Billy Strings returned to Louisville’s KFC Yum! Center on Saturday for another round of arena-worthy picking in the Bluegrass State. After welcoming fiddle virtuoso Michael Cleveland to help close out night one with a tribute to bluegrass originator and Kentucky native son Bill Monroe, Strings brought Cleveland out once again, this time for a mix of classic covers and original songs highlighted by an unforgettable 15+ minute “Meet Me At The Creek”.
The band eased into set one with a tender “I’m One Of Those”, after which Strings greeted the crowd: “Last night was a damn blast, but now we’re all warmed up—and greased up.” He then launched into the first extended exploratory jam of the night, a dark and tumultuous “Turmoil & Tinfoil”, which stretched to nearly 14 minutes.
Billy Strings – “I’m One Of Those”, “Turmoil & Tinfoil” – 12/6/25
Offering a nod to the birthplace of bluegrass, Strings and co. dusted off “Kentucky Girl” for the first time since their show at Lexington’s Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center on 4/26/24, a gap of 126 shows. Then, at the end of “Love and Regret”, Strings briefly stopped singing to let the crowd take over on lead vocals, adding to the communal spirit of the evening.
A 12+ minute “Fire Line” marked another high point of the set, which wound down as Strings played solo renditions of “Catch and Release” and “Georgia Buck” before welcoming his bandmates back out to close the first frame with a maniacal cover of John Hartford‘s “All Fall Down”.
Returning to the stage after a short break, Royal Masat, Jarrod Walker, Billy Failing, and their fearless bandleader went old school, gathering around a single mic for the four-part a cappella “Richard Petty”. Alex Hargreaves then joined them for “Uncle Pen”, before the quintet spread back out across the stage for a string of originals—”Home”, “Away From The Mire”, “Long Forgotten Dream”—the night’s first and only train song, “The Train That Carried My Girl From Town”, and “Black Mountain Rag”.
As the evening approached its peak, Strings, with help from the audience, summoned Michael Cleveland to the stage for another extended sit-in. Echoing Friday’s homage to Bill Monroe, the augmented sextet loosened up with Monroe’s “The Old Mountaineer” before shaking things up with a pair of originals, “Know It All” and “10,000 Miles From A Friend”, Ronnie McCoury‘s “Baltimore Johnny”, and the more geographically fitting “Eight More Miles To Louisville”.
Then, after a bluegrass rendition of the Gershwin classic “Summertime”, the weekend reached its climax with a thrilling “Meet Me At The Creek” that was easily a contender for the best-ever version of the beloved jam vehicle.
Billy Strings – “Meet Me At The Creek” – 12/6/25
[Video: Doug Heck]
Capping off two unforgettable nights of bluegrass brilliance, Strings, Cleveland, and the band brought the show to a close with one more tribute to Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass State, “I’m Going Back To Old Kentucky”.
Click below to watch fan-shot videos from night two of Billy Strings in Louisville, and scroll down to view photos and the full setlist. Download the full audio or revisit the full video webcast of the show via nugs here. Find tickets to upcoming Billy Strings tour dates here.
Billy Strings is set to livestream all of his remaining 2025 tour dates on nugs for no additional cost to All Access subscribers. With nugs currently running a special deal for 50% off your first year of All Access, now is the perfect time to subscribe: For just $99, you’ll get access to real-time and on-demand streams of Billy’s December shows Tulsa, OK (12/10), Fort Worth, TX (12/12), and Austin, TX (12/13–12/14), plus every show the bluegrass sensation livestreams through next December—and that 2026 tour schedule is already filling up quickly. Start streaming on nugs here.
[Note: This special deal for 50% off your first year of nugs All Access subscription is available for new users, trial subscribers, and existing monthly users as an upgrade. Discounted subscriptions will renew at the standard rate after first year until cancellation. Live For Live Music is a nugs affiliate. Ordering your subscription or purchasing a download via the links on this page helps support our work covering the world of live music. Thank you for reading!]
Billy Strings – KFC Yum! Center – Louisville, KY – 12/6/25 [Set 1]
[Video: Cole Rector]
Billy Strings – “Love & Regret” – 12/6/25
[Video: Doug Heck]
View this post on Instagram
Setlist [via BillyBase]: Billy Strings | KFC Yum! Center | Louisville, KY | 12/6/25
Set 1: I’m One Of Those, Turmoil & Tinfoil, Kentucky Girl [1], Love and Regret, Be Your Man, Fire Line, Raleigh & Spencer, How Many Biscuits Can You Eat?, Catch and Release [2], Georgia Buck [3], All Fall Down
Set 2: Richard Petty [4], Uncle Pen [5], Home, Away From The Mire, Long Forgotten Dream, The Train That Carried My Girl From Town, Black Mountain Rag, The Old Mountaineer [6], Know It All [6], 10,000 Miles From A Friend [6], Baltimore Johnny [6][7], Eight More Miles To Louisville [6][8], Summertime [6], Meet Me At The Creek [6], I’m Going Back To Old Kentucky [6][9]
- Last Time Played 2024-04-26 | 126 show gap
- Billy Strings solo
- Billy Strings solo on clawhammer banjo
- Full band (minus Alex) around single mic
- Full band around single mic
- w/ Michael Cleveland on fiddle
- Last Time Played 2025-05-20 | 55 show gap
- Last Time Played 2024-02-24 | 136 show gap
- Last Time Played 2024-07-19 | 115 show gap