Country singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson has made his return to live performances on Friday in San Francisco and will continue this Sunday at the Outside Lands Festival.

As listed in an article from Stereogum, Simpson’s setlist was a mix between covers ranging of outlaw country classics and southern rock staples to Sturgill’s own work including tracks from his most recent album Passage du Desir. Some highlights from his concerts were from his live debut of “Right Kind of Dream” by his Johnny Blue Skies project, along with performances of “It Ain’t All Flowers”, “The Promise” and “Welcome to Earth (Pollywog)”.

Many of these songs, along with others, were play with a striped down sensibility as Simpson opted to play with only the bare essentials of  drums, guitar and bass. Reception to these versions of his own work, were well received, with some fans going on to state that these live performances were better than the studio version.

While Simpson have been absent from the live circuit for a while, with occasional appearances at certain live events. Willie Nelson’s 90^th birthday concert and Farm aid being notable examples. This weekend’s live outings have proven that Sturgill Simpson still have the talent to deliver one exciting show.

Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna