So this is just a random thought. I’ve never come across a more confusing artist than Billy Strings. I absolutely love (and have transcribed) a lot of his arrangements of Doc Watson, Stanley Brothers, Norman Blake, Larry Sparks, etc. I’ve listened to a lot of those guys because of him. But at the same time I absolutely cannot stand these “songs” where there’s no discernible time or key signature and they’re just playing for minutes at a time. If you like that kind of stuff and the psychedelic acoustic guitar I’m not judging but he’s a huge conundrum for me.
Jake Strings
7 Likes
I know what you mean. I feel the same way about Bela Fleck & Noam Pickelny. Great banjo players, but sometimes they hear music that I do not hear. And when they share those sounds with me, it irritates rather than entertains. But that’s OK. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
It’s like love. When you’ve been married for a long time, you begin to realize there are days it is possible to love someone without liking them.
6 Likes
Agreed. I feel the same way with a lot of “newgrass” artists. I like their renditions of fiddle tunes, etc. but bluegrass and punk rock just don’t mix well, because it then ceases to be bluegrass. I feel like traditional bluegrass (“true” bluegrass as I like to call it) is on the wane… kids and younger folks are often drawn to newgrass (I initially was) and old-time blending… As for me, I’ll take some some Scruggs, Crowe, Rice, Lawson or Skaggs.
9 Likes
Well from my limited experience you are very wise beyond your years and have more than enough talent to go along with your wisdom. You’re a great young man and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for you.
3 Likes
Thanks brother. I want to help keep traditional bluegrass alive!
7 Likes
Billy Strings and his band put on a great show. The first time I saw him I wasn’t sure if how it would but I left there thoroughly entertained and wanting more. Each time I’ve seen him there would be a couple solos went out “deep in the woods” that lost me a little. But those solos gave me a chance to the catch my breath so to speak. I can remember saying to my wife “this is kind of weird”.
I’m really amazed at his repertoire of songs he performs. I’ve checked the set lists from the shows I’ve attended and they almost completely different from the other shows around that time.
2 Likes
About the only thing I don’t like about Billy Strings is the ink. The kid is super talented and appears to be a great band leader. He plays a lot of the old standards and (as they say) sings from the heart through his nose. Can’t fault him for wanting to do more than traditional bluegrass, look at the Earl Scruggs Revue. I’m a little surprised he hasn’t gone electric and really cashed in.
4 Likes
Well said Bro well said.
2 Likes
i don’t like so much the newgrass style he plays but i really like his covers of Doc songs and so on. Beaumont Rag, Black mountain Rag, Train That Took my Girl From Town and that kind of thing. I really enjoy how defined and sharp his picking is. I think if he used all his talent for more traditional bluegrass he would be one of my favorite artists.
3 Likes
Thanks @Michael_Mark for bringing up that point. I guess it’s a matter of taste but I never have understood mixing the two.
My feelings exactly 
6 Likes
Yeah that’s where I’m at. I was watching his show last night when I wrote this and there were a lot of times when I was so lost and confused. And as someone else said it’s crazy the variety of songs he does and every show has something different. I’ve debated going to see him but I’d want a Station Inn show not a full on psychedelic ESP experiment.
3 Likes
At 61 I like all kinds of music and that includes Billy Strings for me he adds some flavor to things, which I like, he is one talented kid that changed direction in a good way
The only music if you want to call it music that I have never liked and never will is that Rap Crap.
3 Likes
I watched him open for someone (Yonder Mountain String Band or Travelin’ McCoury’s) At Marathon Music Works in Nash. I honestly didn’t know who he was at the time. It’s a small venue (couple hundred?).
All I know is that the ladies in the crowd were going on and on about him. I was somewhat confused too. The talent was obvious, but I was a little taken back by what he played (it was like he wanted to be a rock star).
It was enjoyable and the crowd liked it. However I didn’t think shredding was on the “almost bluegrass” menu.
I’d personally never pay to see him headline a larger venue, but I’d not complain if he was the opening act.
5 Likes
I with you @Don_Smith on liking all types of music… if it is good music. Even if it’s not the style I listen to, if a musician is really at the highest levels I can really enjoy it. It may just be 1 concert and I never listen to it again but I really appreicate when someone has really developed something good.
5 Likes
I found Billy Strings accidentally on YouTube a couple
years ago and was blown away by the shreddy flatpicking. I got to see him play when he came to Snowbird last spring. There were a few extended jams that went off into another universe, but for me, most of his music is super enjoyable!
5 Likes
I’d also like to add -
We can’t bite the hand that feeds the industry. He’s def drawing attention to bluegrass and that’s a good thing…probably some of the most under appreciated music (bluegrass) on the planet.
I am not kidding, from age 21-60 they were swooning all over the young man.
I think Billy is coming into this like Jerry Garcia and thinking “tough making a living in the bluegrass world, let’s take those honed talents and try and make some money from it”. Of course I don’t care what anyone says, nobody in the bluegrass world built an empire in music like Jerry Garcia…but he was bluegrass player first and foremost.
…but then again Tony Rice was so popular with the ladies in Japan at one point that he got to take “Miss Japan” (beauty pageant) out on a date.
At the end of the day if the ladies are liking it you have to run with it. We grumpy ol’ men just might not be target audience. I know, I know, hard to believe!
grovel grovel grovel.
3 Likes
I'm not tryin to start a ruckus or knockin anyone's personal choices or likes but it seems to me if Earl didn't think outside the box he wouldn't be Earl and we would all be the lesser for it. It's people that think without constraints that help move thing's forward. ie Billy Strings as well as others. Music , creativity and self expression go hand in hand! without it we would still be beating on a rock with a stick and putting hand prints on cave walls! Thank god for freedom of choice and expression. Just one music lovers opinion.
2 Likes
I rest my case? Same guitarist in both and Clarence is a LEGEND in the bluegrass world and I am sure if asked 99.9% of the folks never even knew he played bluegrass.
Six Degrees of Separation.
Billy is a “disrupter within bluegrass”. Let’s see where he takes it. He can take it somewhere, plenty of talent.
4 Likes
EXACTLY and did anyone know that Billy S. started playin in a heavy metal band playin elec. guitar before he was primarily in the Bluegrass scène. Just wondering!
4 Likes
Point I guess I am trying to make and is heading down a different route (but reflects back to Billy)…
If you can “get good” at playing bluegrass then the rest should be fairly easy. The technique side of it is daunting. Add in the fact that a bluegrass player was probably taught “it’s all about the melody”. Once they get “bored” within that world what is really out there for them? The rest would be boring.
Standing up there on the stage playing the same learned/trained parts every night on tour backing up some “Starlet” that this new “Hollywood music scene” develops into a star would drive a bluegrass musician crazy - BORING! So guys like Garcia, Clarence, Rice, Fleck, Strings, etc. have to find something enjoyable to play…so they go to jazz, “jam band” or “psychedelic”…creativity can flow there. They finally get to be an “artist” but they are still always close to bluegrass…and bluegrass cranks out some fine musicians!
Isn’t becoming an artist the ultimate goal? What are they supposed to do head over to the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and play a few lines off a sheet of music? Come on, that’s not being an artist. My middle daughter got to sing at the Ryman in the “choir” for Kathy Lee Gifford’s “Christmas at the Ryman” two years ago. Big deal for a 15-yr-old kid. The Nash Orchestra backed them up. Sure it would be nice to play in an orchestra…but to me that would SUCK! I watched the violinists and thought “Goodness I hope they do some fiddlin’ on the side”.
Rockers? Ha. Anyone decent at bluegrass could move into rock in a heart beat…those rockers get woke up quickly here in bluegrass land and realize that it’s going to take some time before they can step up and flat pick the melody of Angeline the Baker like beginners in the bluegrass world can.
Not much out there if you get good at bluegrass that you’d really enjoy playing…so you might as well see where you can take the artistic side of it. Who knows? Other option is to live a decent quiet life as a studio musician around Nash.
I’m a hack and when I walk into a Nash music store, grab an old Martin and whip out a few fiddle tunes it gets the attention of any “musician” that’s in the place…all of them “wow I need to spend more time learning how to play like that”…and some of them may be playing down on the strip every night. They know it’s tough.
Again, we should probably let Billy work this “art” thing out and see where he takes it. We’ve got a front row seat, could fall flat on his face or could give the rest of us something new to think about…just like the other disrupters showed us something new.
2 Likes