase)

Set 1: Home Of The Red Fox > Little Maggie, Watch It Fall, California Sober, Pretty Daughter, My Alice, Blues Stay Away From Me, Lonesome Moonlight Waltz, Meet Me At The Creek > Hyacinth House > Meet Me At The Creek, Catch and Release[1], Thick As A Brick[1][2], Fishin’ Creek Blues[1][2], Cocaine Blues[1]

Set 2: John Hardy, Along The Road, Streamline Cannonball, Enough To Leave, Thirst Mutilator > So Many Miles[3] > Everything’s The Same > I’m Still Here[4] > Taking Water > End Of The Rainbow, Señor (Tales Of Yankee Power), Wargasm, It Rains Just The Same In Missouri[5], If Your Hair Is Too Long, There’s Sin In Your Heart[6], Freedom[6]

Notes:

• 1 – Billy Strings solo
• 2 – Last Played 2020-05-01 | 307 show gap
• 3 – Billy Failing on lead vocals
• 4 – “Last Train To Clarksville” (The Monkees) tease
• 5 – Last Played 2022-06-16 | 140 show gap
• 6 – Full band around single mic

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