On Saturday, Feb. 7, Billy Strings returned to the Akins Ford Arena stage in Athens, Ga., to close out the first stop of his Winter Tour. The concert occurred after a lively start to the year for the fast-picking legend and his band, who marked Widespread Panic’s 40th anniversary in the ensemble’s hometown, and delivered a live tribute to late Grateful Dead founding member and rhythm guitarist, Bobby Weir, covering “Me & My Uncle” and “Cassidy” during Friday night’s encore.
Saturday’s performance leaned more toward tradition, offering the expected crossover of original music and cover songs from the folk and bluegrass canon, with the Highway Prayers-featured “Leaning on a Travelin’ Song” leading the charge. Next, Strings, Jarrod Walker,
Billy Failing, Alex Hargreaves, and Royal Masat tied “In the Clear” to Bill Monroe’s “Ashland Breakdown,” before pausing ahead of “John Deere Tractor.”
Next, the ensemble provided their Peach State audience with “Ernest T. Grass” into “Must Be Seven,” and “Likes of Me” as one continuous entry. Picking up The Stanley Brothers’ “Harbor of Love” provided a jolt that resulted in “Slow Train,” “Escanaba,” and a frame-ending gold standard, “Psycho” > “Meet Me at the River” combo.
Set two started with “Show Me the Door,” followed by “Seven Weeks in Country” with a tease of Ennio Morricone’s “The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.” A take on Jimmy Martin’s “Freeborn Man” came next, ahead of the first cover of “Along the Road” since April 18, 2025. Taking note from Doc Watson, the group performed “Steamline Cannonball,” followed by a trio of originals: “Love Like Me,” “Highway Hypnosis,” and “Gild The Lily.”
For their cover of “Salty Dog Blues,” Strings and Walker shared lines before a set closing “Wargasm.” The concert’s encore featured a single-song delivery, Highway Prayers‘ pick, “The Beginning of the End.”
Next, Strings and company will continue their Winter Tour at the ExploreAsheville.com Arena in Asheville, N.C., Feb. 10, 11, 13, and 14. These concerts are sold out.
Scroll down to view Strings’ post-concert footnotes via Instagram.
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