Tuesday night is bluegrass night in Rochester. The Angry Goat, possibly the smallest venue for live music in town, has a great long running bluegrass jam hosted by various local artists. But on Tuesday, November 11, bluegrass night in Rochester was taken to a whole other level. Billy Strings was back in town, almost three years to the day from his last visit, to hold court at a sold out Blue Cross Arena, the largest music venue in town.
If it wasn’t clear from shuffling with throngs of people into a minor league hockey arena, the large mutli-level stage, or the massive lighting rig featuring an array of diamond shaped backdrops, this was no mere bluegrass concert. This was an event, a happening, a circus.
After helpful PA announcements counting down the showtime every five minutes, the band took the stage, right on time, exactly thirty minutes past ticket time.
And it was clear from the opening notes, even the music wasn’t merely bluegrass. A show-opening “Wargasm” set the stage for the evening, Strings sang with a delayed echo, effectively harmonizing with himself. After a quick jaunt with banjoist Billy Failing, Strings took the reins, added some electrified effects to his guitar and took flight, shredding with wild cosmic effects and running out to the front of the stage. Welcome to the party! And according to Strings, they were just warming up.
It was also a jamband show. In the span from “Windows” > “Thunder,” appropriately penned by John Hartford and Robert Hunter respectively, the band democratically pushed the envelope through a tangled web of psychedelic bluegrass, dissonant jazz, and straight fire rock and roll. Later in the second set, “Gild the Lily” featured some of the best group jamming of the night in a slow burn fuse that closed with a quick explosive guitar solo.
It was definitely a rock show. It was an arena show after all, but Strings showed he could shred with the best of them, even if he wasn’t strapping on a flying V or classic Fender. When he flipped on the effects pedals, that acoustic guitar could be taken wherever his imagination took him. “Heartbeat of America” was an edgy rocker and Strings took roared through a monster solo that bounced off the rafters. On “Away from the Mire” Strings went full rock star, strutting out to the front stage area, giving love to all sides of the venue while smoking through another blistering solo.
It was also country. Singing a song called “California Sober” co-written by THE Willie Nelson? It doesn’t get any more country than that. But it was also a folk show. Strings closed out the first set solo, just a man and his guitar, strumming out a good old-fashioned story song about getting pulled over on the way to go fishing. Doesn’t get any folksier than that.
But yes, by and large, this was a bluegrass show, up and down and all around. There were hoedowns, throw downs, fiddle tunes, ballads, newgrass and old traditionals. The first set finished particularly strong in this category. A full band workout in a “The Fire On My Tongue” / “Know It All” combo, followed up with a one-mic banjo duet appropriately named “Dos Banjos.” Strings remained on stage solo and took a seat on the stairs to pick out a stunning medley of tunes on his guitar. A sole spotlight shone down, the blitz on the senses gone for a few minutes. Suddenly thousands of people were just sitting on the porch of one of the best bluegrass guitarists in the world.
When the band visited back in 2022 it was fairly new to the arena circuit. It was clear in their return in 2025 that they had grown into it, and the fit is right. The stage set up was better, the lighting was better and the dynamics of the show were better. A bluegrass circus on a snowy night in Rochester, what could be better than that?
If you don’t want to wait another three years to enjoy quality bluegrass on a Tuesday night in Rochester, remember there’s always the Angry Goat. And there’s even a good chance they might pick a good old Billy Strings tune for you.
Setlist (via BillyBase)
Set 1: Wargasm, West Dakota Rose, In the Morning Light, Windows > Thunder, California Sober, My Alice, The Fire On My Tongue > Know It All, Dos Banjos, Give the Fiddler a Dream > Whistling Rufus > Ragtime Annie > Catch and Release
Set 2: Home, On the Line > Train 45, Alberta, Gone a Long Time, Heartbeat of America, Northern White Clouds, Gild the Lily, Away from the Mire, Living Like and Animal > The Cuckoo, Seven Weeks in County
Encore: We Shall All Be Reunited, Roll On Buddy, Roll On
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