Billymania: Watch Billy Strings & Numerous Special Guests Throw Wrestling-Themed Halloween Show

Guitarist Billy Strings stepped into the squared circle at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Tuesday night throwing a guest-filled pro wrestling-themed Halloween concert. The two-set concert saw Strings and his bandmates joined by an impressive roster of special guests including Sierra Hull, Mark Lavengood, John Mailander, Bill Nershi, Chris Pandolfi, Molly Tuttle and Duane Trucks.

Before the show started, ring announcers set up the evening’s events and introduced the special guests. A video was also shown playing up the kayfabe between Strings and stage manager Nate Flores purportedly damaging one of his guitars.

After a video was played of legendary pro wrestler Ric Flair hyping up the event, The Van Andel Scramble then got underway with introductions of bassist Royal Masat (The Undertaker), mandolinist Jarrod Walker (Sting), fiddler Alex Hargreaves (“Stone Cold” Steve Austin) and banjoist Billy Failing (“Macho Man” Randy Savage). Billy “Motherfucking” Strings, wearing a Hulk Hogan costume, was then brought to the stage that was adorned with a wrestling ring.

A Michigan native, Strings told the audience he always wanted to play the Van Andel Arena before kicking the night off with “Bluegrass Breakdown” into “Dealing Despair.” Drummer Duane Trucks (Kane), fresh off Widespread Panic’s “Wizard Of Ozzy” Halloween show, was announced and he came on for the remainder of the show, leading off with “Secrets.” Acoustic guitarist Molly Tuttle (Becky Lynch) was introduced as Strings and his bandmates went electric for a debut performance of Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumping.” Tuttle’s sit-in ended by leading a take on her song “Dooley’s Farm.”

A couple of songs later, dobroist Mark “Huggy Bear” Lavengood (“Nature Boy” Ric Flair) – who used to busk on the streets of Grand Rapids alongside Strings – came out for “Ole Slewfoot” and his tune recorded with the aid of Strings, “Sliding Rock.”

Before “Tinfoil & Turmoil,” String broke into his Hulkster character to play up the dispute with Flores, chastising the crew member after he came out to “fix” a microphone stand. Fiddler John Mailander (Bret “The Hitman” Hart) was the next guest to sit-in and entered the ring to hold a fiddle duel with Hargreaves during a spirited debut of Bill Monroe’s “Northern White Clouds.” Strings and Walker switched to electric guitar for a debut take on The Fabulous Thunderbirds’ “Tuff Enuff.” More back and forth between Flores and Strings preceded Mailander sticking around for “Away From The Mire.”

Strings returned to electric guitar for the final song of the first set, “All Fall Down.” The song fell apart as Trucks and Masat appeared unable to find a groove, resulting in The Undertaker (Masat) throwing Kane (Trucks) off the stage. Video showed an apparent altercation continuing backstage between The Undertaker and Kane. Strings’ crew member Steve York (The Undertaker manager Paul Bearer) turned on his ally and brought The Undertaker’s bass to Kane who destroyed the instrument.

Bret “The Hitman” Hart (Mailander) and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin (Hargreaves) continued their battle with a war of words about music theory. “Macho Man” Randy Savage (Failing) promoted an upcoming rap album. Hulk Hogan (Strings) cut a promo threatening Flores with his “four-inch pythons and Billymania” coming after him. Sting (Walker) sang the praises of nearby Founders Brewery. The set break video continued with an angry Undertaker playing an electric bass and the Hulkster dropping an elbow and a “yeah brother” on Flores.

Strings began the second set on electric guitar but Masat was missing from action. Riding a motorcycle, Masat emerged as The American Badass Undertaker joining his bandmates in going electric for the rest of the show. With Trucks back on drums, they then fired up Hulk Hogan’s signature walk-in music, Rick Derringer’s “Real American.”

A bust out of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode,” last played by Strings in 2019, kept up the rocking start to the set. Switching back to acoustic instruments (save for Masat) Strings dialed up “The Fire On My Tongue” and “Know It All.” The show was then interrupted by a masked Flores (Rey Mysterio) showing up in the audience and walking to the stage, only to be thrown off by Strings.

The musicians then went back to their electric setup for a debut cover of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” during which Strings appeared to be having “issues” with his guitar. They stayed electric for a heartfelt “Leaders.”

Mandolinist Sierra Hull (Rhea Ripley) then joined the Van Andel Scramble, first leading a performance of her song “Poison.” A first-time performance of Soundgarden’s “Rusty Cage” was augmented by Hull’s electric mandolin. The debut segued into another debut as Strings and Hull ripped up Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” and then segued back to “Rusty Cage. “

Strings was back to acoustic for “Psycho” and Mailander reemerged for “Hide and Seek.” Strings again recounted busking in front of the Van Andel and how much it meant to be playing at the arena where he saw concerts years ago. The Infamous Stringdusters banjoist Chris Pandolfi (Jerry “The King” Lawler) was next to join the fray, stepping into the ring to duel with Failing during “Home Of The Red Fox.” Pandolfi remained onstage for “No More To Leave You Behind.”

The last guest to enter the ring was The String Cheese Incident guitarist Billy Nershi (Hillbilly Jim). With three Billys onstage, Nershi fronted takes on SCI favorites “Restless Wind” and “Black Clouds.” Both SCI songs had been played by Strings before, “Restless Wind” last appearing in 2021.

The penultimate (Warrior) song of the night was Strings going acappella in the center of the ring on a debut offering of the traditional “Talk About Suffering.” Crew member Tobe Bean, who was part of the pre-show kayfabe with Flores, disrupted the show and came onto the stage wearing an Ultimate Warrior costume. Strings’ Hulkster then battled Flores’ Rey Mysterio, wrestling in the ring as strings smashed a guitar over his foe and got a three count to win the match.

All of the guest wrestlers re-entered the ring, taking shots at Mysterio during a celebratory first time performance of Queen’s “We Are The Champions.”

Not to be lost in the extravaganza of an evening, Billy Strings also announced a handful of new 2024 tour dates. Strings confirmed eight shows in three cities with venues to be confirmed soon. Find details here.

Watch a mix of pro-shot and audience-shot video of last night’s Van Andel Scramble below:

Setlist (via BillyBase)

Set One: Blue Grass Breakdown > Dealing Despair, Secrets [1], Tubthumping [2][3], Dooley’s Farm [2][4], Fire Line [1] > Reuben’s Train [1], Ole Slewfoot [5], Sliding Rock [5][6], Turmoil & Tinfoil [1], Northern White Clouds [7][8], Tuff Enuff [9][10], Away From The Mire [7], All Fall Down [11][12]

Set Two: Real American [13][14] > Johnny B. Goode [13][15], The Fire On My Tongue [16] > Know It All [16], Enter Sandman [13][17], Leaders [13], Poison [18][19], Rusty Cage [20][21] > Voodoo Child (Slight Return) [20, 22] > Rusty Cage [20], Psycho [16] > Hide and Seek [23], Home Of The Red Fox [24][25], No More To Leave You Behind [24], Restless Wind [26][27], Black Clouds [26], Talk About Suffering [28][29], We Are The Champions [30][31]

Notes:

• [1] – With Duane Trucks on drums
• [2] – With Molly Tuttle on guitar and lead vocals and Duane Trucks on drums
• [3] – FTP- Chumbawamba
• [4] – FTP- Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
• [5] – With Mark Lavengood on dobro and Duane Trucks on drums
• [6] – FTP- Mark Lavengood
• [7] – With John Mailander on fiddle and Duane Trucks on drums
• [8] – FTP- Bill Monroe (battle of the fiddles between Alex Hargreaves and John Mailander)
• [9] – FTP- The Fabulous Thunderbirds
• [10] – With Billy Strings and Jarrod Walker on electric guitar, John Mailander on fiddle and Duane Trucks on drums
• [11] – With Billy Strings on electric guitar, John Mailander on fiddle and Duane Trucks on drums
• [12] – Set ended with a fight between Royal and Duane with Royal tossing Duane off the stage.
• [13] – Billy Strings and Billy Failing on electric guitar, Jarrod Walker on electric mandolin, Royal Masat on bass guitar, Duane Trucks on drums
• [14] – FTP- Rick Derringer
• [15] – Last Played 2019-12-21 | 342 show gap
• [16] – With Royal Masat on bass guitar and Duane Trucks on drums
• [17] – FTP- Metallica
• [18] – With Billy Strings on electric guitar, Royal Masat on bass guitar, Sierra Hull on mandolin and Duane Trucks on drums
• [19] – FTP- Sierra Hull
• [20] – With Billy Strings on electric guitar, Royal Masat on bass guitar, Jarrod Walker on acoustic guitar Sierra Hull on mandolin and Duane Trucks on drums
• [21] – FTP- Soundgarden
• [22] – FTP- Jimi Hendrix
• [23] – With Royal Masat on bass guitar, John Mailander on fiddle and Duane Trucks on drums
• [24] – With Royal Masat on bass guitar, Chris Pandolfi on banjo and Duane Trucks on drums
• [25] – Battle of the banjos between Billy Failing and Chris Pandolfi
• [26] – With Royal Masat on bass guitar, Bill Nershi on guitar and shared lead vocals and Duane Trucks on drums
• [27] – Last Played 2021-10-16 | 225 show gap
• [28] – Billy Strings a cappella
• [29] – FTP- Traditional
• [30] – FTP- Queen
• [31] – With Royal Masat on bass guitar, Molly Tuttle on guitar, John Mailander on fiddle, Bill Nershi on guitar, Sierra Hull on mandolin, Mark Lavengood on dobro Chris Pandolfi on banjo, and Duane Trucks on drums