Billy Strings Goes ‘Up In Smoke’ On 4/20 In St. Augustine

Billy Strings took the stage for the second of three concerts at St. Augustine Amphitheater in St. Augustine, Florida on Saturday, April 20. The 4/20 show saw Strings joined by stage manager Nate Flores for a debut of Cheech & Chong’s “Up In Smoke.”

Strings and Flores kicked off the concert as a duo with the Cheech & Chong classic, taking the stage to an audio clip from the beloved comedy team’s 1978 film, Up In Smoke.

Billy handled the first verse on his own before Flores joined him on vocals with Strings’ band — mandolinist Jarrod Walker, bassist Royal Masat, banjo player Billy Failing and fiddler Alex Hargreaves — backing the singers on their respective instruments as the song continued.

Watch “Up In Smoke” and the expansive instrumental “Pyramid Country” below:

The holiday also saw Strings trotting several additional 4/20 appropriate tunes including the Peter Rowan-penned, New Riders of the Purple Sage favorite “Lonesome LA Cowboy” for the first time in 67 shows, as per BillyBase. The first set also contained original favorites like “Dust In A Baggie” and closed with a pairing of “Fire Line” and Frank Wakefield’s “End of the Rainbow.”

Strings kicked off the second frame solo with “Catch and Release.” The song tells the tale of Billy and Leftover Salmon’s Vince Herman going on a hazy fishing excursion and a run in with the law.

Next, the band joined for John Hartford’s “With A Vamp In The Middle” and Newgrass Revival’s “This Heart Of Mine.” Billy then returned to center stage for a solo debut of Bob Dylan’s stoner anthem “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35,” although in the style of Flatt & Scruggs’ 1968 bluegrass version.

The second set also featured Strings collaboration with Willie Nelson, “California Sober.” The set came to a close with “Hide and Seek” — with the J.J. Cale-penned, Widespread Panic-covered “Ride Me High” within. Billy Strings and company returned to encore with Pink Floyd’s “Brain Damage.”

Listen to Billy Strings 4/20 concert below taped by Z-Man:

Official Photos

The first leg of Billy Strings’ 2024 Spring Tour wraps with a two-night stand in Lexington, Kentucky this weekend. Check out his itinerary with ticket info below.

Setlist (via BillyBase)

Set 1: Up in Smoke[1][2][3], Pyramid Country > Ole Slew Foot > Must Be Seven, Lonesome LA Cowboy, Beaumont Rag, Taking Water, Dust In A Baggie > Dealing Despair, Watch It Fall, Doin’ My Time, Fire Line > End Of The Rainbow

Set 2: Catch and Release[4], With A Vamp In The Middle, This Heart Of Mine , Rainy Day Women #12 & 35[5][6], Know It All > Steam Powered Aereo Plane[7], California Sober, Love and Regret, The Old Mountaineer > Fiddling Around, Shady Grove Hide and Seek > Ride Me High > Hide and Seek

Encore: Brain Damage

SETLIST NOTES

• [1] FTP – Cheech & Chong
• [2] Duo w/ Nate Flores (Billy Strings Stage Manager) on vocals & in “Up in Smoke” costume
• [3] Full band joins on stage end of song
• [4] Billy Strings solo center stage
• [5] FTP – Bob Dylan
• [6] Played in the style of 1968 Flatt & Scruggs bluegrass version
[7] Billy Failing on lead vocals