{"id":456193,"date":"2026-02-08T10:29:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T10:29:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/456193\/"},"modified":"2026-02-08T10:29:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T10:29:07","slug":"billy-strings-celebrates-bob-weir-widespread-panic-at-tour-kickoff-in-athens-ga-videos-audio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/456193\/","title":{"rendered":"Billy Strings Celebrates Bob Weir & Widespread Panic At Tour Kickoff In Athens, GA [Videos\/Audio]"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was an evening of celebrations on Friday at Athens, GA\u2019s Atkins Ford Arena: the start of\u00a0Billy Strings\u2018 winter tour<\/a>,\u00a0Widespread Panic\u2018s 40th birthday<\/a>, and a celebration of life for\u00a0Bob Weir<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Friday\u2019s first of two nights on the campus of the\u00a0University of Georgia marked Strings,\u00a0Jarrod Walker,\u00a0Alex Hargreaves,\u00a0Royal Masat, and\u00a0Billy Failing\u2018s first show since December 14th, 2025<\/a>, in Austin, forgoing their typical New Year\u2019s Eve run. Instead, Strings rang in the new year by sitting in with Widespread Panic for three nights<\/a> in Atlanta. Serendipitously, last night was also the 40th anniversary of\u00a0Dave Schools,\u00a0John Bell,\u00a0Michael Houser, and\u00a0Todd Nance\u2018s first show under the name Widespread Panic, staged a block away at the old Mad Hatter on the same college campus.<\/p>\n

Not one to let such a momentous occasion go by unacknowledged, Billy Strings included a rowdy cover of Panic\u2019s \u201cAll Time Low\u201d\u2014a song he played with the band<\/a> in December\u2014in the first set. Punctuating the cover with a hearty \u201cHappy birthday, Widespread Panic!\u201d, Strings delivered the tribute many fans were likely expecting from the band\u2019s increasingly common<\/a> special guest.<\/p>\n

The night\u2019s other tribute to Grateful Dead co-founder Bob Weir, who passed away last month at 78, wasn\u2019t such a certainty. Billy Strings has long shown an affinity for the Grateful Dead and their music, but after Bobby sat in with him at Ryman Auditorium<\/a> in 2022, Strings conspicuously dropped the band\u2019s songs from his live repertoire. Over a year later, a fan asked Strings on Instagram why he didn\u2019t play Dead songs anymore, to which Billy replied<\/a>, \u201cjust too many pigs on the teet. There are sooo many bands trying to suckle off the dead. I\u2019ll leave that to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since May 7th, 2022, Billy Strings hasn\u2019t covered any Grateful Dead originals at his shows (though he did helm a gripping \u201cWharf Rat\u201d with Dead & Company<\/a> in\u00a0Golden Gate Park last summer at what turned out to be Bobby\u2019s final run of shows). But that changed last night, as the fivesome walked back out onstage for the encore. Without a word of introduction, Billy led the band through \u201cMe & My Uncle\u201d\u2014written by John Phillips of the Mamas & the Papas, but sung over 600 times by Weir with the Dead to become one of his most iconic covers with the band. Though Strings didn\u2019t acknowledge the significance of the moment aloud, the crowd seemed to understand, as applause drowned out much of the first verse.<\/p>\n

For the technically-minded setlist aficionados, however, Billy Strings still hadn\u2019t covered any Grateful Dead since 2022. He saved that for the very last song, unshelving Bobby original \u201cCassidy\u201d with its parting words, \u201cFare-thee-well now \/ Let your life proceed by its own design \/ Nothing to tell now \/ Let the words be yours, I\u2019m done with mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Check out video highlights from Billy Strings\u2019 2026 winter tour opener in Athens, GA, including covers of Widespread Panic and the Grateful Dead\u2019s Bob Weir, along with full-show audio. Strings returns to the Atkins Ford Arena tonight, February 7th to finish out the run. Tickets are sold out, but you can tune in for a subscriber-exclusive livestream on\u00a0nugs<\/a>. Not subscribed yet? Sign up here. [Editor\u2019s note: Live For Live Music is a\u00a0nugs affiliate<\/a>. Ordering your\u00a0subscription<\/a>\u00a0or purchasing a\u00a0download<\/a>\u00a0via the\u00a0links on this page<\/a>\u00a0helps support our work covering the world of live music. Thanks for reading!]<\/p>\n

Billy Strings \u2014 \u201cAll Time Low\u201d (Widespread Panic) \u2014 2\/6\/26
[Video: MrTopdogger<\/a>]<\/p>\n

Billy Strings \u2014 \u201cMe & My Uncle\u201d (John Phillips), \u201cCassidy\u201d (Grateful Dead) \u2014 2\/6\/26
[Video: MrTopdogger<\/a>]<\/p>\n

Billy Strings \u2014 Atkins Ford Arena \u2014 Athens, GA \u2014 2\/6\/26 \u2014 Full Audio
\ufeff
[Audio: Zmanatl<\/a>]<\/p>\n

Setlist [via BillyBase<\/a>]: Billy Strings | Atkins Ford Arena | Athens, GA | 2\/6\/26
Set One: Bringing In The Georgia Mail (Fred Rose) [1], The Fire On My Tongue > Long Forgotten Dream, Crossing Muddy Waters (John Hiatt), Taking Water > Ice Bridges, Ten Degrees & Getting Colder (Gordon Lightfoot) [2] > Turmoil & Tinfoil, All Time Low (Widespread Panic) [3], Heartbeat Of America
Set Two: Georgia Buck (The Hill Billies) [4], Catch and Release [5], Dos Banjos [6], Pyramid Country [7] > Ole Slew Foot (Johnny Horton), Hellbender, Fire Line, Reuben\u2019s Train (Traditional), My Alice, Hide and Seek
Encore: Me & My Uncle (John Phillips) [8] [10], Cassidy [9]<\/p>\n

[1] Last Time Played 2025-04-11 | 70 show gap
[2] Last Time Played 2024-05-18 | 127 show gap
[3] Billy wished a \u201cHappy Birthday\u201d to Widespread Panic on their 40th anniversary
[4] Billy Strings solo on clawhammer banjo
[5] Billy Strings solo
[6] Dos Billys (Billy Strings on clawhammer banjo and Billy Failing on banjo)
[7] \u201cDon\u2019t Lie\u201d (Greensky Bluegrass) tease
[8] Last Time Played 2022-03-05 | 346 show gap
[9] Last Time Played 2022-05-07 | 323 show gap
[10] This encore was a long-awaited return to Grateful Dead covers for fans, played in honor of Bob Weir, a founding member of the Grateful Dead who passed away on January 10, 2026.<\/p>\n

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