Our July review of the bluegrass guitarist’s first live album got plenty of attention from Billy Strings fans, making it the No. 12 story of the year. The album has since been nominated for a Grammy.
Road Warrior: Billy Strings, shown on stage earlier this summer at Meijer Gardens, shines in concert. (Photo/Steve Baran)
Just viewing Billy Strings’ touring schedule can be dizzying.
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Not only has the West Michigan-bred bluegrass superstar crisscrossed the globe and pumped up numerous festivals, he’s made surprise, off-tour stops in Grand Rapids to join Michigan pals such as Flesh and Blood Robot, Phish and Greensky Bluegrass for milestone shows at three different venues.
That’s just par for the course when it come to this beloved guitarist and his virtuosic band, who wielded their magical jamming powers all across the land in 2023, including a sold-out concert at Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston, Mich. (an appearance which Billy Strings reprised in a two-night return to the amphitheater this past October.)
So it goes without saying that a Billy Strings live album is a must, reflecting the core spirit of his music and the charismatic on-stage aura that inspires devotees to gleefully follow him from concert to concert. (Read more about these “Billy Goats” in this Local Spins feature.)
Not surprisingly, the album soared straight to No. 1 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Chart after being released in early July. Here, then, is the Local Spins review of “Billy Strings Live, Vol. 1.”
Billy Strings
“Billy Strings Live, Vol. 1”
What Stands Out: In many ways, it’s only apropos that Billy Strings launches his new live album with “Dust in a Baggie.” Not only is it one of his oldest songs and a fan favorite, but it recounts a time period in his young life when “dust in a baggie” and other substance abuse issues dominated his family life. It’s also apropos that he quickly leaves all that behind — just as he did as an emerging musician — and follows it up on this collection with nine tracks that epitomize his ensuing success. Of course, the opening track also boasts that familiar sparkling display of Billy’s flat-picking guitar work — just one element that’s made him an international phenomenon and turned him into the world’s No. 1 bluegrass star, belying his humble beginnings in Muir, Mich. Smartly, he follows that opening track with “Away From the Mire.” With its psychedelic, electric underpinnings, the track from 2019’s “Home” represents the perfect example of the way Billy Strings has melded his early rock influences with traditional bluegrass and made it all seem so seamless — like it was always supposed to be that way. And more than any of his studio albums, this 10-song compilation recorded at various venues in the United States and Europe brilliantly showcases the masterful musicianship of bandmates Billy Failing on banjo, Royal Masat on bass, Jarrod Walker on mandolin and Alex Hargreaves on fiddle, with stunning production that puts listeners smack dab inside all of those arenas and amphitheaters.
Digging Deeper: It’s difficult to completely elucidate the dazzling musical journey that Billy and his band take listeners on the album’s epic, final track, “Highway Hypnosis,” recorded last summer at Michigan’s Pine Knob Music Theatre. (Scroll down for a video.) Clocking in at nearly 16 minutes (yes, two tracks on this collection are even longer, “Fire Line/Reuben’s Train” and “Turmoil & Tinfoil”), the performance morphs from a trad bluegrass prelude to a spacey, dreamy interlude to resplendent jazz-infused solos to EDM-hued, synthesizer-like special effects to a wild call-and-response romp with the audience before returning to its familiar bluegrass home. Oh, and just in case you thought Billy and his boys couldn’t do pretty much everything, they also roll out a sweet, delightfully harmonious a cappella rendition of “Richard Petty.”
Perfect For: Billy Goat diehards, bluegrass fans of all stripes and rock ‘n’ rollers willing to expand their musical horizons. – John Sinkevics
Website: https://www.billystrings.com/
Listen: “Away From the Mire” (Austin, Texas)
Listen: “Hellbender” (St. Augustine, Fla.)
VIDEO: Billy Strings, “Highway Hypnosis” (Pine Knob Music Theatre)
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