Billy Strings
Live in Portland, Maine

Troy Bass, contributor
 

Billy Strings took the stage to thunderous applause on a hot Friday night, July 24th, at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, Maine. Anticipation was high, as he had not played in Maine in three years. The city of Portland is already a hub for all walks of life, where city folk and country folk intertwine, and the crowd that night was no different. Billy Strings has amassed an eclectic fan base: from country purists to Deadheads alike, everyone was there to rage together. And rage they did.
 

This was my first Billy show, and it did not disappoint. On top of receiving last-minute "miracles" for tickets, our seats were close enough to truly dissect the magic in real time. Watching his fingers fly across the fretboard was mind-bending, and his bandmates were equally talented. The 5-piece ensemble featured Billy on acoustic guitar, Billy Failing on banjo, Royal Masat on stand-up bass, Jarrod Walker on mandolin, and Alex Hargreaves on fiddle.
 

Billy walked onto the stage with a cane due to a skateboarding accident that fractured his leg a few months back, but the injury clearly didn't affect his playing. The first set kicked off with a roaring opener, “Shenandoah Breakdown,” immediately showcasing every member's versatility and sending the crowd into a frenzy, all amplified by lighting director Saxton Waller’s incredible work.
 

Other notable first-set tracks included “Freeborn Man,” “Train, Train,” and “California Sober.” Billy addressed the crowd before playing the latter, sharing that he wrote the song after touring with Willie Nelson. He mentioned feeling deeply inspired by Willie, realizing that music is a living, breathing entity inside all of us rather than just a commodity. He dedicated the track to Willie before diving in (the studio version features Nelson as well).
 

The second set started just as strong as the first; the band didn't take their foot off the gas for a second. As the night unfolded, the setlist showcased an impressive blend of traditional folk ballads and roaring, modern bluegrass jam vehicles. “Fire Line,” “Thirst Mutilator,” and “Katy Daley” were personal standouts, but the set closer, “Turmoil & Tinfoil,” was truly epic. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone run an acoustic guitar through an effects pedalboard to completely electrify it on stage, but that moment alone was well worth the price of admission. Afterward, Billy stood, waved to the crowd, and expressed his sincere gratitude, promising to see everyone the following night for the second show of the run.
 

Overall, Billy Strings is easily one of the most talented musicians I have ever seen live. His folk-style songwriting, paired with a modern twist on classic bluegrass technique and an out-of-this-world psychedelic light show, is off the charts. I’m dubbing it psychedelic bluegrass—if that hasn't already been coined! Either way, it was amazing to finally see him, and I know for a fact I’ll be seeing him again.

 

Setlist

Set 1

1. Shenandoah Breakdown

2. Know It All

3. Love Among The Tombstones

4. Harbor of Love

5. Libby Phillips Rag

6. Freeborn Man

7. Show Me The Door

8. California Sober

9. Nothing’s Working

10. Pyramid Country

11. Train, Train

Set 2

1. Fire Line

2. Thirst Mutilator

3. On and On

4. Love Like Me

5. Whisper My Name

6. Happy Hollow

7. Broken Doe

8. Long Forgotten Dream

9. The Old Mountaineer

10. Miss The Mississippi And You

11. Wait a Minute

12. Katy Daley

13. Leaders

14. Red Rocking Chair

15. Turmoil & Tinfoil