Watch Billy Strings’ Premiere Performance Of ‘Stay All Night (Stay A Little Longer)’

Billy Strings capped a two-show run at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre in San Diego on Sunday night. Just like on Saturday night at the same venue, Strings debuted a new cover written by a legendary Texan singer-songwriter, this time taking up “Stay All Night (Stay a Little Longer)” by Bob Wills.

Strings followed his debut Townes Van Zandt cover on Saturday with his first performance of “Stay All Night” coming in the middle of the first set. Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys recorded “Stay A Little Longer” in 1945 and it became one of fellow Texan Willie Nelson’s signature songs after he recorded it in 1973.

The debut cover followed banjo player Billy Failing singing lead on his “So Many Miles.” The first set also saw the first cover of Peter Rowan’s “Blue Mule” of the year, and it ended with the recently favored Cousin Emmy cover “Ruby.” First set originals included the opener “Pyramid Country,” “Home,” “Hellbender,” “While I’m Waiting Here” and “On The Line.”

The second set consisted almost entirely of covers with “Run Down” by Jeff Austin chosen as the opener. Additional second-half covers included “Standing in the Need of Prayer,” “Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down,” and “Shady Grove.” Strings also played “Dig a Little Deeper in the Well,” which was first recorded by The Oak Ridge Boys and recently by Strings and his father Terry Barber for the 2022 album Me / And / Dad.

Strings performed “Tentacle Dragon” which he recorded with Béla Fleck for the banjo player’s 2021 album, My Bluegrass Heart. The song was surrounded by the set’s two originals, “Turmoil & Tinfoil” and the final song of the concert, “Know It All.”

Watch Billy Strings’ debut performance of “Stay All Night (Stay A Little Longer)” via the audience-shot video below:

Setlist (via BillyBase)

Set One: Pyramid Country > Airmail Special, Home, Blue Mule, Thirst Mutilator > So Many Miles [1] > Stay All Night (Stay a Little Longer) [2], Hellbender, West Dakota Rose, While I’m Waiting Here, On The Line > Train 45 > Ruby

Set Two: Run Down > Pretty Daughter, Standing In The Need Of Prayer, Dig A Little Deeper In The Well, Shady Grove, Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down, Turmoil & Tinfoil, Tentacle Dragon (Revenge Of The) > Know It All

Notes:

• [1] – Billy Failing on lead vocals
• [2] – FTP – Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys