Billy Strings incites fervor at Pine Knob: Top '24 Stories

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The new dad and award-winning bluegrass guitar phenom from Ionia County celebrated a new double-album with his band in October at the Clarkston amphitheater. Revisit the crowd-pleasing affair.

Bluegrass Spectacle: Billy Strings and band on stage at Pine Knob Friday. (Photo/Ryan McCahill)

EDITOR’S NOTE: Our December countdown of Local Spins’ top stories of 2024 continues with our October coverage of Billy Strings’ spectacular two-night run at Pine Knob Music Theatre. Scroll down for set lists from both nights, a video and a photo gallery. (And let’s just say this is far from the last Billy Strings story in our countdown.)

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Billy Strings is no stranger to hosting big crowds across Michigan and across the globe, from concert halls to arenas to outdoor amphitheaters and festival sites.

Indeed, the Ionia County-bred bluegrass guitar powerhouse sold out Grand Rapids’ 12,000-capacity Van Andel Arena in October 2023 October and Clarkston’s 15,000-seat Pine Knob Music Theatre a few months before that.

So his return to Pine Knob in early October for the first show in a packed, two-day run with his uber-talented band at the amphitheater was nothing if not a rousing, fan-inciting, Michigan homecoming, filled with the sort of jubilant jamming that devotees of the Billy Goat variety have come to expect and adore.

The New Dad with His Dad: Terry Barber joined Billy in the first set. (Photo/Jesse Faatz)

The final run of shows for 2024 at Pine Knob boasted an extra upbeat flair, considering that William Apostol (aka, Billy Strings) became a father for the first time on Sunday when his wife, Ally, gave birth to a son just two days after releasing his new studio album, “Highways Prayers.” Oh, and he celebrated his 32nd birthday on Thursday (along with announcing winter 2025 tour dates).

Consequently, the birthday/album-release/fatherhood theme seemed to elevate the opening night spectacle — highlighted by the on-stage appearance of his guitar-playing stepfather, Terry Barber — starting with the opening salvo of “Big River” and continuing through crowd favorites such as “Turmoil & Tinfoil” and brand new selections like “Gild the Lily.”

New dad Billy took a moment on stage to let it all sink in, discussing the life-changing event while celebrating the amazing power of women, followed by his emotional love song, “In the Morning Light” from his 2021 album, “Renewal.”

To the delight of the many Grateful Dead and jam-grass fans in the crowd, Billy kicked the show off by covering Johnny Cash’s “Big River” for the first time since October 2022. It set the tone for a memorable first set that included a sensational “Turmoil & Tinfoil” jam, energetic cover of Widespread Panic’s “All Time Low” and the live debut of “Don’t Be Calling Me (at 4 AM)” and “Gild the Lily” from the new album.

FLOWING OVER WITH ‘MICHIGAN MUSIC EMOTION’

Billy further surprised the crowd by bringing Barber on stage for a five-song run of traditional bluegrass and a great cover of George Gershwin’s jazz standard, “Summertime.” It was his first time back on stage with Billy as both a grandpa and recent inductee into the Michigan Country Music Hall of Fame. And Barber didn’t disappoint, providing lead vocals on two songs and displaying his flat-picking prowess.

“Seeing a place like that packed to the brim with the audience feeling so good listening to a classic bluegrass song sung by an old guy and his son and his son’s friends just filled my Michigan music emotion cup over,” raved Local Spins photographer and Billy Strings fan Anna Sink.

Bluegrass Prowess: The band unleashes it again tonight. (Photo/Ryan McCahill)

The second set featured mostly Billy’s original songs in a well-paced mix of quick-hitters and extended jams, opening with a multiple-song run of “Likes of Me,” “Must Be Seven,” “Pyramid Country” and “Meet Me At the Creek,” which put the beauty of Billy’s innovative show-lighting on full display. The show wound down in strong fashion with sing-along fan favorites “Red Daisy” and “Hellbender,” followed by an epic solo from Billy’s bassist, Royal Masat, during the energetic playing of “Doin’ Things Right”.

The night ended with one of Billy’s signature dance moments strumming the guitar with glee while bandmate, Alex Hargreaves, serenaded the audience with his beautiful play on the fiddle during “Southern Flavor.”

Billy thanked fans as always for their love and appreciation of the music. The throng of devotees returned the sentiment with a standing ovation during the final bow, with many of them returning the next night to double their bluegrass fun from a home-state hero.

Browse photos from the first night, a video and set lists from both shows below.

Follow Ryan McCahill’s Billy Strings posts on Instagram at love.andsound.

PHOTO GALLERY: Billy Strings at Pine Knob
Photos by Jesse Faatz and Ryan McCahill