Billy Strings Dusts Off Traditional Fiddle Instrumental In Pittsburgh

Billy Strings brought his late fall tour to the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh for a two-night stand on Tuesday and Wednesday. The December 13 show saw Billy and his band breaking out fiddle tune “Bill Cheatham” toward the end of the first set.

Strings launched the concert with “Bound To Ride,” as referred to by Billy. Peter Rowan wrote and recorded the song as “Baby I’m Gone.” Pairings of “The Fire On My Tongue” — off Billy’s latest album of original music, Renewal — and “Bronzeback” followed by “Taking Water” and “Ice Bridges” came next.

After “Hellbender,” Billy offered his cover of Bob Dylan’s “Señor (Tales Of Yankee Power)” before embarking on a “Highway Hypnosis” sequence encompassing the Flatt & Scrugss covered “Farewell Blues.” Following Renewal’s “Nothing’s Working,” Billy and the band dusted off the traditional “Bill Cheatham” for the first time since July 18, 2020 during his streaming shows from Nashville’s Station Inn, as per BillyBase.

The “Bill Cheatham” performance in Pittsburgh also marked the first time playing the fiddle tune with fiddler Alex Hargreaves in the band. The pick seemed spontaneous as Billy said, “I’ll flat pick one for ya, I just decided that. One we kinda picked the other days boys, how bout…’Bill Cheatham.’”

Strings kicked off the tune before tossing things over to mandolinist Jarrod Walker. Hargreaves then took over on fiddle and delivered a fleet-footed affair ahead of banjo player Billy Failing rolling on the five string. Billy had the last word, embellishing on the melody a bit more than in his first outing ahead of the song’s conclusion. The quintet then wrapped the first set with “Secrets.”

The second set got underway with a three-song seamless sequence of “Must Be Seven,” “My Love Come Rolling Down” and “Hide and Seek.” After The Stanley Brothers’ “Lonesome River,” the band embarked on another segment of “Leaders,” “Wargasm,” “On The Line” and “Train 45.”

Next, Bill Emerson’s “Home of the Red Fox” led into Dylan’s “Drifter’s Escape” ahead of second set closer “Everything’s The Same.” Billy and the band returned to deliver a three song single mic encore of “Standing In The Need Of Prayer,” “If Your Hair Is Too Long, There’s Sin In Your Heart” and “Ridin’ That Midnight Train.”

Next up for Billy Strings is a show at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on December 15. A livestream is free with a nugs.net subscription. Check out his full tour routing below:

Official Pittsburgh N2 Photos

Setlist (via BillyBase)

Set 1: Bound To Ride, The Fire On My Tongue Bronzeback, Taking Water > Ice Bridges, Hellbender, Señor (Tales Of Yankee Power), Highway Hypnosis > Farewell Blues > Highway Hypnosis, Nothing’s Working, Bill Cheatham* > Secrets

Set 2: Must Be Seven > My Love Come Rolling Down > Hide and Seek, The Lonesome River, Leaders > Wargasm, On The Line > Train 45, Love and Regret, Home Of The Red Fox > Drifter’s Escape, Everything’s The Same

Encore: Standing In The Need Of Prayer[1], If Your Hair Is Too Long, There’s Sin In Your Heart[1], Ridin’ That Midnight Train[1]

Notes:

• [1] Full band around single mic
• * last time played July 18, 2020