After years of clamoring for an official live release, Billy Strings fans are finally getting their wish.
It’s somewhat surprising it took this long for the young firebrand to add a live component to his already impressive recording catalog. After all, arguably the main catalyst behind Strings’ explosive ascent through the music industry, one which has seen the guitarist take an unprecedented leap from theaters & clubs to arenas & amphitheaters in a shockingly short amount of time, is his legendary live performances. Fortunately, the wait was well worth it.
Billy Strings Live Vol. 1, the first official live release recorded by Strings and his uber-talented ensemble, is everything a music fan could hope for. Comprised of a selection of eight tracks performed between last summer and this past February, including ones from a slew of high-profile gigs such as La Cigale in Paris, Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium, and a New Year’s Eve blowout at the UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, Strings manages to catch bluegrass lightning in a bottle thanks to the album’s cohesive tracklist, pristine audio engineering and sheer strength of the material.
Any album, live or otherwise, is only as strong as its tracklist. And while it’s rare for any artist to produce a record in which every song is genuinely worth the listener’s time, there is the occasional exception, as is the case with Billy Strings Live Vol. 1.
Following a format that flows similarly to the progression of his live sets, the album kicks off with Strings’ most popular original – by a longshot – “Dust in a Baggie.” As one of the oldest original compositions in Strings’ songbook, “Dust in a Baggie” has transcended genres. With its relatively simple yet timeless lyrics and arrangement, “Dust in a Baggie” has helped push Strings to the verge of becoming a bona fide household name, with over 32 million listens on Spotify, and has likely introduced the likes of Doc Watson and Bill Monroe to an entire generation of fans who would otherwise be wholly unfamiliar with those names.
Though “Dust in a Baggie” was originally recorded on Rock of Ages, Billy’s little-known 2012 self-released debut recording with his initial musical accomplice, mandolinist Don Julin, it has never received the official release treatment with his current touring ensemble. Despite the relatively standard arrangement, “Dust in a Baggie” is the perfect opening choice thanks to some inspired guitar runs from Strings along with the song’s sing-along-special vibes.
“Away From The Mire” and “Long Forgotten Dream,” a pair of tracks from Strings’ 2019 studio effort, Home, showcase the Michigan native’s uniquely strong songwriting abilities and tasteful use of distortion-centric guitar effects, a theme that is repeated throughout the album with resounding success.
Billy’s lyrical ode to an LSD-fueled walkabout, “Heartbeat of America,” which has quickly become a genuine showstopper at his live performances, shines thanks to some atonal guitar work from Strings as well as some incredibly deft interplay between the rest of the group, particularly amongst Jarrod Walker (mandolin) and Alex Hargreaves (fiddle).
Another of Billy’s older original compositions, “Dos Banjos”, which was originally recorded on the Strings/Don Julin album Fiddle Tune X in 2014, provides a unique opportunity for the guitarist to showcase his banjo skills in an intimate duo setting with bandmate Billy Failing.
While it’s not hyperbole to say that every track on Billy Strings Live Vol. 1 is a genuine highlight, there are also a pair of clear standout moments. Comprised of a three-song sequence that plays out over two tracks and extends past the forty-minute mark, the “Fire Line”–>”Reuben’s Train” and “Turmoil & Tinfoil” combo are the things progressive bluegrass dreams are made of. Starting off with a scorching version of “Fire Line”, from String’s critically acclaimed 2021 release, Renewal, the guitarist delivers an emotional vocal performance as he leads the group through a psychedelia-infused instrumental breakdown before effortlessly segueing into the album’s lone cover song, a dark & brooding take on the traditional “Reuben’s Train.”
“Turmoil & Tinfoil”, another of Strings’ most iconic compositions, is worth the price of admission alone as the group ultimately delivers a twenty-minute plus sequence with a patient and percolating jam that ultimately finds itself clawing furiously at the walls of musical depravity before returning to the main theme with laserlike precision.
The album concludes on a tender note with “Richard Petty”, a life-affirming charmer performed in an intimate one-mic a capella setting.
While the album’s name implies that this will be the first volume in a long line of official live releases, there has so far been no word from Billy’s camp regarding any potential future offerings. That said, if Billy Strings Live Vol. 1 is any indication, this series has genuine potential to develop into a genre-defining compilation, similar to the Grateful Dead’s Dick’s Picks and Phish’s LivePhish archival releases. And while fans are most certainly hoping that any future live albums are released in a more expeditious manner, it’s very safe to say that the end result will be well worth the wait.
2 Responses
Billy Strings is the best live show going today. Hes as close to what a grateful dead show was like than anybody else ever.
I saw billy and band in november 2018 at a 300 seat venue (ramsdale theater in manistee mich) that was only half full. I had never heard anything by them. It blew me away and i told my 80 year old parents, who were with me, that he was gonna be a superstar. They had been seeing billy since 2012 in the tiny town of elberta with don julian. He is now one of the greatest songwriters and performers in the world.
Go billy!!!!