Billy Strings Closes Colorado Run At Mission Ballroom

Billy Strings wrapped up his stint in Colorado on Saturday at Denver’s Mission Ballroom. The guitarist kicked off the historic run with two nights at Red Rocks, which marked Billy and company’s first headlining shows at the iconic Colorado venue with an audience.

Billy launched the Mission show with a pairing of “Know It All,” the opener on Strings’ 2021 album Renewal, and the traditional “Little Maggie.” The Dillards’ “There Is A Time” fell in the third song slot ahead of Jeff Austin’s “Run Down.” Billy then linked up Reno & Smiley and The Gang’s “Unwanted Love” and Frank Wakefield’s “New Camptown Races.”

Next came the Doc Watson-recorded “Tennessee Stud,” which proceeded the Bill Monroe instrumental “The Gold Rush” containing a tease of Jimi Hendrix’s “Third Stone From The Sun.” Strings kept up material from the “Father Of Bluegrass” with Monroe’s “My Sweet Blue Eyed Darling.” “All Of Tomorrow” then prefaced Tony Rice’s “Tipper.” Billy closed out the first frame with “So Many Miles.”

The second set got underway with two songs from Strings’ 2019 Grammy-winning album, Home, “Love Like Me” followed by “Highway Hypnosis.” “On The Line” then led into the traditional “Train 45.” “​​Watch It Fall,” “Hold That Woodpile Down” and “Hollow Heart” came next ahead of Jackson Browne’s “Running On Empty.”

“Doing Things Right” proceeded The Stanley Brothers’ “Nobody’s Love Is Like Mine.” Renewal’s “Nothing’s Working” popped up next before Billy returned to Monroe with the instrumental “Shenandoah Breakdown.” Billy would couple his “Must Be Seven” and “Thunder,’ which features words by Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, to close out the second set. Strings, bassist Royal Masat, mandolinist Jarrod Walker and banjoist Billy Failing gathered around a single mic for the J.D. Crowe and The Kentucky Mountain Boys-recoreded “Born To Be With You” for the encore.

Watch fan-shot video from Billy’s Mission Ballroom show below:

Setlist (via BillyBase)

Set One: Know It All > Little Maggie, There Is A Time, Run Down, Unwanted Love > New Camptown Races Tennessee Stud, The Gold Rush[1] > My Sweet Blue Eyed Darling, All Of Tomorrow, Tipper, So Many Miles

Set Two: Love Like Me, Highway Hypnosis, On The Line > Train 45, Watch It Fall, Hold That Woodpile Down, Hollow Heart, Running On Empty, Doin’ Things Right, Nobody’s Love Is Like Mine, Nothing’s Working, Shenandoah Breakdown, Must Be Seven > Thunder

Encore: Born To Be With You[2]

1 – Third Stone from the Sun tease

2 – Single mic