Watch Billy Strings Honor Fellow Michigan-Bred Band In Atlantic City

You can never accuse Billy Strings of forgetting where he came from. The Grammy-winning musician debuted a song from a band he grew up with in Michigan last night during his concert in Atlantic City.

Billy and his band featuring fiddler Alex Hargreaves, banjoist Billy Failing, bassist Royal Masat and mandolinist Jarrod Walker kicked off a three-night run at Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena on Thursday. Strings’ take on current Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Contest winners Full Cord’s “Lincoln River” was played early in the second set.

“Right now we’d like to a little tune here by some good friends of ours up in Michigan, a band by the name of Full Cord,” Strings told the crowd. “I always loved this song, especially as a Michigan boy.”

Full Cord, who released “Lincoln River” on their 2021 album Hindsight, were moved by Billy performing their tune. “What a joy to see ‘Lincoln River’ on there,” reads a comment credited to Full Cord on the guitarist’s Facebook page. “It is a special Michigan song and we are thrilled you find comfort and home in it. Well done friend.”

Check out fan-shot footage of Strings’ “Lincoln River” performance below:

Billy Strings launched last night’s show with the fitting choice of “Roving Gambler.” The traditional song was last played in another city known for hosting gamblers, Las Vegas, on September 4, 2021. A 15-minute version of beloved jam vehicle “Turmoil & Tinfoil” followed before Strings looked to 2021’s Renewal for “The Fire On My Tongue” and “Secrets.” Six other songs from the LP were performed in Atlantic City on Thursday including “Heartbeat Of America,” “Ice Bridges” and a wild second set-closing “Hide & Seek.”

The 30-year old musician dug deep into his repertoire in Atlantic City. Strings played the Jimmie Rodgers-penned and Doc Watson-popularized “My Rough And Rowdy Ways” for the first and only other time since November 6, 2015 — a span of 895 shows. The rarity preceded a pairing of “Pyramid Country” and “Little Maggie” that ended last night’s first set. Strings went on to open the second set with Bill Monroe’s version of “Working On A Building,” which he hadn’t performed outside of its debut on December 9, 2021 in Atlanta.

Last night’s concert concluded with a three-song encore. The traditional “Dont Let Your Deal Go Down” was followed by an “Ole Slewfoot” that bled into another Bill Monroe number — “The Gold Rush.” Billy Strings resumes the three-night stand in Atlantic City tonight. A livestream is available for purchase via nugs.net.

Watch more video footage from last night’s show below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g9VGR30vEw&ab_channel=AmyKaribian https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XTitJoxYFM&ab_channel=AmyKaribian

Setlist (via BillyBase.net)

Set One: Roving Gambler, Turmoil & Tinfoil, The Fire On My Tongue > Secrets, Bound To Ride, Slow Train, All Of Tomorrow, Taking Water > Ice Bridges, My Rough and Rowdy Ways, Pyramid Country > Little Maggie

Set Two: Working On A Building, Heartbeat Of America, In The Morning Light, Red Daisy, Lincoln River [1], Nobody’s Love Is Like Mine, Fire Line > Thirst Mutilator [2] [3] > Dealing Despair > Enough To Leave > Running On Empty [4], Cold Cold World, Hide & Seek [5]

Encore: Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down, Ole Slewfoot > The Gold Rush

• [1] FTP- Full Cord
• [2] Bathtub Gin tease
• [3] Third Stone From The Sun jam
• [4] Third Stone From The Sun outro
• [5] Feel Like A Stranger tease