Billy Strings Debuts ‘Streets Of Baltimore’ Cover In Baltimore

Billy Strings continued a long-standing trend of performing geographically-appropriate songs by debuting a cover of Bobby Bare’s “The Streets Of Baltimore” on Saturday in Baltimore. Strings’ latest addition to his ever-growing live repertoire came in the middle of his second set at Pier Six Pavilion.

The guitarist once again was joined by fiddler Alex Hargreaves in Baltimore. Strings, Hargreaves, bassist Royal Masat, banjoist Billy Failing and mandolinist Jarrod Walker withstood a lengthy delay due to a severe thunderstorm passing through the area. The group went with Bill Monroe’s “Dusty Miller” to get last night’s show underway and then jammed “Must Be Seven” into the fitting “Thunder.”

Billy dug deep into his repertoire to continue the frame with “Mr. Engineer,” a song by Jimmy Martin debuted and last played on November 11, 2017 in Denver. A take on “Hold That Woodpile Down” was then followed with the frequently paired “On The Line” and “Train 45” before the quintet worked through Béla Fleck’s “Tentacle Dragon (Revenge Of The)” for just the third time. Next came “Hellbender,” one of six tunes off 2021’s Renewal LP played in Baltimore. The band brought the set to a close with a run featuring covers of Eddie Noack’s “Psycho” and The Doors’ “Hyacinth House” and original “Hide & Seek.”

Strings and Co. kicked off last night’s second set with rare original “Dos Banjos.” A take on Keith Allison’s “Freeborn Man” led into a double dose of Renewal in “Nothing’s Working” and “Red Daisy.” The musicians then served up their first 2022 rendition of The Country Gentlemen’s “Bringing Mary Home.” Billy went back to Renewal next with a “Fire Line” that bled into “Running The Route.” Strings followed with “The Streets Of Baltimore,” a song penned by Tompall Glaser and Harlan Howard initially recorded by Bobby Bare in 1966. The quintet closed the set and evening by covering Chris Henry’s “West Dakota Rose” and Larry Sparks’ “John Deere Tractor” and performing the fan favorite “Dust In A Baggie.”

See Billy Strings debut “Streets Of Baltimore” below:

Setlist (via BillyBase.net)

Set One: Dusty Miller, Must Be Seven > Thunder, Mr. Engineer, Hold That Woodpile Down, On The Line > Train 45, Tentacle Dragon (Revenge Of The), Hellbender, Psycho > Hyacinth House > Hide & Seek

Set Two: Dos Banjos, Freeborn Man, Nothing’s Working, Red Daisy, Bringing Mary Home, Fire Line > Running The Route, The Streets Of Baltimore [1], West Dakota Rose, John Deere Tractor, Dust In A Baggie

[1] First Time Played – Bobby Bare