This past weekend, Billy Strings took his Spring Tour to the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va. The first of two consecutive appearances began on Friday, April 17, with the bandleader’s choice to position night one as a singular nonstop set, made up of 29 moves that ranged from bust-outs to first-time originals and special solo moments. Saturday’s return brought back the two-set format and a debut cover, but no encore. Rather, while attempting a skateboard trick before the onset of the concert finale, the bandleader broke his leg. An announcement regarding the injury arrived on social media today, confirming that the remaining Spring Tour will be postponed.
Friday night’s concert found Strings, Billy Failing, Royal Masat, Jarrod Walker and Alex Hargreaves stepping out and performing their own “Leaning on a Travelin’ Song” to initiate the official flow of music. The packed single-set delivery received significant notation, beginning with a return to Bill Monroe’s “Shenandoah Breakdown” for the first time since Aug. 19, 2025. Dylan’s “Drifter’s Escape” and “Watch It Fall” came before a revival of the String Cheese Incident-released “Black Clouds” last played on May 22, 2025.
The midsection of Friday’s performance found Strings stepping out and delivering six songs solo, including the traditional “Let The Cocaine Be,” Jamey Johnson released “Lonely at The Top,” debut original “Sorrow and Me,” and continued as a sequence contrived of “Give The Fiddler A Dram” > “Whistling Rufus” > “Ragtime Annie.” “Country Blues” found Strings picking up the clawhammer banjo ahead of an a capella solo, “And Am I Born To Die?”
Later on, with all players on stage and accounted for, they dusted off a take on The Stanley Brothers’ “The White Dove” for the first time since Feb. 26, 2023, ending a 254-show gap. Like always, “Richard Petty” found the band, minus Hargreaves, around a single mic. The fiddler returned for the final songs, which continued the traditional gathering on “How Long Have I Been Waiting On You?” and “Ole Slew Foot.”
Night two began with “Taking Water” into “Ice Bridges” and more ensuing originals ahead of the evening’s initial cover, a take on Bill Emerson’s “Home of the Red Fox” paired with their own “Secrets.” Traditional and state-naming “East Virginia Blues” was a welcome addition before another batch of self-penned material. Before “Dealing Despair,” Strings faked out the audience by beginning with a tease of “This Old Heart of Mine.” Blaze Foley’s “Cold Cold World,” “On The Line,” and traditional “Train 45” capped frame one.
The second set found Strings picking up his Masterton ML-1: Missing Link Béla Fleck Baritone Banjo for “Leadfood.” After turning in “I’m One of Those,” the band debuted Ronnie Bowman’s locationally fitting “Cold Virginia Night.” Notably, Bowman passed away last month and was remembered by Strings and his band in concert and on social media.
The Blackfoot released song “Train, Train” was performed for the first time since Aug. 16, 2025, as a midsection during “Hide and Seek.” Ultimately, the night was scrubbed of an encore. Before the final batch of songs, Strings reportedly attempted a skateboarding trick, which resulted in a broken leg. This morning he wrote at length about the incident and its effect on ensuing appearances.
Strings wrote: “Well, can’t say y’all didn’t warn me about screwing around on my skateboard!! Saturday night I walked off stage right before the encore I was all zazzed up from a really fun show. I grabbed my board and tried to do a trick I’ve done a million times (back 180) and landed awkwardly and broke my leg. I heard it snap over the screaming crowd!! Sounded like a damn 2×4. It’s been an interesting couple days to say the least complete with the most extreme pain and crazy ketamine trips and operations stuff but the staff here at UVA rules. They screwed me all back together. They are absolute angels on Earth. I had every intention of carrying on with the tour and Dave Grohling it. He even texted me and offered me the throne! I really don’t want to let anybody down, but after some long talks with these doctors, my friends, band and colleagues, my wife etc.. I should probably let this thing heal. I don’t believe that I could give you guys the show you deserve coming right out of this surgery and these first few days are really important as far as keeping this thing elevated and letting it heal. Plus I’m all messed up on pain killers and stuff. It’s a dumb ass mistake and it’s all my fault .. I feel like such an idiot. But what are ya gonna do , ya know? At least I didn’t hit my head or break my wrist or something.”
He added, “The remaining Spring shows in Charleston and Fishers are being rescheduled to later this year.” According to the new itinerary, the show scheduled for April 22 in Charleston, W.V., has been moved to Aug. 4. His three-night stand in Fishers, Ind., is slated for Aug. 6-8, 2026. See the post below.
Scroll down to view setlists from the weekend.
Billy Strings
John Paul Jones Arena – Charlottesville, Va.
April 17, 2026 – Night 1
Set: Leaning on a Travelin’ Song, California Sober, Old Home Place, Shenandoah Breakdown1 > Drifter’s Escape, Watch It Fall, Black Clouds2, Enough To Leave, Home, Let The Cocaine Be3, Lonely At The Top3, Sorrow And Me3 4, Give The Fiddler A Dram3 > Whistling Rufus3 > Ragtime Annie3, Country Blues5, And Am I Born To Die?6, Reuben’s Train5, Red Daisy, I Only Exist, So Many Miles, Stratosphere Blues / I Believe in You7, Cabin Song, While I’m Waiting Here, The White Dove8, Meet Me At The Creek, Richard Petty9, How Long Have I Been Waiting On You?, 10 Ole Slew Foot10
Notes:
- Last Time Played 2025-08-19 | 52 show gap
- Last Time Played 2025-05-22 | 75 show gap
- Billy Strings solo
- FTP – Original
- Billy Strings solo on clawhammer banjo
- Billy Strings solo a cappella
- Billy Strings on a Martin Grand J-28E, Royal Masat on a Nord Stage 3 88-Key Keyboard & Billy Failing on Masterton ML-1: Missing Link Béla Fleck Baritone Banjo
- Last Time Played 2023-02-26 | 254 show gap
- Full band (minus Alex) around single mic
- Full band around single mic
Billy Strings
John Paul Jones Arena – Charlottesville, Va.
April 18, 2026 – Night 2
Set I: Taking Water > Ice Bridges, Gone A Long Time, Love Like Me, Home Of The Red Fox > Secrets, East Virginia Blues, Hellbender, Doin’ Things Right > Dealing Despair1, Cold Cold World, On The Line > Train 45
Set II: Leadfoot2, I’m One Of Those, Cold Virginia Night3, Bronzeback, My Alice, She Left Me Standing on the Mountain, Don’t Be Calling Me (at 4 AM), My Love Come Rolling Down, Hide and Seek > Train Train4 > Hide and Seek
Notes:
- “This Old Heart Of Mine” fake-out intro
- Billy Strings on his Masterton ML-1: Missing Link Béla Fleck Baritone Banjo & Billy Failing on Guitar
- FTP – Ronnie Bowman
- Last Time Played 2025-08-16 | 54 show gap
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