Photo by Joshua Black Wilkins

Billy Strings performed at the Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Va. last night. The bluegrass prodigy pulled out a debut mashup of two originals during the latter part of the first set. 

The first set kicked off with a debut performance of Chuck Berry’s original and frequent Grateful Dead cover, “Promised Land,” and continued with “Hollow Heart” and “While I’m Waiting Here.” Next, the ensemble covered Jerry Reed’s “The Likes of Me” before breaking into another cover, this time Chris Henry’s “West Dakota Rose.”

Next, Billy Strings coupled lyrics from “Dust in a Baggie” with the music of “Love & Regret” to create a one-of-a-kind mashup, dubbed “Dust & Regret.” The four-piece ensemble continued with  “Highway Hypnosis” and “This Old World” before wrapping the first set with two covers, “Ernest T. Grass” and “Little Maggie.”

The second set picked up with “Taking Water,” which segued into “Ice Bridges,” and continued with a cover of Billy Hayes’ “I’ll Remember You, Love, in My Prayer.” Strings performed his original “Red Daisy” off 2021’s Renewal, followed by a cover of Larry Spark’s “Blue Virginia Blues.” 

“Turmoil & Tinfoil” came next, before the quartet broke into “Watch It Fall” and a cover of Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs “Doin’ My Time.” For the final jam of the night, Billy Strings and company performed J.J. Cale’s “Ride Me High,” which led into Robert Hunter’s “Thunder.” For their encore, the band played Pink Floyd’s “Brain Damage” for the fourth time live. 

Next, Billy Strings and his band will perform a two-night stand at Bell Auditorium in Augusta, Ga.; tickets are still available and can be purchased here. 

For additional information and tour dates, read more. 

Billy Strings 

Chartway Arena– Norfolk, Va.

Feb. 12, 2022

Set 1: Promised Land, Hollow Heart, While I’m Waiting Here, The Likes of Me, West Dakota Rose, Dust & Regret, Highway Hypnosis, The Old World, Ernest T. Grass, Little Maggie 

Set 2: Taking Water > Ice Bridges, I’ll Remember you, Love, in My Prayers, Red Daisy, Blue Virginia Blues, Turmoil & Tinfoil, Watch It Fall, Doin’ My Time, Ride Me High > Thunder

Enc.: Brain Damage