Billy Strings Joins Mountain Stage Afterparty At The Empty Glass In West Virginia

Billy Strings took advantage of a day off from his summer tour on Sunday to make a surprise appearance at a Mountain Stage Afterparty held in Charleston, West Virginia. The guitarist sat-in with two of the evening’s performers at The Empty Glass, a dive bar that holds approximately 100 patrons, before he took part in an acoustic jam on the venue’s porch.

Strings was fresh off a two-night stand at Bethel Woods, the Bethel, New York amphitheater adjacent to the site of the 1969 Woodstock festival. The Michigan-bred musician traveled to West Virginia for his sold-out Tuesday night gig at the 13,500 seat Charleston Coliseum. The show was one of four dates rescheduled after Strings broke his leg backstage during a show held on April 18, 2026 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The Empty Glass hosted an afterparty on Sunday night following a taping for the Mountain Stage NPR radio series at the nearby Culture Center Theater that featured The Jayhawks, Tift Merritt, Tanasi and Candi Jenkins. John Inghram Band, the eponymous project of the Mountain Stage associate producer and Fletcher’s Grove bassist, served as the house band.

Billy Strings showed up at The Empty Glass on Sunday and sat down at the bar. He initially took the stage with John Inghram Band on electric guitar and harmony vocals for a take on Leftover Salmon’s “Troubled Times.” The nine-minute rendition was followed by a cover of the J.J. Cale classic “Call Me The Breeze.”

John Inghram then called upon Candi Jenkins to perform following her Mountain Stage appearance. Strings collaborated with Jenkins on Melanie’s 1970 song “Look What They’ve Done to My Song, Ma.” The guitarist remained on stage with his electric for a take on Deana Carter’s 1996 hit “Strawberry Wine” before sharing vocal duties with Jenkins on the traditional “Going Down The Road Feelin’ Bad.”

Billy Strings then headed outside for a long picking session with local musicians Gavin Mounts and Jakob Thomas. Mountain Stage host Kathy Mattea was in the house on Sunday and shared this report:

Billy Strings plays Charleston Coliseum tonight. Livestreams are available for all of Billy Strings’ 2026 Summer Tour dates with a nugs subscription.

Watch audience-captured footage from Strings’ surprise appearance at The Empty Glass below: