Photo Credit: Bryan Lasky

Last night, Billy Strings brought his current tour to Southaven, Miss., stopping at Landers Center and delivering two frames of music. During the performance, the bluegrass golden boy and his band paid homage to their location with a fitting cover of Jimmie Rodgers’ “Miss the Mississippi and You.” Later, the artist marked Sam Bush’s birthday with a cover of New Grass Revival’s “Whisper My Name,” a tune that Strings said Bush introduced him to. 

The Thursday night concert heated up with a pairing of “The Fire On My Tongue” with “Bronzeback.” Then, Strings and company followed up with a run-through of “Fire Line,” which merged into “Taking Water.” The band cut into the first cover of their April 13 performance with a take on Harley “Red” Allen’s “Hello City Limits.” The musician returned to originals on “Pyramid Country,” which bled into an ensuing take on “Must Be Seven.” 

The initial frame brought forth a trio of covers next. Then the band picked up their own “Red Daisy” prior to the final song of the set, a rendition of the traditional “Train 45.” After returning from set break, the ensemble kicked things off with Mississippi Sheiks’  “Sitting on Top of The World.” Originals appeared next, and the band added “Heartbeat of America” and “In the Morning Light,” followed by Doc Watson’s “Ridin’ That Midnight Train.” 

The second half of the night presented “Wargasm,” and a locationally fitting “Miss the Mississippi and You.” “Running” and “Hellbender” arrived ahead of a take on Blackfoot’s “Train, Train” and Bill Monroe’s “Ashland Breakdown.” Next, Strings delivered “Love Like Me” before the New Grass Revival’s “Whisper My Name.” The aforementioned song was a birthday tribute to Bush, who turned 71 on April 13. Notable, Bush was a member of the New Grass Revival ensemble, making the song choice all the more meaningful. To follow the special moment, the group closed out the set with “Turmoil & Tinfoil.”

Cheers and applause brought the billed players back to the stage for the night’s encore, which began with a cover of John Prine’s “Sweet Revenge” and closed with Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys’ “Big Mon.” After last night’s performance, Strings will take the stage this evening at Mobile Civic Center Arena in Mobile, Ala., where he will commence a two-night stand, which will wrap on Saturday, April 15. For more information, visit the artist’s website.

Scroll down to view last night’s setlist via billybase.net.  

Billy Strings 

Landers Center – Southaven, Miss. 

April 13, 2023 

Set I: The Fire On My Tongue > Bronzeback, Fire Line > Taking Water, Hello City Limits, Pyramid Country > Must Be Seven, Deep River Blues, Bound to Ride > Wild Bill Jones, Red Daisy, Train 45 

Set II: Sitting on Top Of The World, Heartbeat of America, In the Morning Light, Ridin’ That Midnight Train, Wargasm, Miss the Mississippi and You, Running, Hellbender, Train, Train, Ashland Breakdown, Love Like Me, Whisper My Name, Turmoil & Tinfoil

Enc.: Sweet Revenge, Big Mon