Billy Strings Stages ‘O Billy, Where Art Thou?’ Halloween Show With T Bone Burnett, Tim Blake Nelson, Chris Thomas King & Many Others

Billy Strings goes big on Halloween and last night in Baltimore was no different. The guitarist staged an impressive “O Billy, Where Art Thou?” production based on the Coen brothers’ 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou? that featured many special guests including stars of the film, Tim Blake Nelson and Chris Thomas King, and the landmark soundtrack’s producer T Bone Burnett, among the many participants in Thursday’s concert.

Baltimore’s CFG Bank Arena was taken back to 1937 for the two-act performance. Many elements of the movie, both visual and musical, were incorporated into the production, with several of the songs from the soundtrack making up the evening’s setlist.

Strings and his bandmates — banjoist Billy Failing, mandolinist Jarrod Walker, fiddler Alex Hargreaves and bassist Royal Masat — wore black-and-white striped prison uniforms (and later overalls) like George Clooney, John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson’s characters in O Brother. They were chased throughout the night by police officers portrayed by Bron Theron and Jay Smith and a sheriff played by Walker Babbington.

Atticus Jasper served as the emcee of a radio program with Fred Newman co-hosting and providing sound effects. Leftover Salmon guitarist Vince Herman was cast as the Governor. Jerry Douglas, Sierra Hull, Lindsay Lou, Duane Trucks, Rachael Davis, Cris Jacobs and were also part of Thursday’s Halloween festivities.

“O Billy, Where Art Thou?” began with Jasper and Newman setting the scene for the events about to unfold on stage. With a chain gang providing the rhythm, Strings and his fellow escapee bandmates started the night around a single microphone for a performance of “Richard Petty” from the recently released chart-topping studio album, Highway Prayers.

The musicians then assumed their typical spots and debuted a cover of “Lonesome Road Blues” which is similar to another traditional tune “Going Down The Road Feeling Bad.” Mountain scenes were depicted on the screens in the arena as Strings pulled from the O Brother soundtrack for the first time for “Big Rock Candy Mountain.”

The fugitives on the lam theme continued with subsequent offerings of “Running The Route” and “Running.” A string of O Brother soundtrack selections came next, as Strings invited the audience to sing along to “You Are My Sunshine.” Referencing the film’s river baptism scene, Hull, Lou and Davis, and a troupe of dancers, took over the stage to perform an a cappella version of “Down To The River To Pray.”

Chris Thomas King, who portrayed blues musician Tommy Johnson in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, played acoustic guitar alongside Strings on resonator guitar for a duo performance of “Hard Time Killin’ Floor Blues.”

The pair was then joined by Strings’ bandmates, plus dobro master Jerry Douglas and Widespread Panic drummer Duane Trucks. Evoking the gravediggers scene from the film and accompanied by fire dancers, King led a performance of “Gravedigger Gonna Cut You Down” featuring an electrifying electric guitar solo by Strings.

The devil came to escort King off the stage and guitarist Cris Jacobs was next to enter the fray as Strings stayed on electric guitar for Steve Miller Band’s classic “Take The Money And Run.” The first act came to a close with an electrified version of “Keep On The Sunny Side” featuring Trucks on drums.

Act Two began with Hull on mandolin, Lou on guitar and Davis performing again as a trio for a gorgeous take on “I’ll Fly Away.” An aerial dancer dazzled from above the trio as they played another song from the O Brother soundtrack. A different trio – three young singers – were then substituted to join Strings in performing “In the Highways (I’ll Be Somewhere Working for My Lord),” which was originally sung by child actors in the film.

The sirens scene from the movie was depicted next with Hull, Lou and Davis singing “Didn’t Leave Nobody but the Baby” while Strings and his bandmates succumbed to the tempting libations.

Diverting to back-to-back Strings originals, the guitarist and his band stretched out “Meet Me At The Creek” and “Spinning” for some delicious acoustic improvisation and Strings musing about “horny toads.” Trucks was back on drums for a cover of Black Sabbath’s “Planet Caravan.” The cyclops scene from the film was incorporated into the subsequent “Hide And Seek.”

Selecting again from the soundtrack, cellist Nat Smith joined the action with Lou on guitar, Hull on mandolin and Davis adding vocals to “I Am Weary (Let Me Rest).” Fiddler Alex Hargreaves played “Man Of Constant Sorrow” solo before Herman delivered a speech as the governor.

Actor Tim Blake Nelson, who portrayed Delmar O’Donnell in O Brother Where Art Thou?, took the stage to perform “In The Jailhouse Now,” which he also sang in the film and on the soundtrack.

Douglas was back for “In The Jailhouse Now” and stuck around for a full band rendering of “Man Of Constant Sorrow.” Herman made his first musical contribution of the night by leading a performance of the Leftover Salmon song “Let in a Little Light.”

Renowned producer and musician T Bone Burnett, who served an integral role in creating the music for O Brother and the Album Of The Year Grammy Award-winning soundtrack, made a surprise appearance with Strings. Burnett was brought on to play guitar on “When the Man Comes Around,” which Burnett introduced as a “song by Saint Johnny Cash.”

Burnett’s remarkable guest spot was followed by Strings going solo for an a cappella performance of the haunting O Brother standout “O Death.” Nodding to the flood scene in the movie, a full-on electrified drudge through “When The Levee Breaks” was tackled next. Played in the style of Led Zeppelin, Strings utilized a double-neck guitar and was joined by Trucks on drums, Douglas on dobro, Jacobs on guitar and Lou on added vocals.

The memorable and successful production drew to a resounding conclusion with a final pull from the O Brother soundtrack. Nearly all of the night’s special guests were back onstage alongside Strings and his bandmates for a powerful offering of the traditional “Angel Band.”

When it comes to Halloween, Billy Strings has made it clear his October 31 shows will be all-in, over the top productions that are among the most impressive year in and year out. “O Billy, Where Art Thou?” was another entry in the guitarist’s growing list of outstanding Halloween concerts that seem to be as much fun for him as they are for everyone else involved, including the fans in the arena last night in Baltimore and watching the nugs.net livestream.

Billy Strings’ “O Billy, Where Art Thou?” concert can be viewed via an on-demand replay with a nugs.net subscription. Access to official audio recordings are also included with nugs.net subscriptions. (JamBase earns a commission from affiliate purchases/subscriptions).

Watch last night’s livestream preview and additional video highlights below:

Setlist (via BillyBase)

Set One: Richard Party [1][2], Lonesome Road Blues[3], Big Rock Candy Mountain [4][5], Running The Route, Running, You Are My Sunshine [6][7], Down the River to Pray [3][8][9], Hard Time Killin’ Floor Blues [10][11][12][13], Gravedigger Gonna Cut You Down [14][15], Take the Money and Run[16][17], Keep On The Sunny Side [18][19]

Set Two: I’ll Fly Away [20][21], In the Highway (I’ll Be Somewhere Working for My Lord) [22][23], Didn’t Leave Nobody but the Baby [3][8][24], Meet Me At The Creek, Spinning, Planet Caravan [25], Hide and Seek [26][27], I Am Weary (Let Me Rest) [28][29], Man Of Constant Sorrow [30], In the Jailhouse Now [31], Man Of Constant Sorrow [32], Let in a Little Light [33][34], When the Man Comes Around [35][36], O Death [3][37], When the Levee Breaks [38][39], Angel Band [40][41]

Notes:

• [1] Band (minus Alex) around single mic front of stage
• [2] Chain gang harmonizing roots, keeping the beat
• [3] FTP – Traditional
• [4] FTP – Harry McClintock
• [5] Prisoners are freed from their chains and on the run; deputies are looking for them
• [6] FTP – The Pine Ridge Boys
• [7] Crowd sing along
• [8] Performed by Sierra Hull (Ginger songwriter and multi-instrumentalist), Lindsay Lou (Bluegrass and Americana singer and songwriter), and Rachael Davis (multi-instrumentalist)
• [9] w/ congregation dancers circling them while singing
• [10] Duo Billy Strings w/ Chris Thomas King (New Orleans Grammy and Country Music Award winning blues guitarist, actor, and author)
• [11] Skip James
• [12] Chris Thomas King on lead vocals
• [13] Billy Strings on a Paul Beard Resonator Legacy E Squareneck Guitar
• [14] w/ Chris Thomas King on lead vocals and Duane Trucks (Widespread Panic drummer)
• [15] FTP – Fairfield Four
• [16] w/ Cris Jacobs (Local American singer and songwriter) on guitar, Jerry Douglas (dobro), Duane Trucks (drums), Royal on electric banjo in the key of D – PRS Electric
• [17] FTP – Steve Miller Band
• [18] Last Time Played 2023-12-29 | 49 Shows
• [19] w/ Billy Strings on Paul Beard resonator, Royal on electric bass guitar and Duane Trucks on drums
• [20] FTP – Robert E Brumley
• [21] w/ an aerial dancer suspended center stage with aerial hoop
• [22] w/ Strings’s children, trio of children
• [23] FTP – Maybelle Carter
• [24] Sirens circling artists on stage w/ jugs of alcohol and full of temptation
• [25] w/ Duane Trucks (drums)
• [26] “Safety Dance” (Men Without Hats) tease
• [27] Alex abducted and carried off stage
• [28] w/ Nat Smith (cello), Lindsay Lou (guitar, vocals), Sierra Hull (mandolin, vocals), and Rachael Davis (vocals)
• [29] Last Time Played 2012-03-23 | 1373 Shows
• [30] Alex Hargreaves solo instrumental
• [31] w/ Tim Blake Nelson (American actor and director) on lead vocals and Jerry Douglas (Dobro)
• [32] Last Time Played 2022-05-06 | 225 Shows
• [33] FTP
• [34] w/ Vince Herman on lead vocals (and on guitar) & Jerry Douglas (dobro)
• [35] w/ T-Bone Burnett (American Producer and Guitarist) on guitar and lead vocals
• [36] FTP – Johnny Cash
• [37] Julien taking away band while Billy Strings sings solo a capella front of stage
• [38] FTP – Billy on a Gibson Custom ES5-1275 Double Neck Electric Guitar Cherry Red, Cris Jacobs (electric guitar), Duane Trucks (drums), Lindsay Lou sharing lead vocals and Jerry Douglas (dobro)
• [39] FTP – Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy
• [40] w/ Everyone minus the children
• [41] Last Time Played 2023-12-29 | 49 Shows