Billy Strings Cryptically Covers Phish, Tyler Childers, Tom Waits, Ozzy Osbourne & More On Halloween In Baltimore

Billy Strings threw down a monster “Meet Me At The Crypt” Halloween concert at Baltimore’s CFG Bank Arena. Strings enlisted several special guests throughout the two-set performance that incorporated multiple cover debuts of songs by Phish, Tyler Childers, Tom Waits, Ozzy Osbourne and others.

Strings and his bandmates donned costumes representing Universal Monsters horror film characters. Strings portrayed The Wolf Man, fiddler Alex Hargreaves The Mummy, mandolinist Jarrod Walker Frankenstein, bassist Royal Masat Dracula and banjoist Billy Failing The Beautiful Bride of Frankenstein.

Additional costumed participants taking the stage included drummer Alwyn Robinson of Leftover Salmon, keyboardist Cory Henry, guitarist Cris Jacobs and The Charm City Coven string section made up of cellist Adele Stein, violaist Celia Hatton and violinist Adriana Molello.

Strings introduced the first cover debut by opening the concert on electric guitar, which he would employ frequently, for the Edgar Winter Group’s instrumental rocker “Frankenstein.” The opener was accompanied by the first of several pyro blasts fired from the stage.

Among the first set highlights was Tom Waits’ “Way Down In The Hole.” The theme to the Baltimore-set TV series The Wire was sung by Strings and Baltimore-native Jacobs.

The second set incorporated a bust out of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs,” which was last played by Strings on Halloween 2022. Set two ended with Strings howling along to his first attempt at Ozzy Osbourne’s “Bark At The Moon.”

Deep in the second set, Strings dialed up Phish’s “Wolfman’s Brother,” debuting the cover as The Wolf Man. Strings put down his guitar and strapped into a riser that lifted him high above the stage to premiere Tyler Childers’ “Bitin’ List.”

“Meet Me At The Crypt” cover debuts also include songs by Pearl Jam (“Alive”), Jerry Garcia/David Grisman (“Arabia”), Greensky Bluegrass (“Blood Sucking Friends”), The Beatles (“Run For Your Life”), Randy Newman (“You’ve Gotta Friend In Me”) and Santana (“Black Magic Woman”), among a few others like the Mummy Theme performed by Hargreaves and The Charm City Coven.

All of the evening’s participating musicians, plus Leftover Salmon guitarist Vince Herman, mandolinist Drew Emmitt, banjoist Andy Thorn, bassist Greg Garrison and dobro player Jay Starling, were on the stage together for the encore.

The finale started with a predictable take on Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves Of London” and Strings leaning into his Wolf Man portrayal. The Halloween staple “Monster Mash” closed out the festive concert in Baltimore, capping another impressive October 31st production put on by Strings and his team.

Strings returns to CFG Arena for another concert tonight. Watch a replay of last night’s livestream and catch tonight’s show live via nugs.

Setlist (via BillyBase)

Set One: Frankenstein [1][2][3], Tombstone Blues [4][5], Alive [6][7], Red Daisy [5], Taking Water [5], Hide and Seek [5], Fire [7][8], Mummy’s Theme [10][11], The Mummy’s Bracelet [6][12], Arabic [13][14], Ain’t No Grave [14][15][16], Way Down In The Hole [17][18][19], Mother’s Not Dead [2][20]

Set Two: Mummy’s Theme [10], Run For Your Life [8][21][22], The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald [2], Blood Sucking Friends [2][23], Highway Hypnosis [5], War Pigs [7][24], Dracula/Wolfman Theme intro [25], You’ve Gotta Friend In Me [26][27], Black Magic Woman [7][28], L-O-V-E [29][30], Dealing Despair [5], Home [5][24], Wolfman’s Brother [7][31], Bitlin’ List [7][32], Lil’ Red Riding Hood [7][33], Bark At The Moon [7][34]

Encore: Werewolves Of London [24][35][36], Monster Mash [24][35][37]

Notes:

• [1] – Billy Strings on electric guitar, Royal Masat on electric bass
• [2] – w/ Cory Henry on Keyboards, Alwyn Robinson on drums, Cris Jacobs on guitar
• [3] – FTP – Edgar Winter Group
• [4] – Jarrod Walker lead vocals
• [5] – Royal Masat on electric bass, Cory Henry on Keyboards, Alwyn Robinson on drums
• [6] – FTP – Pearl Jam
• [7] – Billy Strings on electric guitar, Royal Masat on electric bass, Cory Henry on Keyboards, Alwyn Robinson on drums, Cris Jacobs on guitar
• [8] – Billy Strings on electric guitar, Cory Henry on keyboards, Alwyn Robinson on drums, Cris Jacobs on guitar
• [9] – Alwyn Robinson on lead vocals
• [10] – Charm City Coven solo – Adele Stein on cello, Celia Hatton on viola, Adriana Molello on fiddle
• [11] – FTP
• [12] – FTP – Lee Ross
• [13] – FTP – Jerry Garcia and David Grisman
• [14] – Jarrod Walker on mandola, Cory Henry on Keyboards, Alwyn Robinson on drums
• [15] – Alex Hargreaves on lead vocals
• [16] – FTP – Bozie Sturdivant
• [17] – Billy Strings on electric guitar, Cory Henry on keyboards, Alwyn Robinson on drums, Cris Jacobs on guitar
• [18] – FTP – Tom Waits
• [19] – Billy Strings & Cris Jacobs on lead vocals
• [20] – Mummy’s Not Dead lyric change
• [21] – FTP – The Beatles
• [22] – Royal Masat on lead vocals
• [23] – FTP – Greensky Bluegrass
• [24] – w/ Charm City Coven – Adele Stein on cello, Celia Hatton on viola, Adriana Molello on fiddle
• [25] – Alex Hargreaves w/ Charm City Coven
• [26] – FTP – Randy Newman
• [27] – w/ Cory Henry on Keyboards, Alwyn Robinson on drums
• [28] – FTP – Santana
• [29] – Billy Failing and Jarrod Walker on lead vocals
• [30] – FTP – Bert Kaempfert and His Orchestra
• [31] – FTP – Phish
• [32] – FTP – Tyler Childers
• [33] – FTP – Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs
• [34] – FTP – Ozzy Osbourne
• [35] – FTP – Warren Zevon
• [36] – Billy Strings on electric guitar, Royal Masat on electric bass, Cory Henry on Keyboards, Alwyn Robinson on drums, Cris Jacobs on guitar, Vince Herman on guitar, Andy Thorn on banjo, Drew Emmitt on mandolin, Jay Starling on dobro, Greg Garrison on bass
• [37] – FTP – Boris Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers