Following The String Cheese Incident’s surprise release of their latest EP, Into The Blue, on April 15 the band performed three gigs in the Southern region of the U.S. At the select stops, The String Cheese Incident debuted new tunes off Into The Blue and welcomed guests, Jay Starling and Sam Brouse. 

On April 21, the Colorado natives popped up at Ting Pavilion in Charlottesville, Va. The show began with a segued sequence of “Best Feeling,” into “Rasta Man,” back into “Best Feeling” which then bled into “Black Clouds.” Set one continued with “Manga” before the band served up a double dose of “Way Back Home” and “World Hone Crazy.” They finished set one with 2018’s  “The Big Reveal.” 

Set two got underway with opener “One Step Closer,” during which Jay Starling of The Seldom Scene sat in. The String Cheese Incident continued with a track off their new EP, “Hi Ho No Show,” followed by 2018’s “Vertigo,” which segued into a track off 2014’s Song In My Head, “Can’t Wait Another Day.” 

Next, the ensemble presented a monumental jam, which began with “Joyful Sound” into “Rumble,” “Jellyfish” and finally 2006’s “Desert Dawn.” For their encore, Starling joined in on the traditional tune, turned Grateful Dead staple, “I Know Your Rider.”

The following evening, The String Cheese Incident popped up at the Salvage Station in Asheville, N.C. for the first of two nights of performances. April 22’s show began with “Dudley’s Kitchen” before the band unleashed a jam of “Black and White” into “Search.” They followed up with “Pygmy Pony” and “Lend Me A Hand.” Next, The String Cheese Incident played a pairing of “Close Your Eyes” and “Rollover” to cap off the first set.

The second set kicked off with “Bhangra Saanj,” followed by “Looking Glass,” which segued into “Valley of that Jig” and 2002’s “Can’t Stop.” The String Cheese Incident then debuted a new track off Into The Blue, this time “Dragonfly.” The band followed with “Shantytown,” before dropping a pairing of “It Is What It Is” and “Restless Wind” into the mix. The band concluded their night one performance with a 2011’s “Rosie.”

The String Cheese Incident continued the fun on Saturday night in Asheville, N.C. The band opened the show with the title track off 2001’s Outside Inside and continued with “Eye Know Why,” “Show Shack Willie” and “The Road Home.” Next, the band played 2017’s “Sweet Spot” off Believe and proceeded with “Into The Blue,” another tune off the band’s latest release. Then, The String Cheese Incident performed “Colorado Bluebird Sky” to finish off the first set. 

The unit performed “All We Got” to open the second set. They followed with 1997’s “Rhythm Of The Road” into a cover of the Talking Head’s “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)” and continued with “Gone Crooked” and “Colliding.” For the final songs of the second set, The String Cheese Incident played “Texas” and “Shine.” 

For the encore, the band welcomed Sam Brouse of Papadosio for a take on the 2006 track, “Rivertrence.” Next up, the band will perform a two-night stand at Greenfield Lake Amphitheatre in Wilmington, N.C., on April 26 and 27, before appearing at SweetWater 420 Festival which will take place on April 28 through May 1.  

Read more about The String Cheese Incident’s latest EP, Into The Blue.

View the band’s setlists below.

The String Cheese Incident 

Ting Pavilion– Charlottesville, Va.

April 21, 2022 

Set I: Best Feeling > Rasta Man > Best Feeling > Black Clouds, Manga, Way Back Home > World Gone Crazy, The Big Reveal 

Set II: One Step Closer^, Hi Ho No Show, Vertigo > Can’t Wait Another Day, Joyful Sound > Rumble > Jellyfish > Desert Dawn

Enc.: I Know You Rider^

Notes: 

^ with Jay Starling 

The String Cheese Incident 

Salvage Station– Asheville, N.C. 

April 22, 2022 

Set I: Dudley’s Kitchen, Black and White > Search, Pygmy Pony, Lend Me A Hand, Close Your Eyes > Rollover 

Set II: Bhangra Saanj, Looking Glass > Valley of that Jig > Can’t Stop Now, Dragonfly*, Shantytown, It Is What It Is > Restless Wind 

Enc.: Rosie

Notes: 

* First time played

The String Cheese Incident  

Salvage Station– Asheville, N.C. 

April 24, 2022 

Set I: Outside and Inside, Eye Know Why, Show Shack Willie, The Road Home, Sweet Spot, Into The Blue > Colorado Bluebird Sky

Set II: All We Got, Rhythm Of The Road > This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody), Gone Crooked, Colliding, Texas > Shine 

Enc.: Rivertrance#

Notes:

# with Sam Brouse