To close out a tremendous year of touring, Billy Strings arrived in the Salt City of Syracuse on Saturday, December 16, for a performance at Upstate Medical Arena at The Oncenter War Memorial.
Having just returned from a European tour in November, Billy Strings embarked on a brief, 10 day tour worked its way up the East Coast from Greensboro, NC, stopping in Maryland and Pennsylvania before arriving in Syracuse.
A usual preshow crowd was found throughout bars and restaurants in downtown Syracuse, with a small lot scene taking shape on this temperate late fall night in Syracuse. Only a trio of shows in New Orleans over New Years Eve remain, following a year touring that was began and ended with shows in minor-league hockey arenas.
One of the best things about a Billy Strings show happens before the music even begins – the band gives you a heads up that the show will be starting soon, something more bands could and should do (especially if ticket time is all but ignored). Flashing on the three screens that frame the stage, the audience is forewarned with bright and brief flashes of “15 Minutes until Fuzzy Rainbows”, then 10 minutes, and 5 minutes, giving an extra level of anticipation for the patient, sold out crowd.
Over the course of two sets, Billy Strings would play nearly 30 songs, more than half of them covers, mainly from relatively obscure bluegrass and early country artists, plus a choice Led Zepplin cover.
The night began with original “Home,” followed by “West Dakota Rose” by Chris Henry. After “Down Yonder,” Billy greeted the crowd, noting it had been a long time since the band had last played there – but this was indeed the first show, while also having played Rochester a year prior.
An excellent psychedelic trance formed in “Fire Line” and shifted into the traditional “Raleigh and Spencer,” full of vim and vigor with each repetition of “There ain’t no liquor in this town. No there ain’t no liquor in this town,” with Billy swirling his hair around as he broke the song down. Air Mail Special on the Fly, by Leon Rusk, was among the highlights of the numerous covers, all made unique and brought into a new generation of bluegrass lovers.
“Be Your Man” gave a reference to the Big Apple with the line “When I got to New York City I was looking for another side of life”, followed by only the fifth version of the new “Escanaba,” named for a city in Billy Strings’ home state of Michigan. The set would close with “Away From the Mire,” a fan favorite, highlighted by bassist Royal Masat and a sparkly background, capped by Strings stepping out to the front of stage and playing to each side of the audience, closing the set on a highest of notes.
Set 2 would open with “Know it All,” followed by another traditional song – one made popular by The Dillards, Doc Watson, Bill Monroe, Jerry Garcia and David Grisman, “Shady Grove.” Spotting Santa Claus in the audience, Billy Strings dedicated “Just Because” by Nelstone’s Hawaiians, referencing Santa a few times in this nearly 100 year old song.
From there, “Blue Mule” again put Royal Masat’s bass prowess on display, giving a smooth jazz club vibe in appearance, presence and sound as the band broke down “Doin’ Things Right,” which included a jam on Led Zeppelin’s “Moby Dick,” then giving way to an outright cover of “Four Sticks” off Led Zeppelin IV, a jaw-dropping version.
Two mellower songs would follow – “Libby Phillips Rag,” and Ralph Stanley’s “A Robin Built a Nest on Daddy’s Grave.” The soft respite was no match for the finale of the set, a pairing of “Psycho” (Eddie Noack) and “Thunder,” which got very spacey and nearly found a backdoor into “St. Stephen” before calling it a night, huge applause cascading from the audience to the stage.
An appropriate encore of Bill Monroe’s “Christmas Time’s A-Coming” was a reminder of the season that awaited all in a week, and with Billy Strings getting ready to head back home to Nashville, Jimmy Martin’s “Tennessee” closed the night.
Billy Strings – Upstate Medical Arena at The Oncenter War Memorial, Syracuse – December 16, 2023
Set 1: Home, West Dakota Rose, Cabin Song > Down Yonder, Fire Line > Raleigh and Spencer, Ernest T. Grass > Air Mail Special on the Fly, Be Your Man, Escanaba, Away From the Mire
Set 2: Know It All, Shady Grove, Along the Road, I’ll Be Gone a Long Time, Just Because, Long Forgotten Dream, Blue Mule, Doin’ Things Right, Four Sticks, Libby Phillips Rag, A Robin Built a Nest on Daddy’s Grave, Psycho > Thunder
Encore: Christmas Time’s A-Coming, Tennessee
