Photo Credit: Stephen Bloch

On Dec. 30, bluegrass golden boy William Apostol, better known by his stage name, Billy Strings, kicked off the first night of his highly anticipated New Year’s Eve stand in New Orleans. The Friday night show–housed in the 8,933-seat UNO Lakefront Arena–boasted 29 songs throughout the event. Amongst the numbers were a pair of John Hartford covers which marked the late musician’s 85th birthday. Also included was a first-time take on Blaze Foley’s “Let Me Ride in Your Big Cadillac” during the night’s encore. 

String’s New Year’s Eve festivities got underway with a pair of originals, “The Fire On My Tongue,” which ran over into “Must Be Seven,” to follow, the musician and his band dug into the first cover of the night, Eddie Noack’s “Psycho.” Next, Strings returned to self-written numbers on “Pyramid Country,” before a take on Johnny Horton’s “Ole Slew-Foot.” “Hellbender” emerged next, prior to a crowd-rousing take on the Bob Dylan favorite, “Tangled Up in Blue.” The previous number merged into “Show Me the Door” off the 2021 LP, Renewal. 

As the first frame continued, the ensemble of musicians presented the crowd with “I’ll Be Gone A Long Time.” A take on Gid Tanner & His Skillet Lickers’ “Down Yonder” arrived before the final pair of songs to be performed during the night’s initial set: “While I’m Waiting Here” into the Robert Hunter-penned “Thunder.” After a break from the stage, the band reappeared for their second set, which kicked off with “Know It All,” “Taking Water,” and “Ice Bridge” before a cover of “Dreadful Wind & Rain.” 

Next, Strings worked through the original “On The Line,” which segued into the traditional “Train 45.” The frame produced “This Old World” before the group worked through a trio of covers comprised of material by The Dillards, The Stanley Brothers and Larry Sparks. The self-written “My Alice” was played before a pair of songs from 2019’s Home. To follow, Strings honored what would have been Hartford’s 85th birthday by performing two covers that the Country Music Hall of Fame recipient originally penned: “I’m Still Here” and “Steam Powered Aereo Plane.” Then, he closed the second set with “Hide & Seek.” 

For the night’s encore, Strings delivered a debut of Blaze Foley’s “Let Me Ride In Your Big Cadillac.” Then, to cap the first-time cover, the band performed the final song of the night, a take on Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary.” After last night’s show, Strings and company will return to the stage tonight, where they will usher in the New Year in the Crescent City. 

Tonight’s concert will be livestreamed by nugs.net. To learn more, follow this link.

Scroll down to view last night’s complete setlist.

Billy Strings 

Lakefront Arena – New Orleans 

Dec. 30, 2022 

Set I: The Fire On My Tongue > Must Be Seven, Psycho! > Pyramid Country > Ole Slew-Foot@, Hellbender, Tangled Up In Blue# > Show Me The Door, I’ll Be Gone A Long Time, Down Yonder$, While I’m Waiting Here > Thunder%

Set II: Know It All, Taking Water, Ice Bridges, Dreadful Wind & Rain, On The Line > Train 45,  This Old World, Ernest T. Grass& > How Mountain Girls Can Love+, John Deere Tractor?, My Alice, Away From The Mire, Long Forgotten Dream, I’m Still Here~, Steam Powered Aereo Plane~, Hide & Seek

Enc.: Let Me Ride In Your Big Cadillac^, Proud Mary=

Notes: 

! Eddie Noack cover 

@ Johnny Horton cover 

# Bob Dylan cover 

$ Gid Tanner & His Skillet Lickers cover 

% Robert Hunter cover 

& The Dillards cover 

+ The Stanley Brothers cover 

? Larry Sparks cover 

~ John Hartford cover 

^ Debut, Blaze Foley Cover 

= Credence Clearwater Revival cover