Billy Strings brings live debuts, covers and a breakthrough performance to the first night in Indianapolis

Photo credit: Scott Harris

Billy Strings has been busy this fall. Following the release of his long-awaited sixth studio album Highway Prayers on September 27 to great success – it was the first bluegrass album to reach the top billboardis the top album sales list since 2002 – the artist made history again with his third annual Renewal Festivalfrom which he suddenly withdrew to be present at the birth of his first son. That marathon continued last weekend as Strings continued the celebration in his home state, welcoming a heartwarming sit-in from his father, Terry Barber, during his two-day run at the Pine Knob Music Theater in Clarkston, Michigan. On Friday, October 11th, Strings returned to the stage once again and gave his Indiana fans a taste of how that momentum can supercharge his V8 engine.

On Friday night, Strings kicked off a two-show series at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis with a rousing two-and-a-half-hour performance. The artist kicked up his performance with the fitting first entry of “Leaning on a Travelin’ Song,” the intro track Highway Prayers. This quick crowd-pleaser marked the live debut of the new standout artist and catapulted the ensemble into a raucous set lined with fan favorites like “Running,” “While I’m Waiting Here” and Bad Livers’ “Pretty Daughter.” The whole band stripped things down around the middle of the set, placing a single microphone in the middle of the stage to create shimmering harmonies Highway Prayers With the final work on the album “Richard Petty” and “Freedom”, Strings’ collaboration with Lindsay Lou has continued compared to 2019 Home. The band ended the first frame with a gorgeous “Highway Hypnosis,” punctuated by a fiery jam.

After a short break, the bluegrass golden boy and his band of brothers returned to the stage with another live debut, this time with “Malfunction Junction.” More crowd pleasers came as the band unfolded a three-part sequence that included “First Line,” “Thirst Mutilator,” and “Hollow Heart,” then launched into a live debut of the sprawling folk odyssey “Stratosphere Blues / I Believe in You.” The final act of the evening was lined with numerous covers, including “Brain Damage” by Pink Floyd, “Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorow” by The Carter Family and “With a Vamp in the Middle” by John Hartford, putting the band on a “Wargasm” and the conclusion of Jimmie Skinner’s “Doin’ My Time.” Strings and Company sent the audience off into the night with an encore of the Stanley Brothers’ “Going to the Races,” the first performance of the song since March 28th. August 2021.

Strings return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse tonight, October 12th. For tickets and more information about his extensive fall and winter tour, visit billystrings.com.

Read on for Friday night’s complete setlist.

Billy Strings
Gainbridge Fieldhouse-Indianapolis
10/11/24
Set I: Leaning on a Travelin’ Song+, Taking Water, Running, While I’m Waiting Here, Run Down, Pretty Daughter, Richard Petty*, Freedom*, Gone A Long Time, Love Like Me, Highway Hypnosis
Set II: Malfunction Junction+, Secrets, Be Your Man, Everything’s The Same, Fire Line, Thirst Mutilator, Hollow Heart, Stratosphere Blues / I Believe in You+, Brain Damage, Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow, With A Vamp In The Middle, Wargasm, Doin “My time.”
Encore: Go to the races#
Notes:
+ Live debut
* Band without Alex around a single microphone in front of the stage
# Last played on August 28, 2021 | 310 shows
Setlist via billybase.net