Sierra Hull, one of the finest mandolin players in the world recently stopped by The Birchmere, with John Craigie opening the outstanding night of some of best bluegrass, folk, and Americana music on the planet. Hull is currently touring the country in support of her latest album, A Tip Toe High Wire, and the fans at the show were very enthusiastic that Hull and band made the stop in Alexandria.
At The Birchmere on Oct. 8, Hull started her set with a fantastic version of “Boom” from her new album, which highlights her splendid bluegrass voice and mandolin playing. Hull was very animated as she began her set telling everyone it was great to be back at The Birchmere acknowledging the dynamic hallways at The Birchmere, which houses hundreds of autographed photos and posters from the legendary musicians who have played The Birchmere before. It’s true that Hull has a similar feel and sound to Alison Krauss, but is by no means trying to imitate Krauss, one of the legends of the history of Bluegrass. Hull plays to her own sound, taking the mandolin to higher levels with each song she strums.
Watch Sierra Hull play “Boom” live in Mexico on YouTube:
Hull, from a very small town in Tennessee called Byrdstown, just south of the Kentucky border is a highly talented musician, who was born into a family that valued music, thus giving Hull a huge background in playing instruments growing up. Her background is highly noticeable on stage as she has been prepared to play music and lead a band.
After playing great versions of “Chasin’ Skies,” “Compass,” “Middle of the Woods,” and “Movement 3,” Hull and band played an arousing version of “Spitfire.” “Spitfire” is a song about Hull’s grandmother, and a song that features Hull on guitar. In my opinion, it was one of the highlights from Hull’s set and highlights the importance of her upbrining in rural Tennessee, which is still the foundation of her playing.
Hull continued having great comments about the world-famous Birchmere, which was true to the hearts of a lot of folks at the show by stating this was the 6th night of their fall run, and that The Birchmere sure knows how to make you feel at home. Hull emphasized her appreciation of staff at the venue and the crews of both bands for their support for this great show.
Next, Hull played a great rendition of “Tell Me Tomorrow,” written with her dad, and finished her set with a fantastic “Stomping Grounds,” before coming back to do an encore of “Don’t Ask” with John Craigie to finish the show with huge fan applause and a standing ovation.
Watch John Craigie perform “Don’t Ask” live on KEXP via YouTube:
In his co-headlining set, Craigie engaged attendees with his storytelling as much as his songs. Craigie even took time to admit he felt lucky to have this job where he is able to travel around and play music, as well as get the crowd roaring when he tried to influence fans to go by the merch booth and buy John Craigie matches (which he hoped to sell during this show as he had to catch a flight the next day and would not be allowed to take matches on the flight).
Overall, this was a fantastic night of music — and for the bluegrass fan, seeing Hull play in such great form has to be a checked-off event for a lot of bucket lists. It was also a night to hear some cuts from Hull’s new album, which is an outstanding new offering of music that should be experienced live.
Sierra Hull setlist:
1. Boom
2. Chasin’ Skies
3. Compass
4. Middle of the Woods
5. Movement 3
6. Muddy Water
7. Spitfire
8. Tell Me Tomorrow
9. Daybreak in Dixie
10. Mad World
11. Stomping Grounds
12. Don’t Ask (John Craigie cover)
Here are some photos of Sierra Hull performing live at The Birchmere on Oct. 8, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of James Todd Miller.
Here are some photos of John Craigie opening Sierra Hull at The Birchmere on Oct. 8, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of James Todd Miller.
