Billy Strings is no stranger to the art of hypnotizing a crowd when he shreds his acoustics, and last Tuesday at John Paul Jones Arena was no exception. The ninth stop on his “Spring ‘25” tour sported a set of originals from the archives, quintessential traditional folk covers and tracks from his latest September 2024 album, “Highways and Prayers.”
Born William Lee Apostel, Strings grew up with a single mother in the rural South-central region of Michigan. Starting from humble beginnings, his childhood was not the easiest and consisted of much exposure to heavy drug users. To find peace amongst the turmoil, Billy turned to music.
At the ripe age of just five years old he began fiddling with his first guitar. Now with four studio albums and two Grammy Awards for best Bluegrass album, he has certainly made the most of this loyal companion. At just 32 years old, Strings has arguably established a name for himself that will become timeless for generations.
The sold-out stadium at Tuesday's show upheld this designation. Grateful Dead fans of the 1970s and college jam-band fans of the 2020s eagerly gathered, ready to become immersed in Strings’ talent. Awakening the set, Strings started with the legendary instrumental folk song, “John Hardy.” With each band member taking their turn at a solo, a fiddler, contrabassist, banjoist and mandolinist introduced themselves to the crowd without having to utter a word.
Mary Jane Erskin, third-year College Student, reflected on her appreciation for the band’s rhythmic connection.
“I would say my favorite part about the show was watching the band work entirely in tandem,” Erskin said. “You could almost sense the group speaking to one another through the music, rather than words. The group would switch tempos and keys on a whim with just a single glance at one another.”
In true Billy Strings fashion, he plucked on with conceivably some of the fastest acoustic guitar playing most patrons have seen or ever will see. With each record-speed strum, the crowd erupted in such loud cheers the sound waves were almost visible.
Continuing to test the boundaries of physics, on his song, “So Many Miles,” Strings seamlessly connected an electric plug-in with his acoustic guitar, accented by a loop pedal, and circled back to this trick throughout the night. As iridescent stars glistened and purple and blue lights sprang throughout his backdrop, both the music and visuals transported fans out of this world.
After a quick break for intermission, motor-cycle sounds revved throughout the stadium with Strings and his band jumping straight into one of the most beloved tracks off his latest record, “Ledfoot.” Channeling quintessential bluegrass, the song's tight and crisp vocal harmonies bounced throughout the structure of the venue.
Paying homage to the Virginia arena and reflecting Strings’ eagerness to connect with his audience, he eloquently played Carter Stanley’s “Think of What You’ve Done.” Lyrics including, “Going back to Virginia / Where the mountains meet the sky” were well-cherished, as grins grew wider amongst the Virginian-native attendees.
Despite clearly exhibiting sounds from his inspirations like Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and Black Sabbath, many of Strings’ songs including “Dealing Despair” and “Show Me The Door” established their foundation deep within traditional folk and bluegrass. In doing so, Billy Strings established his own layered genre through the blending of his idols — giving the audience permission to embrace their true selves.
His closing songs, “My Love Comes Rolling Down” — a Doc Watson Family cover — and his original "Meet Me at the Creek," corroborated his remarkable connection to his guitar. On stage, the history and long-term relationship with the instrument he has was so clear, making it hard to tell who is playing who. The execution of his notes became so prominent at times it could be compared to the taming of a bull.
The encore incorporated “The Beginning of the End,” a slower and even-tempered melody to calm his musical storm. In response a satisfied crowd wrapped their arms around one another and followed Strings’ tempo one last time capturing a truly heartwarming sight. Although the set totaled up to three hours, his effortless fusion of tempos, songs and solos could have easily been mistaken for three minutes.
A master of the strings and a conductor of the crowd, Strings left attendees standing in stillness after his last pluck — trying to collect themselves in pure astonishment. For an individual who from an early age discovered music’s ability to give people tranquility in a prevailingly harsh world, he is a symbol of this very competence. Strings is truly an embodiment of what the blending of hard work, art and passion can achieve, and his April 2025 Charlottesville show was a perfect example.
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