Billy Strings Summer Tour Picks Up Steam with Saturday Night Heater in Bridgeport, CT (Photos/Videos)

Billy Strings concluded his two-day run at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater in Bridgeport, CT last night with a demonstration of overwhelming talent and musical leadership.

A pre-recorded train intro got things going and set the tone for the opening “The Train That Took My Girl Away,” which everyone in the band – including Jarrod Walker on mandolin, Billy Fails on banjo, violinist Alex Hargreavesand bassist Royal Masatnot to mention guitar fireman and bandleader Billy Strings themselves—a chance to greet the crowd. After warming up collectively with some quick picking, it was time to explore the more psychedelic side of their sound with a tasty “Away From The Mire” that pushed the musical boundaries far beyond the traditional confines of bluegrass.

Strings paid tribute to his jamgrass ancestors with “New Country Blues,” the title track from Drew Emmitt (Leftover salmon) and Bill Nershi‘s (The Cheese String Incident) Emmitt-Nershi band album, which featured Billy Failing. The bandleader then took the opportunity to chat with the audience and gave his first thank-you of the evening, this time to his fans. He then urged the band to delve into their own catalogue.

“In The Clear” was his usual, neatly selected self, while “My Alice” added a bit of murderous ballad malice. The psychedelic fracture at the heart of “Highway Hypnosis” seemed to shatter reality as it expanded beyond our earthly plane.

For the follow-up “Catch And Release,” Strings dismissed the rest of the band while he grabbed a chair and an acoustic guitar for a seated solo number. The comic tale of fishing with Leftover Salmon’s Vince Herman always brings a grin. Since Strings was already in storytelling mode, he grabbed his banjo and caressed and rolled through “Country Blues.”

Walker and his trusty mandolin nearly stole the show with his emotional work on Chris Hendrik‘s “West Dakota Rose” when the band returned in full force. “Dust In A Baggie” was fun and full of boot scootin’ energy that had the crowd bouncing. With the fans in a dancing mood, Billy took them waltzing with “Love And Regret.” The tune brought out the best in Hargreaves’ fiddle playing, while the participation of the audience on stage and off brought joy.

John Hartford’s swirling “With A Vamp In The Middle” gave Hargreaves another chance to step into the spotlight, though the rest of the band was more than ready to stretch out as well. The set ended with a robust “Everything’s The Same” that unfolded like a game of musical tag.

The second set opened with back-to-back originals, “Hollow Heart” and “Be Your Man,” each brimming with raw human emotion and instrumental fire. Billy introduced the “desperate little bitch” “John Hardy” and then sent him packing before “This Old World,” “The Cuckoo,” and “Long Forgotten Dream” took the show in a deeply introspective direction. The trio of songs provided an emotional heart to the set, which closed with a vintage single-mic “Richard Petty.”

In full traditional mode, the group took the opportunity to critique “Sally Goodin,” before looking inward once more with a spare and sober “Know It All.” “Escanaba” saw Royal Masat get funkier than he had before, and Failing clearly enjoyed being up front in the mix. As if realizing they were almost there, Strings, who seemed to be thinking out loud, remarked that it was a good chance to hear just how beautiful the guys in the band could sound when they blended their voices, using the call-and-response sections of The Stanley Brothers classic “Harbor Of Love” to unleash the vocal talents of his crew.

It was getting late, but there was still time for a few numbers: “Windows” from the beloved catalog of progressive bluegrass legend John Hartford, and “Seven Weeks In County,” followed by a loud applause in appreciation for two fantastic evenings.

The cheers grew until Billy returned to the stage for an encore. “Thank you, everybody! I appreciate you all so much,” Strings told the crowd. After looking back and forth at the people on stage with him, there was a mix of pride, appreciation and love in his eyes as he simply said, “Thank you, guys.”

“It’s truly the ultimate pleasure of my entire life to be here tonight playing music for you,” Strings continued, reiterating his appreciation. With time only for a quick cover of Jimmy Martin‘s “Sophronie”, the night, after a few last good wishes, was over.

Billy Strings’ last words to the fans: “We can’t wait to be back here.”

Check out the full setlist for Billy Strings at Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater in Bridgeport, CT below. For a full list of upcoming dates, go here.

Fans can follow the Billy Strings 2024 summer tour from home with livestreams of every show via nugs.netavailable for free to subscribers.Editor’s Note: Live For Live Music is a nugs partner. By ordering your nugs subscription through the links on this page, you’ll be supporting our coverage of the world of live music. Thanks for reading!).

Billy Strings – “The Train That Carried My Girl Out of Town”, “Black Mountain Rag” (Leslie Keith), “Away From The Mire” – 27-07-24

Setlist: Billy Strings | Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater | Bridgeport, CT | 27-07-24

Set 1: Train Intro, The Train That Carried My Girl Out Of Town (Traditional), Black Mountain Rag (Leslie Keith), Away From The Swamp, New Country Blues (Drew Emmitt & Bill Nershi) In The Clear, Highway Hypnosis, Catch It And Let It Go (Billy Solo), Country Blues (Dock Boggs), West Dakota Rose (Chris Henry), Dust In A Baggie, Love And Regret, With A Vamp In The Middle (John Hartford) > Everything’s The Same

Set 2: Hollow Heart, Be Your Man, John Hardy (traditional), This Old World, The Cuckoo (traditional), Long Forgotten Dream, Richard Petty (single mic acapella), Sally Goodin (traditional), Know It All, Escanaba, Harbor of Love (The Stanley Brothers), Windows (John Hartford), Seven Weeks In County

Encore: Sophronie (Jimmy Martin)