Billy Strings Delivers Electric ‘Away From The Shire’ Finale On Halloween In Asheville

Billy Strings‘ “Away From the Shire” Lord Of The Rings themed run culminated on Halloween last night at Asheville, North Carolina’s ExploreAsheville.com Arena. The guitarist, his band and guests put an exclamation point on the production by going electric for a number of classic rock tunes for the finale tracing the final film in the trilogy, The Return Of The King.

The concert kicked off with Rushad Eggleston (Gollum) delivering the story, accompanying himself on cello and kazoo, of how the hobbit-like creature Sméagol found the One Ring, killed his friend Déagol, and let the corrupting power of the “Precious” transform him into Gollum. Strings then emerged on electric guitar with Billy Failing on acoustic guitar, Royal Masat on electric bass, Jarrod Walker on mandolin, Alex Hargreaves on fiddle and guests Anh Phung on flute and Widespread Panic drummer Duane Trucks (as Gimli the dwarf) behind the kit.

The electrified band launched into the Billy Strings debut of Led Zeppelin’s “Ramble On,” which famously references Mordor, Gollum and the “evil war.” Next, Trucks would depart as the band continued with the original “Highway Hypnosis,” which saw Billy picking up his acoustic and Failing back on banjo. Next came the premiere of Black Sabbath’s “The Wizard,” featuring a return to the electric format and seeing Billy crowd surfing while shredding. The group returned to acoustic for the Doc Watson-recorded “Ready For Times To Get Better,” ahead of more electric stylings on Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire,” a song Strings had not played since May 2019.

Trucks stayed on for another Doc-released song, “Walk On Boy” as well as the Hart Brothers’ oldie “Lamp Lighting Time In The Valley.” An electrified “Leaders” off Strings’ 2021 album Renewal followed. A “Sauron Is A Highway” version of Jeff Austin’s “Sorrow IS A Highway” came next. Billy and company capped off the first set with Widespread Panic’s “All Time Low.”

The second set began with “Mother’s Not Dead,” a song released by both Bill and Charlie Monroe in 1946. Billy and his band plus Trucks delivered a “Frodo’s Not Dead” version, referencing when Frodo is attacked by the spider Shelob and Sam thinks he’s dead and carries the ring for him before finally rescuing him from Orcs. Duane would stay on for a trio of originals: “Know It All,” “Hellbender” and “Dealing Despair.” Eggleston returned to add cello to the traditional “Soldier’s Joy.”

Next, Phung came back out to help Billy sing (and debut) Led Zeppelin’s “The Battle Of Evermore,” a song full of fantasy imagery and a direct Tolkien reference with the line “ the Ringwraiths ride in black.” The electric format then rode again with the debut of Sabbath’s “War Pigs” ahead of Pink Floyd’s “Fearless.” Originals “Fire Line” and “The Fire On My Tongue,” referencing the destruction of the One Ring in the fires of Mordor’s Mount Doom, followed ahead of Mother Love Bone’s “Crown Of Thorns,” a nod to the coronation of King Aragorn. Billy and compnay wrapped up the second set with the bluegrass standard “Long Journey Home,” representing the hobbits’ return to The Shire.

For the encore, Billy, his band and guests performed “Lord Of The Rings 3000,” a futuristic take on themes from the film score which saw Strings playing his Casio DG-20 synth guitar. Billy fittingly sealed “Away From The Shire” with a bluegrass adaptation of the J.R.R. Tolkien-penned “A Walking Song.”

Find video from the “Away From the Shire” finale below along with full-show audio via Z-Man:

Setlist (via BillyBase)

Set 1: Smeagol’s Metamorphosis [1][2], Ramble On[3][4], Highway Hypnosis[5], The Wizard[6][7], Ready For The Times To Get Better[5], Fire[8], Walk On Boy[9], Lamp Lighting Time in the Valley[9], Leaders[10], Sorrow Is A Highway[11][12], All Time Low[11]

Set 2: Mother’s Not Dead[9][13], Know It All[9], Hellbender [9], Dealing Despair[9], Soldier’s Joy, [14] The Battle of Evermore [14][15][16], War Pigs [7][17], Fearless[18], Fire Line, The Fire On My Tongue, Crown Of Thorns[9], Long Journey Home [9]

Encore: Lord Of The Rings 3000[19] A Walking Song[11]

Notes:

• 1. FTP
• 2. Rushad Eggleston (Gollum) on cello and kazoo
• 3. FTP- Led Zepplin
• 4. Billy Strings (Frodo) on electric guitar, Billy Failing on acoustic guitar, Royal Masat on electric bass, Duane Trucks on drums, Anh Phung on flute
• 5. Anh Phung on flute, Duane Trucks on drums
• 6. Billy Strings on electric guitar, Royal Masat on electric bass, Anh Phung on flute, Duane Trucks on drums
• 7. FTP- Black Sabbath
• 8. With Billy Strings on electric guitar, Royal Masat on electric bass, Duane Trucks on drums
• 9. Duane Trucks on drums
• 10. Billy Strings on electric guitar, Anh Phung on flute, Rushad Eggleston on cello, Duane Trucks on drums
• 11. Anh Phung on flute, Rushad Eggleston on cello, Duane Trucks on drums
• 12. “Sauron Is A Highway”
• 13. “Frodo’s Not Dead”
• 14. Rushad Eggleston on cello, Duane Trucks on drums
• 15. Billy Strings and Anh Phung on vocals
• 16. Royal (Gandalf) not on stage
• 17. Billy Strings on electric guitar, Royal Masat on electric bass, Rushad Eggleston on cello, Duane Trucks on drum
• 18. Royal Masat on electric bass, Rushad Eggleston on cello, Duane Trucks on drum
• 19. Billy Strings on Casio DG-20 , Anh Phung on flute, Rushad Eggleston on cello, Duane Trucks on drums