Billy Strings Debuts More ‘Highway Prayers’ Songs Live In Indianapolis

Billy Strings resumed this fall tour this past weekend with a pair of sold-out concerts at Indianapolis’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Strings continues to add material from his recently released new album, Highway Prayers, into setlists with three debuts on Friday and another on Saturday.

The guitarist and his bandmates — fiddler Alex Hargreaves, bassist Royal Masat, banjo player Billy Failing and mandolinist Jarrod Walker — started the weekend the same way Highway Prayers begins with the live debut of album opener “Leaning On A Travelin’ Song.” Friday’s first set was also highlighted by extended versions of “Taking Water,” “While I’m Waiting Here,” “Run Down” and “Highway Hypnosis” as well as performances of “Richard Petty” and “Freedom” sans Hargreaves around a single mic.

The Highway Prayers instrumental “Malfunction Junction” got its live premiere to get the second set underway on Friday. Later, a wild sequence of “Fire Line > Thirst Mutilator > Hollow Heart” paved the way for the third and final premiere of the evening. Strings used his Martin 12-String with Masat on keys and Failing on a Béla Fleck model baritone banjo for the first-ever “Stratosphere Blues / I Believe In You,” which was followed by the band’s first cover of the Pink Floyd classic “Brain Damage” since April.

More rare covers were in store towards the end of the night on Friday as a take on The Carter Family’s “Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow,” which was dedicated to a couple that just got engaged and was last played on December 29, 2023. For the encore, Strings & Co. covered The Stanley Brothers’ “Going To The Races” for the first time since August 28, 2021.

Billy Strings came out of the gates with a well-jammed “Know It All” on Saturday. Strings then turned to Highway Prayers for a run of “My Alice,” “Escanaba” and “Gild The Lily.” After quick performances of “Nothing’s Working” and “Red Daisy,” the quintet took “Home Of The Red Fox” deep and also extended a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Drifter’s Escape.”

Next up was the live debut of Highway Prayers stand out “It Ain’t Before.” The lengthy frame concluded with a “Must Be Seven” that bled into “John Hardy.”

The last set of the weekend was a 13-song affair featuring a +20-minute “Turmoil & Tinfoil,” rare “Nights In White Satin” cover and adventurous “End Of The Rainbow,” among other highlights. Strings also performed “California Sober” and took a moment to discuss how much it meant to him to record the song with Willie Nelson. A raucous cover of Bill Monroe’s “Uncle Pen” brought Billy Strings’ weekend in Indy to a close.

Watch pro-shot footage of the start of each show via nugs.net and fan-shot video of additional Highway Prayers debuts played in Indianapolis below:

Billy Strings brings his fall tour to Huntsville, Alabama this Friday, October 18 and Saturday, OCtober 19. Watch livestreams of all fall Billy Strings shows for free with a nugs.net subscription.

Setlists (via BillyBase.net)

Friday, October 11

Set One: Leaning On A Travelin’ Song [1], Taking Water > Running, While I’m Waiting Here, Run Down > Pretty Daughter, Richard Petty [2], Freedom [2], Gone A Long Time, Love Like Me, Highway Hypnosis

Set Two: Malfunction Junction [1], Secrets, Be Your Man, Everything’s The Same, Fire Line > Thirst Mutilator > Hollow Heart, Stratosphere Blues / I Believe In You [1] [3], Brain Damage, Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow [4] [5], With A Vamp In The Middle, Wargasm, Doin’ My Time [6]

Encore: Going To The Races [7]

Notes:

• [1] – Debut – Original
• [2] – Band minus Alex around single mic front of stage
• [3] -Billy Strings on a Martin 12-String HD12-28, Royal Masat on a Nord Stage 3 88-Key Keyboard & Billy Failing on Masterton ML-1: Missing Link Béla Fleck Baritone Banjo
• [4] – Dedicated to happy couple who just got engaged!
• [5] – Last Time Played 2023-12-29 | 44 Shows
• [6] – “Thirst Mutilator” tease
• [7] Last Time Played 2021-08-28 | 310 Shows

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Saturday, October 12

Set One: Know It All [1], My Alice, Escanaba, Gild the Lily, Nothing’s Working, Red Daisy, Home Of The Red Fox > Drifter’s Escape, It Ain’t Before [2], Must Be Seven [3], John Hardy

Set Two: John Deere Tractor,vThe Fire On My Tongue > Sally Goodin, California Sober [4], Hello, City Limits, Turmoil & Tinfoil, Love and Regret, Baltimore Johnny, Katy Daley, End Of The Rainbow, Nights In White Satin, Seven Weeks in County, Uncle Pen

Notes:

• [1] – “Sally Goodin'” (Traditional) tease
• [2] – Debut – Original
• [3] – “Pyramid Country” tease
• [4] – Billy shared how great of an honor it was to record this song, with one of his heroes, Willie Nelson

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