Zach Top hasn’t lost any momentum during the transition from 2024 to 2025. The “Sounds Like the Radio” crooner kicked off his highly-anticipated Cold Beer and Country Music Tour last week. With demand soaring, Top has already promised some additional fall dates. Although he does just fine solo, Top has teamed up with some other recognizable names, including Billy Strings. The bluegrass star joined him on three songs for 2024’s Nashville Sessions EP series. Just last night (Thursday, Jan. 23,) Top, 27, brought Strings, 32 onstage during a show in Colorado, much to the crowd’s delight.
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Watch Zach Top and Billy Strings Team Up For Jerry Reed’s “Free Born Man”
Zach Top brought his Cold Beer And Country Music Tour to Denver’s Grizzly Rose on Thursday (Jan. 23.) The “I Never Lie” hitmaker treated the crowd to all the favorites, including “Use Me.” However, the night’s loudest cheers came when Top shocked the crowd by inviting Billy Strings to the stage.
A TikTok user captured footage of “a good ole fashioned pick off” between the two seasoned guitarists. That battle evolved into a rollicking duet of Jerry Reed’s 1968 hit “Free Born Man.”
[RELATED: “We May Have Found Our Guy”: Watch Billy Strings “Audition” To Join Primus]
“Thank god for these two,” one fan commented. “Bringing picking and grinning back!!!”
They’re not bad singers, either. The energy flowed effortlessly as Strings sang, Some twenty-some odd years ago, followed by a finger-picking frenzy Then Top picked up: Well, I ran away for the first time.
Billy Strings Calls Top “The Best Thing Goin’ On In Country Music”
Seeing Zach Top and Billy Strings share the stage, it’s clear the two artists have the utmost respect for one another’s skills and talent. Strings sang his collaborator’s praises on social media Friday (Jan. 24.)
“Put on my boots and went scootin’ with @zachtop and his amazing band last night at @thegrizzlyrose .. man, this cat is the best thing goin in country music as far as I’m concerned!!” wrote the “Cocaine Blues” hitmaker. “Go see ZT whenever you get the chance .. you will not regret it.”
The “Bad Luck” singer was equally complementary of Strings in a November 2024 interview. “It’s so fun to watch him play,” Top said. “And I feel like he’s known so much for a player that it gets passed over sometimes how freaking good of a singer he is too.”
Featured image by Jesse Faatz via Instagram
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