Royal Masat Shines on Upright Bass with Billy Strings on Austin City Limits
Billy Strings and his band brought “Malfunction Junction” to Austin City Limits with a stripped down, bluegrass style setup.
The whole band is seated together in a semicircle with Billy Failing on banjo, Jarrod Walker on mandolin, Alex Hargreaves on fiddle, and Royal Masat on upright bass. Royal is ripping throughout the tune, digging deep with an upright part that keeps the whole performance charging ahead. Im not sure which hand is working harder, he is non-stop and all over the fingerboard.
The performance was taped in July 2026 at ACL Live at the Moody Theater in Austin. The full Season 52 episode premieres September 19 on PBS and YouTube.
No Treble CEO Jody Miller is a Chicago-based bassist, guitarist, engineer, and producer best known for his bass gear demo videos and as the co-host of The Bass Nerds podcast.
