Billy Strings Takes Rare Bill Monroe Cover Deep With Phishy Twist In Tampa

Billy Strings pulled into Tampa’s Yuengling Center on Wednesday night for the second stop of his spring tour. The guitarist broke out “Old Dangerfield” during his second set and extended the Bill Monroe classic with a wild 15-minute jam featuring elements of Phish's “Sand.”

Strings greeted fans at the arena on the campus of the University of South Florida with solo renditions of the Delmore Brothers’ “Nashville Blues” and Highway Prayers gem “Catch and Release.” The guitarist was then joined by bandmates banjoist Billy Failing, bassist Royal Masat, mandolinist Jarrod Walker and fiddler Alex Hargreaves for a cover of Keith Allison’s “Freeborn Man.”

The band stayed out for the remainder of a cover-heavy first set that included takes on Leftover Salmon’s “Down In The Hollow,” Jimmie Skinner’s “Doin’ My Time,” Blaze Foley’s “Cold, Cold World” and traditional tunes “Red Rocking Chair,” “Dusty Miller” and “The Cuckoo.” Strings also fit originals “Show Me The Door,” “Seney Stretch,” “Don’t Be Calling Me (At 4am),” “California Sober” and “Living Like An Animal” into the opening stanza.

Billy Strings and his bandmates returned to kick off the second set with Highway Prayers standout “Leaning On A Travelin’ Song,” which gave way to a cover of Bill Monroe’s “Fire On The Mountain.” Strings would return to the Monroe catalog to play the aforementioned “Old Dangerfield” following “Hold The Woodpile Down” and “While I’m Waiting Here.”

“Old Dangerfield” had been shelved since Strings debuted the cover on July 24, 2022 — 235 shows prior. Billy and his ensemble stuck close to the arrangement found on Monroe’s 1981 album Master of Bluegrass before launching a massive jam. The adventurous improvisation took many twists and turns with the guitarist showcasing several effects and Failing and Hargreaves having turns leading the jam. Strings hit upon the main lick from Phish’s “Sand” and his bandmates fell in line for a brief period. The five musicians then continued the excursion ahead of a segue into “Secrets.”

After the ensuing “Nothing’s Working,” Strings had another Bill Monroe cover for the Tampa faithful as “Kentucky Mandolin” bled into a take on Danny Barnes’ “Pretty Daughter.” The quintet closed the second set with Highway Prayers’ “Stratosphere Blues / I Believe In You” and Home cut “Hollow Heart.”

Strings, Masat, Failing and Walker gathered around a single mic to start the encore with “Richard Petty,” the sixth and final song from the recently released Highway Prayers album to make the setlist. Alex Hargreaves joined his bandmates at the front of the stage for an unamplified, show-closing run of “Salty Dog Blues,” “Standing In The Need Of Prayer” and “Dark Hollow.”

Stream an audience recording of Billy Strings’ Tampa concert taped by Z-Man below:

Videos

Billy Strings resumes his spring tour tomorrow, April 11 with his first of two shows at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia. Livestreams are available for nugs.net all access subscribers.

Setlist (via BillyBase.net)

Set One: Nashville Blues [1], Catch and Release [1], Freeborn Man, Show Me The Door, Down In The Hollow, Doin’ My Time, Seney Stretch, Don’t Be Calling Me (at 4 AM), Red Rocking Chair, Dusty Miller, Cold Cold World, California Sober, Living Like An Animal > The Cuckoo

Set Two: Leaning on a Travelin’ Song > Sally Johnson, Hold That Woodpile Down, While I’m Waiting Here, Old Dangerfield [2] [3] > Secrets, Nothing’s Working, Kentucky Mandolin > Pretty Daughter, Stratosphere Blues / I Believe in You [4], Hollow Heart

Encore: Richard Petty [5], Salty Dog Blues [6], Standing In The Need Of Prayer [6], Dark Hollow [6]

• [1] – Billy Strings solo
• [2] – Last Time Played 2022-07-24 | 235 show gap
• [3] – “Sand” (Phish) jam
• [4] – 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
• [5] – Full band (minus Alex) around single mic front of stage
• [6] – Full band around single mic front of stage