Larry Keel Joins Billy Strings On Stanley Brothers, J.J. Cale & Jeff Austin Covers In Virginia

Guitarist Billy Strings fully began his 2026 Summer Tour with a concert on Tuesday at Roanoke, Virginia’s Berglund Center. Virginia native guitarist Larry Keel joined Strings and his bandmates on covers of songs by The Stanley Brothers, J.J. Cale and Jeff Austin.

Strings alternated between standing and sitting throughout the two-set show. The guitarist is still recovering from a broken leg injury sustained earlier this year.

Keel resides in nearby Lexington, Virginia, and made the trip to see Strings’ Berglund Center show with his wife and musical partner, Jenny Keel, who was celebrating her birthday. Strings summoned Larry Keel during the latter part of the second set.

“We’ve got a good friend we’re gonna get up here,” Stings told the crowd. “You might recognize him if you’re from around these parts. He’s kind of a legend. We are so glad and so happy to introduce to you folks tonight, Mr. Larry Keel!”

Keel and Strings – alongside bassist Royal Masat, mandolinist Jarrod Walker, banjo player Billy Failing and fiddler Alex Hargreaves – kicked off the collaboration with The Stanley Brothers’ “Think Of What You’ve Done,” whose lyrics referencing “old Virginia” drew cheers from the audience.

The picking party continued with a take on the late Jeff Austin’s “Run Down.” The song appeared on the Yonder Mountain String Band co-founder’s 2015 solo album, The Simple Truth.

J.J. Cale’s “Ride Me High,” also a staple of Widespread Panic’s live repertoire, was the final selection for Keel’s sit-in. The six musicians drew out the “Ride Me High” intro and eventually turned in a fully jammed-out +18-minute version of Cale’s classic.

A few songs after Keel left the stage, Strings performed “Burn The Other End” as the penultimate selection of the second set. The song was recently issued as the lead single off Strings’ forthcoming T-Bone Burnett-produced studio album, So Much For Goodbyes. The concert then ended with Strings debuting a cover of The Stanley Brothers’ “Our Last Goodbye.”

Other noteworthy moments from Tuesday’s concert included the show-opening “Turmoil & Tinfoil” also passing the 18-minute threshold, Walker singing lead on his original “Nighthawk,” and a “Likes Of Me” into “Pyramid Country” into “Know It All” combination to close the first set.

Livestreams, including a replay of last night’s Roanoke concert, are available for all of Billy Strings’ 2026 Summer Tour dates with a nugs subscription. Register now during nugs’ Concert Pass promotion and pay $5 per month for the first three months.

Setlist (via BillyBase)

Set One: Turmoil & Tinfoil, Ernest T. Grass > Ole Slew Foot, Broken Doe, Long Forgotten Dream, The White Dove, Nighthawk [1], Show Me The Door, Likes Of Me > Pyramid Country > Know It All

Set Two: Fire Line [2] > Running The Route > I’m Still Here > Running The Route, Reuben’s Train, Just A Rambler, Think Of What You’ve Done [3], Run Down [3], Ride Me High [3],[4], Happy Hollow, This Old World, Burn The Other End [5], Our Last Goodbye [6]

Notes:

• [1] Jarrod Walker on lead vocals
• [2] “Valley Of The Rogue” (Bela Fleck) tease
• [3] w/ Larry Keel on guitar
• [4] Last Time Played 2025-08-09 | 60 show gap
• [5] FTP – Original
• [6] FTP – The Stanley Brothers And The Clinch Mountain Boys

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