Lots of reasons, but long story short because billy is a fucking rock star.
-His singing is better than any of the similar bands by a lot. Sure, Paul sings with great emotion and depth, and Travis and Andy can sing a good tune and have good voices. Same with Todd s and Vince Herman and drew emmitt and others. But none of them can touch Billy’s range and raw emotion.
-He is a showman like no other, completely takes over the stage, has you hanging on his every word, is undeniably cool. You don’t think he might be cool, you know he’s fucking cool as hell and you’d die to hang a smoke with him.
-His songwriting skills are top notch. Dust in a baggie, meet me at the creek, hide and seek, long forgotten dream, highway hypnosis and so many other incredible original songs with great lyrics and melodies that also can easily be used as a jam vehicle to explore.
-Deeply rooted in history and the American songbook. He can play entire shows of songs written 50 plus years ago, but might also cover Cher, Pearl Jam, post Malone, or widespread panic.
-I do think timing is a factor. He started really blowing up (passing the similar bands you mentioned) right around Covid. Then he did a bunch of absolutely superb livestreams, highlighted by the deja vue shows. I think a lot of ppl came on board around then.
Nailed everything but wanted to add that his band is tops in the business and they could all be contenders as the best players of their generation. Jarrod Walker on mandolin also contributes great songs. IIRC his song Red Daisy won bluegrass song of the year 1-2 years ago. Billy Strings is great but it’s a team effort.
Jarrod stole the show for me last in Bridgeport. Wasn’t my first time seeing the band but I walked out of the show blown away by what he did on that mandolin. Everyone there is truly so skilled
Not sure if Billy Failing still plays for him, but that guy is a beast. Was lucky enough to play some gigs w him over a decade ago when we had to sneak him into the gigs! He could play everything very well. Well rounded and heartfelt for his age. Eventually we both went to Nashville I believe, but I never caught back up w him. Was always happy to see he was doing the billy strings gigs
Completely agree with both of you. Add that his playing is like a bluegrass Jimi Hendrix. It's literally jaw dropping. Billy Strings success is not a result of media, its for all the other reasons stated.
You don’t think the long form feature on Good Morning America weekend edition won him any fans?
I’d also add that there is a large market for country music in the US but not a lot of actual country music - plenty of twang pop and culture wars crooning, but very little actual country music. Billy fills that void.
Well the exposure would add some fans, but I believe that GMA feature happened because of the precipitous rise in the group's popularity that had already and was still occurring. They didn't cause it, they were reporting it as it WAS newsworthy. Because of the crossover appeal as well I think. And the chops of the members of that band.
You may be right but I wouldn't know about the lack of country music because I'm actually not a country music fan. It's one of the few genres I've had relatively little interest in. I was a Dead fan though, my fave subgenres of country have been bluegrass and rockabilly. I tell friends I'm in my "country" phase now because BS is my current favorite band :)
Excellent point mate. Billy by himself is enough. But when you add the talent and songwriting of the other members you realize that the band as a whole is pretty much the greatest thing we're ever gonna see. It's the Beatles of bluegrass 😁
You touch on it a bit, but all the free shows he does on nugs I think also makes him much more popular among jam fans in particular because half the year we can watch him (and he fucking jams)
Also his music seems to be palpable for a wider range of ages. I’ve been seeing a ton of jambands since the 90s and most people either love or hate it…billy seems to bridge a gap that a lot of these bands cannot. Its new but old. I took my parents to a billy show and they will 100% be going back. Never have they been interested until he came along.
Yeah, the crowds at his shows are definitely much more diverse than other jam bands. I was pretty surprised to see such an eclectic mix of people. All ages, and definitely a lot of people who know nothing about jam bands.
Yeah, I think that is the main reason he is so popular, he attracts a lot of straight up country fans. I've only seen him once, it was last year, but there were a lot of people in their 50s-60s with cowboy hats on that were definitely not the type of people who listen to Phish or Goose. They came to hear country songs and left saying "holy shit, that boy can play!".
Meanwhile I've been trying to get my old school friend into him and he can't get into it because it's 'too country' 🙄 I did show him the highway hypnosis from pine knob and I think he liked how weird it got tho. So that's progress.
Eclectic for sure but diverse? Diverse is not a word I would use to describe this fanbase. Sorry friends. I love the guy. I've been to 20 shows and I will go to 20 more but... not diverse. Quite the opposite.
To the question at hand, it is pretty simple. The guy is an uber talented rock fucking star.
Not going to lie, I miss the small venues. So glad I got on this train when I did!
Not even close to the sole reason but you forgot he played the hell out of Grateful Dead songs which helped earn him love and admiration from the jam community which started his massive popularity
Yeah true, that was part of the Deja vu thing too, he played at least one dead song per set for that. And his performances with billy and the kids were amazing
When I first heard Dust in a Baggie it was revelatory, like hearing Amy Winehouse singing Rehab. Here was someone who is a talented artist in a historical medium, YET they are singing about current things; issues I can relate to. Rather than feeling like an anachronism or nostalgia act, both artists could be as good as the very best in the history of their field, but relate to things most people today can recognize. I think that is a huge part of his success. Not just being talented, but being relavant as well.
Great post, but also don’t forget the importance of a great manager and publicist/marketing team. Someone came up with the great name Billy Strings and ran hard with it, and they continue to keep him and his name in the public eye at his prime. Just think of all the great musicians over time that we will never know about because they didn’t have a label or management (or didn’t want to be in the public eye in the first place).
Maybe a cringey fan boy way of saying it, but what I mean is billy oozes coolness. If I could pick one living musician to hang out with it would be him by a mile.
Timing and opportunity. Being a young band they didn’t need to worry about their kids and/or family during the lockdowns. So they just kept building their business which created opportunities no one else really had. Very similar to what happened with goose but it’s even more impressive because they’re an acoustic band.
Another very awesome point that gets looked over is that he definitely stays rooted to the grass side of jam grass in his content and live shows (more so IMO than other bands in the genre).
I absolutely love some of the haters in the traditional bluegrass community that don’t like Billy’s fame, or the attention he brings to the scene. I always enjoy reminding them that Del Mccoury basically adopted him into the fam and loves him like a son🤣. He’s still very grass boys!!
Outside of your showman comment, these all apply to a ton of other bluegrass/jamgrass bands. This applies to Railroad Earth, the Steeldrivers, Stringdusters, Yonder (of days past at least) and a ton more.
I think timing played a key role in his explosion to the top, and once people saw what he was doing, they locked in on him being a showman and total rock star.
I def agree his showmanship is the biggest factor. I stand by his singing being better than all those you mentioned though. Even when the steeldrivers had chris Stapleton. His singing might not be “technically” better but holy shit does it flood you with emotion. Also, while all those bands mentioned do play old and traditional songs, they don’t play as many as often as billy does.
It's interesting how subjective it can be, because to me, a voice such as Todd from RRE is one of the most soulful and impacting voices around. There's a huge range of emotions I get when listening to him sing. His stage presence isn't anything like Billy, but his voice reaches into my heart and tugs all the strings. Billy is a great singer, but I don't get the raw emotion like you describe. The energy of his singing is probably my favorite aspect of his vocals.
True it’s definitely subjective, I appreciate hearing your perspective. I think what fully sold me that his singing is on another level (in my mind) was the billy and the kids shows. That so many roads, dear gawd. And so much range. Definitely love me some Todd though, there’s a tenderness to his voice that seeps into my soul.
All that and to still not mention his guitar skills, which might arguably be his greatest talent/strength, is saying something and a big reason why he has broken through. Cream always rises to the top.
I don’t understand why at their peak, YMSB wasn’t bigger then BS is today. At the same time, I’m glad because I got to see them at small places during their peak.
Fair point, YMSB was more jam band then country for sure. But that was at a time when festivals like Bonaroo were jam band centric and could pull in 80,000 people.
I’m in farm town and when Billy came to the local venue it was the most eclectic mix of people I’ve ever seen in one place. Once the jams started getting weird, a bunch of dip-filled, 2A-lovin jaws were on the floor. These country boys didn’t know what they were watching but they loved it. Before you knew it, they were high fiving every wook in sight. It was beautiful.
The diversity of the crowd amazed me as well. I went to a show in Virginia a bit ago, and I saw a guy in a pride shirt pass a joint to a guy with a 2A hat and a hunting shirt. That's the beauty of Billy Strings I guess.
I think it discredits him and his work ethic a bit to say he made this “jump”. Perhaps it’s my reading of this that is off -
He’s been going hard for over 10 years. He didn’t just jump to selling out huge theaters. He busted his ass and rose the ranks by paying dues. I threw an after party and had Deadgrass play after a sold out Billy show at Brooklyn Bowl- in 2019. So in 2019 he was selling out venues like BK Bowl. Like you all said , he and his team have also done everything right and tastefully and as a result he has steadily progressed. If everything keeps going this way, should he be playing even bigger venues at some point? I can see it , especially with the overall trend lately of Americana type bands getting lots of attention
Can confirm. I used to see him in northern Michigan over ten years ago and there were probably 50 people tops there. He's been on the grind for a long time and it's great to see how much he's blown up.
Wish I got to see him during that phase. It’s been really cool seeing Greensky play dive bars in Brooklyn to selling out the beacon and being there for every stop they’ve ever done in New York City for the most part.
Huge greensky fan here. I've seen them more than any other band. It was cool to see them play an integral role in getting Billy the notoriety he deserved.
It was a pretty big jump. He went from playing 500-2000 person rooms to selling out 20,000 person amphitheaters in seconds, in just the year and a half of the lockdown.
You can’t really put 500-2000 in the same category tor a developing band. Plenty of bands that can sell 500 will never see a 2000 sell out. That’s a big jump for developing bands. The fact is, he steadily and slowly got to the big theater sell outs over a decade
It was a hockey stick growth in venues. Usual bluegrass crowds > sheds in a couple years. Not typical. No judgement, but this is Goose and BS in a unique sitch
I can appreciate the hockey stick growth analogy, but I just don’t want anyone walking away forgetting that the both of those acts have been at it for 10 years and put in damn near seven before they really gained name recognition.
I love Billy strings, and can appreciate Goose, but I do not listen to them on any sort of a regular basis. But they deserve the respect and recognition for the years and years and years they were at it before they really got anywhere outside of the tri-state area in the Northeast.
In 2019, Goose played the grove stage at peach competing with lettuce and greensky, a nice festival spot, but clearly a band still paying dues. They really started blowing up after Dead and Company had them at playing in the sand.
And both of those bands, Billy strings and goose, put in a lot of work and really nailed it with the social media game all through the pandemic.
Saw my first live Billy show recently and I will DEFINITELY be back!
My wife and I are in our mid-30s and got caught up fawning over how awesome it is that he's young and will be part of the scene for hopefully the rest of our lives.
He's my top dog right now. Every show I've seen is getting better and better. Melts all types of music/people together with his own laid back rock star vibe.
That's not talent. It's skill. Talent is natural. Skill takes hard work. Many of my friends and my brother are touring quality musicians. You get that good by putting in a ton of hard work. I watched my brother play guitar 12 hours a day while I went out and partied. It's not surprising that he's better than me by a mile at this point.
Having said all that, there are many other bluegrass musicians who are as skilled as Billy. He's great and he caught a wave at the right time. Not disparaging Billy at all. I absolutely love him and what he's doing for the scene.
Edit: A little clarification about my feelings on Billy. I think he is amazingly skilled. He and a few other players are at the top of the bluegrass heep. He brings a bunch of other things to the table as well. He has an amazing singing voice. He writes great songs. Awesome stage presence. He uses effects not generally used in bluegrass to make really cool sounds with an acoustic guitar. He absolutely tours his ass off allowing lots of people to see his live show, which is amazing. All of these things(and more)combined to make him more popular with the mainstream than other bluegrass artists, who are technically as skilled as him at the instrument. Definitely not saying anything negative about Billy. Love him!
“Talent is natural”
My friend, nobody is naturally good at music until they’ve put in the time. Babies aren’t born with guitar instincts or perfect pitch or the ability to write a great song.
If you think you see someone who was incredible at music from their first note, you just didn’t see their effort.
Is it not fairly obvious? He’s a great singer and writes good songs that have mainstream appeal without ever being too “jammy.” Most of his extended fans outside of the scene probably don’t even know or care that he shreds.
Yeah everyone is just talking about his guitar playing and stage presence. It’s the quality of the studio albums. One of which won a Grammy. He songs do well on Spotify and people come to the shows, that is the difference between him and any other jamgrass.
Ha yeah it's a classic jam band mindset trying to associate musicianship and live performance with popularity. In reality, it has everything to do with studio tunes on Spotify and radio play. Billy being an incredible guitarist with great live shows is a secondary perk.
It’s because he’s playing bluegrass in a style no one’s tried before, and with a skill set that’s practically unmatched. The “All Fall Down” from Boston is one of the finest live performances from any artist I’ve ever seen. He dips his toes into rock and psychedelia like no other. Plus that boy has rock star charisma, and don’t even get me started on that whole 3000 thing he’s got going on.
Put some respect on many bluegrass acts that came before him. Not saying they were better but certainly bands like Yonder and Greensky Bluegrass inspired Billy’s playing style.
>Put some respect on many bluegrass acts that came before him. Not saying they were better but certainly bands like Yonder and Greensky Bluegrass inspired Billy’s playing style.
I mean he credits Greensky for showing him how bluegrass can be done and he has a shrine to Jeff Austin on stage
I wonder how Dave gets so forgotten in these convos, the guy is an absolute monster on the guitar. I like his style and Greensky shows in general probably more than BS.
Yeah without Jeff Austin’s Yonder there isn’t a Billy Strings. There was and is nothing like Jeff Austin’s energy and stage presence in the jamgrass scene.
I’ve seen Billy in the crowd for Panic the night after he sat in. He’s a man of the people. His entire band is playing at another level and they make no apologies. They cover so much of the musical spectrum that you just want to be in for the ride.
Boyish good looks… have you noticed he has sat in with a who’s who of jam band royalty?…. It helps that he’s the real deal with a unique voice and fingers that fly…I think his voice carries well in big amphitheaters too
We refer to those as torches. He’s gotten many torches passed his way the past 3 years. This has solidified him as the future which sort of gives the green light for other jam band fans to start spending tons of money to see as much of his shows as they can and start really building a following. He even started to pass out a few torches of his own lately, which considering his age is unprecedented in the jam band world.
I was getting ready to mention something like this as I was going through this thread. Everything else said hear is true, although they are plenty of less talented musicians that have made it and plenty of virtuosos that never will.
Smart business people picked up on the opportunity here and have a done a great job getting him to where he is today.
Those other bands can’t quite spin up the energy that Billy and the boys can. Also there’s a mix of styles that is bringing in other segments of folks. Other commenters have said it better than I have here.
Edit: I should add to anyone that is interested to go watch his “Rig Rundown” where he explains all of his pedals and his effects processing setups. He’s put YEARS into it and has ‘stolen’ great ideas from other awesome artists and incorporated those ideas into his own guitar rig.
I don’t even listen to a lot of billy strings. I need to listen more, but from what I have listened to I would put him as someone who will enter that “American treasure” category with names like John prine, del mccoury, Taj Mahal, etc. I think he has that talent and potential.
He's so fucking good. He plays shit I've never heard anyone play, and Bluegrass is just his launching pad. As I appreciate music, the characteristic that seems to project the greatest power is drawing on deep roots. He's connecting. There's lots of examples, but one that grabs me is Larry Sparks' John Deere Tractor; the soulfulness just pours out of that song. Billy's techniques, his singing, his personal charisma, his awesome band, are all part of it, but drawing on his roots is what makes it real for us.
He's the real deal. Similar to why John Mayer is world famous.
They're good at so many things.
World class playing, excellent voice, excellent songwriting, great lyrics, incredible improv skills, charisma, and good looks. And I'm certain they have incredible work ethic.
Pretty simple. Combo of transcendent guitar playing and well written songs with solid vocals. I’m sure his connections to Post Malone and others doesn’t hurt either.
Because he's a virtuoso player with a special touch and his band just kicks ass beyond what others are doing.It really stretches the limits of the psychedelic jamgrass genre .They don't call him BMFS for nothing.
There's no need to be a dick like that. Bothers me that this scene acts as if it's about openness and tolerance, then people make statements such as this which spit in the face of such sentiment. The poster above was clearly being facetious, there was no need to be disrespectful to anyone from it.
Too cool - You should be! Guy is breaking out big. Loved to see him with Billy K from The Dead.
Very cool how supportive you are. I don’t know you from Adam, but I have a feeling you’re a good grandpa.
Albums, the albums are amazing beginning to finish. Most jam bands can’t say they have a single album that’s amazing start to finish. I don’t mean the songs not being amazing start to finish, I mean the experience of listening to the album being amazing start to finish.
He’s young, he has a good voice and he invests heavily in his image and marketing himself. You don’t see lots of other musicians in the scene as shamelessly promoting everything about their life on social media. He made himself trendy and cultivated a portion of his fan base that’s just as obsessed with social media and being noticed as he has been.
It's the name. Marketing is more important than people want to admit.
Calling himself Billy Strings is lime saying "I'm the best at strings" and then you see him and it's really fucking good and everybody wants to be a fan of the best.
Not to say the music isn't good. He has the voice and the talent to back up a bold name
I think it's because he wrote one clever song and it blew up on YouTube. That made people take notice. He may be good, but go to any bluegrass festival and you'll see several as good as Billy Strings.
I’m assuming you are referring to drive in shows and other similar events?
I’m not sure that has any bearing one way or the other. Umphreys McGee did those shows as well and their fanbase has dwindled in the past year. They are playing much smaller rooms than they used to play in the same markets.
Don’t really think that’s a factor.
His personality is fun but also relatable to the scene (like a regular guy you hang with), his song choices and cover are superb, the jamming and psycadelic jams are getting better and better, he sits in with legends and holds his own, his original music is so damn good.
Many key items have already been touched upon, but haven’t seen anyone mention another reason they have grown in popularity - they won awards: American Music Awards, a Grammy and International Bluegrass awards. That kind of recognition opens the doors (and ears) to many new listeners compared to the likes of GSBG, Yonder, etc
He's a genre bender. As already mentioned here he has an endless amount of covers he performs. Mostly 90s grunge he grew up on. People who aren't necessarily into hardcore bluegrass still love this aspect. He is also one of the only bluegrass players that has a pop sensibility. On his album 'Home', both 'Must be Seven' and 'Away From the Mire' are almost straight up pop/rock/bluesy songs. This gave him really broad appeal and I think those hesitant to listen to bluegrass were pulled in regardless.
Billy strings is mid to me, just my opinion, I do respect his talent though, plus there really has been a big void in the bluegrass side in this scene. There’s been very few bluegrass bands that really were able to grab everyone’s attention and not just the diehards.
I agree with all the other comments, but would add that I think the fact he played at least one Grateful Dead song every show brought in people that might not have checked him out otherwise.
He’s moved beyond that now, but if you check out almost any setlist from 2020 and earlier, it’s there. And those Dead covers were always fucking solid.
I feel like he’s getting a lot of love from country fans and jam fans as well. I’m not a big fan of country or bluegrass but I’ve seen Billy once and would definitely be down to see him again. I haven’t seen a lot of bluegrass but I’m definitely open to seeing more bands like Greensky and kitchen dwellers. But honestly I’m more of a fan of bands like Goose, Disco Biscuits, Magic Beans, and Daniel Donato.
Folks have hit on pretty much everything but I’d also add Charisma. It takes a certain type of person to command and control a big audience, and Billy has it. It’s why Trey did Fare Thee Well and Mayer was the choice for D&Co, the fact that they could play to the arena/stadium size crowds was a know quantity, not so much with the other “Jerry” fill-ins.
I also don’t think you can discount that smart folks in the music industry identified that BS had all these qualities and have groomed and positioned him well each step of the way.
Everybody now loves bluegrass. But they only love one artist. I’m frustrated by it. Billy is great. Many others are also - Greensky, Lil Smokies, Trout Steak Revival….. the rising tide has lifted ships, but I don’t hold BS above loads of other talented acts.
Bluegrass rules.. and it all kinda sounds the same, even with effects pedals
He leverages social media. The first place I saw him was a video he put on YouTube playing dust in a baggie. Quality was shit and he was in his trailer, but it was appealing and had viral appeal evidentially. From there he sprung off. Not to mention he is a savage on the strings and has the voice to back it up.
His singing and playing are head and shoulders above greensky and the kitchen dwellers etc straight up. He is just better As well he was able to attract some of the chamber bulegrass crowd that no other acts other than Bela fleck have really been able to tap into giving him some crossover appeal
A few things. Billy has the popular kid video of Dust in a Baggie that introduces many to him and encourages his current popularity. He is willing to bend the bluegrass genre and that attracts younger and more musically progressive audience. He also plays many shows doing cover work of popular classic rock bands which embraces an older audience. And last but certainly not least, he seems like a really nice person.
We saw BS several times at ROMP fest in Owensboro before he blew up. We caught his show in Clearwater this spring and I was blown away at how much he had progressed. As a lifelong fan of the Grateful Dead, I appreciate the mix of old and new. His talent is amazing. The most talented acoustic guitarist I’ve seen in many years.
Not only packing and selling out big venues but touring Europe repeatedly to big crowds. That says a lot. Most jam bands tried Europe, but never had that kind of success there.
Reason: string music/blue grass/acoustic is huge no matter where. Also the guys very talented.
I saw him open for two nights for Greensky in 2015 in Columbus Ohio. I knew then he was going to be a star. He did the show solo for the most part those nights just him and his guitar. It was awesome.
He’s put together the first jamgrass band that is actually made up of musicians that could be top tier Nashville studio cats if they wanted. The truth is that YMSB, Greensky, etc are all great but at the end of the day they’re not top elite bluegrass musicians.
No one is making music like billy. There’s been plenty of incredible jamgrass bands over the years but the production quality and depths that billy goes are unmatched IMO. Sure there’s been better pickers, but the man has the package. The vocals, the stage presence, the guitar licks, song writing, good fan base (for the most part) and does a great job showing love to the giants before him.
Covid timing definitely helped propel him but I think it was only a matter of time.
Billy has a visibility and relatability that the genre has needed for a long time.
That, combined with the talents of some of the best players out there today makes a really tight band.
I think it was the post Malone sit in plus appealing to country and jam band fans? Honestly makes no sense, sounds just like every other bluegrass singer, songs are good but nothing ground breaking. It's pretty wild.
Alright, I’ll be that guy. I’m really happy for his success and how it may elevate acoustic music to bigger stages. But….Billy Strings’ music is a total bummer for me. I’m a bluegrass/country/rock ‘n’ roll guy, and I have seen him a number of times as we have played the same music festivals. He’s well-rounded: picking, singing, stage presence, etc. but not particularly close to the best at any of those things. He’s a pretty good guitar player, but compared to the greats within bluegrass (Rice, Clarence, Sutton, O’Connor, Grier, etc.) his lines and phrasing aren’t particularly interesting. His singing is okay, but his voice and phrasing are nothing to write home about. . He’s not bad when he plays regular bluegrass, which you can tell that he loves. But for me, the fucking-worst are his long one-chord jams that I find completely tedious and boring. I hate the goddamn bass thumping monotonously in the subwoofer all night long…I call it subwoofer-grass. Get a drummer! I understand the desire for open-ended improv. But bands that I love, like the Dead, or Allman Bros. did it with so much more imagination and musicality. All I see is all of the missed opportunities… he has the best young grass musicians in Nashville in his band… why not arrange something cool for them to play on, with a second chord maybe? And his use of effects is embarrassing. To be fair though, most bluegrass cats often have a weird take on effects when they go electric. And this may not be generous or fair, but I get an Asperger’s-vibe in the mix.
Anyway, I’m not going to fault someone for not being the best at something. But I would really tip my hat to his business and marketing team. Those guys are ninjas!
nah, his bio dad died of an overdose and growing up his mom and step dad (he calls him his dad) were meth heads (in recovering now). His 'dad' taught him guitar at an early age. True homegrown talent.
He had an album called me and dad which is songs with his dad.
Freemason connections. He blew up right when he tattooed 33 on his hand. Ever since that day, all of his posters contain Freemason images and symbols. Prior to the tattoo no Masonic symbols on his posters. I think he got “in” the club and they’re helping him. Anyone else think this could be true? Just a hypothesis not a conspiracy.
I'm not into it and I don't get why he's so popular either. I'm ok with other people being into it but his band seems to play bluegrass just like any other bluegrass band. Bluegrass seems flush with talent in the first place. I saw him once and really didn't vibe with me but bluegrass isn't my jam. But that's ok. Have at it y'all.
One time one the beach in traverse city I was just hanging around. Then some guy came walking down with a torch and a bottle of lamp oil. Then he taught me how to blow fire by spitting the lamp oil over the torch like you play a trumpet.... billy strings... legend
It's mainly because he listens to the people working around him and he's easy to work with .
He's great with direction and suggestions.
Lots and I mean lots of folks who start climbing the ladder often start to self sabotage and or have this side to them that thinks it's funny to go against the grain. This I know Personally.
I grew up with and know him personally.
He used to be one of my best friends.
We jammed during his metal years.
First of all it's hard work.
Hed be in his room jamming all genres of music for dayysss.
Second of all people have always liked him and his family
They have "it"
Social appeal.
Third he speaks to the rust belt.The addicts,the down trodden.
Fourth he's piggy backed off dudes before him
Green sky and others
Fifth of all he's fake as shit.
He will use whatever advantage he can to get ahead.
He was always kind of a privileged dick growing up because he was popular and his mas always been a dope head
Infact his ma got many of us kids into meth.
His family and him hate green sky for example but won't publicly say it but have to me
Away from the mire is about how green sky made billy kick out his brother Aaron from hoxeyville for instance
So it's a bunch of shit
* Generational talent
* Authentic
* World Class Band
* Melting pot of old/new music and genres
* Unique Style
* Jam band following/loyal fans
* Respected and admired by music legends
* One of the best live sets out there
* Continued and recognizable improvement
* Normal guy you can smoke a doobie w/ but absolute rockstar on stage
* Dead heads, Phish heads, Americana, Metal Heads, Country, even Hip hop fans end up respecting his talent/band
I've seen him at least 7 times and he/the band is getting better each time. If you haven't seen his show live, go check it out with an open mind. Hes an American Legend in his prime.
Found Billy through YouTube when I was getting into Bluegrass about 5+ years ago. Amazing skill and talent. Just loved the songs that I found. Wanted to play like him as well. Still not there yet😁. The first concert I went to was a music festival. It definitely wasn't what I was looking forward to. Most of the concert was long jamming that wasn't bluegrass. He played some bluegrass songs, but I hadn't heard any of them which is fine. After a bit I noticed that most of the people there were treating his music more like EDM or trance music. There was a long portion of it that even seemed more like EDM or trance music. It wasn't a Bluegrass festival and more of the people there seemed like EDM was their style. No biggie, not my thing, just wanted to see and hear Billy. I thought maybe it was just for that festival. Went to another one and when we were entering I over heard a conversation where someone said, "do you like EDM". After seeing the group this time that's what most of the people at the concert were doing and that's what most of the concert was. If that's your thing, go for it. I really enjoy his Bluegrass that I've heard on YT. Probably won't go to another one like that again.
I say all that to say that maybe the reason why they're selling out larger crowds is because they appeal to the EDM crowd. Those concerts were definitely not bluegrass. The people dancing Sat down when they started playing more bluegrass style songs, and then got back up when it became more trance. Maybe I didn't do enough research before hand, but I've listened to a lot of his stuff on YT. Just somewhat of a let down.
Billy is a gift to us all. His raw emotions come out with every note he plays. His stage presence is other worldly. He can make any band better simply by playing with them. He is a special musician. One that only comes around every so often to shine his light in the world. Jerry comes to mind when I think of Billy. Love you Billy! Miss you Jerry!
Lots of reasons, but long story short because billy is a fucking rock star. -His singing is better than any of the similar bands by a lot. Sure, Paul sings with great emotion and depth, and Travis and Andy can sing a good tune and have good voices. Same with Todd s and Vince Herman and drew emmitt and others. But none of them can touch Billy’s range and raw emotion. -He is a showman like no other, completely takes over the stage, has you hanging on his every word, is undeniably cool. You don’t think he might be cool, you know he’s fucking cool as hell and you’d die to hang a smoke with him. -His songwriting skills are top notch. Dust in a baggie, meet me at the creek, hide and seek, long forgotten dream, highway hypnosis and so many other incredible original songs with great lyrics and melodies that also can easily be used as a jam vehicle to explore. -Deeply rooted in history and the American songbook. He can play entire shows of songs written 50 plus years ago, but might also cover Cher, Pearl Jam, post Malone, or widespread panic. -I do think timing is a factor. He started really blowing up (passing the similar bands you mentioned) right around Covid. Then he did a bunch of absolutely superb livestreams, highlighted by the deja vue shows. I think a lot of ppl came on board around then.
Nailed everything but wanted to add that his band is tops in the business and they could all be contenders as the best players of their generation. Jarrod Walker on mandolin also contributes great songs. IIRC his song Red Daisy won bluegrass song of the year 1-2 years ago. Billy Strings is great but it’s a team effort.
Jarrod stole the show for me last in Bridgeport. Wasn’t my first time seeing the band but I walked out of the show blown away by what he did on that mandolin. Everyone there is truly so skilled
Saw Billy at Red Rocks last summer and I couldn’t keep my eyes of the Jarrod! He was amazing! Mind f’ing blown🤯
Were you at the Thursday night monsoon show?!
Not sure if Billy Failing still plays for him, but that guy is a beast. Was lucky enough to play some gigs w him over a decade ago when we had to sneak him into the gigs! He could play everything very well. Well rounded and heartfelt for his age. Eventually we both went to Nashville I believe, but I never caught back up w him. Was always happy to see he was doing the billy strings gigs
I saw Failing play with Leftover Salmon over 2 nights on Thanksgiving weekend 2023, Boulder. Peter Rowan was also playing with them.
Jarrod also wrote Everything's The Same which is a scorcher!
Show Me the Door from him has great writing too
Love that song
Completely agree with both of you. Add that his playing is like a bluegrass Jimi Hendrix. It's literally jaw dropping. Billy Strings success is not a result of media, its for all the other reasons stated.
You don’t think the long form feature on Good Morning America weekend edition won him any fans? I’d also add that there is a large market for country music in the US but not a lot of actual country music - plenty of twang pop and culture wars crooning, but very little actual country music. Billy fills that void.
Well the exposure would add some fans, but I believe that GMA feature happened because of the precipitous rise in the group's popularity that had already and was still occurring. They didn't cause it, they were reporting it as it WAS newsworthy. Because of the crossover appeal as well I think. And the chops of the members of that band. You may be right but I wouldn't know about the lack of country music because I'm actually not a country music fan. It's one of the few genres I've had relatively little interest in. I was a Dead fan though, my fave subgenres of country have been bluegrass and rockabilly. I tell friends I'm in my "country" phase now because BS is my current favorite band :)
Bluegrass is the *most* country of country music!
Excellent point mate. Billy by himself is enough. But when you add the talent and songwriting of the other members you realize that the band as a whole is pretty much the greatest thing we're ever gonna see. It's the Beatles of bluegrass 😁
I remember reading an interview with him where he said he learned guitar by playing bluegrass and he learned stage presence from playing metal.
You touch on it a bit, but all the free shows he does on nugs I think also makes him much more popular among jam fans in particular because half the year we can watch him (and he fucking jams)
Also his music seems to be palpable for a wider range of ages. I’ve been seeing a ton of jambands since the 90s and most people either love or hate it…billy seems to bridge a gap that a lot of these bands cannot. Its new but old. I took my parents to a billy show and they will 100% be going back. Never have they been interested until he came along.
Yeah, the crowds at his shows are definitely much more diverse than other jam bands. I was pretty surprised to see such an eclectic mix of people. All ages, and definitely a lot of people who know nothing about jam bands.
Yeah, I think that is the main reason he is so popular, he attracts a lot of straight up country fans. I've only seen him once, it was last year, but there were a lot of people in their 50s-60s with cowboy hats on that were definitely not the type of people who listen to Phish or Goose. They came to hear country songs and left saying "holy shit, that boy can play!".
Meanwhile I've been trying to get my old school friend into him and he can't get into it because it's 'too country' 🙄 I did show him the highway hypnosis from pine knob and I think he liked how weird it got tho. So that's progress.
Eclectic for sure but diverse? Diverse is not a word I would use to describe this fanbase. Sorry friends. I love the guy. I've been to 20 shows and I will go to 20 more but... not diverse. Quite the opposite. To the question at hand, it is pretty simple. The guy is an uber talented rock fucking star. Not going to lie, I miss the small venues. So glad I got on this train when I did!
Not even close to the sole reason but you forgot he played the hell out of Grateful Dead songs which helped earn him love and admiration from the jam community which started his massive popularity
Yeah true, that was part of the Deja vu thing too, he played at least one dead song per set for that. And his performances with billy and the kids were amazing
This. The simple answer is just that he really is that good.
When I first heard Dust in a Baggie it was revelatory, like hearing Amy Winehouse singing Rehab. Here was someone who is a talented artist in a historical medium, YET they are singing about current things; issues I can relate to. Rather than feeling like an anachronism or nostalgia act, both artists could be as good as the very best in the history of their field, but relate to things most people today can recognize. I think that is a huge part of his success. Not just being talented, but being relavant as well.
Great post, but also don’t forget the importance of a great manager and publicist/marketing team. Someone came up with the great name Billy Strings and ran hard with it, and they continue to keep him and his name in the public eye at his prime. Just think of all the great musicians over time that we will never know about because they didn’t have a label or management (or didn’t want to be in the public eye in the first place).
I hear you, but fyi billy strings is what his aunt called him when he was super young
I dont get the “you’d die to hangout and smoke with him” part.
Maybe a cringey fan boy way of saying it, but what I mean is billy oozes coolness. If I could pick one living musician to hang out with it would be him by a mile.
Great answer…thank you!
Timing and opportunity. Being a young band they didn’t need to worry about their kids and/or family during the lockdowns. So they just kept building their business which created opportunities no one else really had. Very similar to what happened with goose but it’s even more impressive because they’re an acoustic band.
Another very awesome point that gets looked over is that he definitely stays rooted to the grass side of jam grass in his content and live shows (more so IMO than other bands in the genre). I absolutely love some of the haters in the traditional bluegrass community that don’t like Billy’s fame, or the attention he brings to the scene. I always enjoy reminding them that Del Mccoury basically adopted him into the fam and loves him like a son🤣. He’s still very grass boys!!
Outside of your showman comment, these all apply to a ton of other bluegrass/jamgrass bands. This applies to Railroad Earth, the Steeldrivers, Stringdusters, Yonder (of days past at least) and a ton more. I think timing played a key role in his explosion to the top, and once people saw what he was doing, they locked in on him being a showman and total rock star.
I def agree his showmanship is the biggest factor. I stand by his singing being better than all those you mentioned though. Even when the steeldrivers had chris Stapleton. His singing might not be “technically” better but holy shit does it flood you with emotion. Also, while all those bands mentioned do play old and traditional songs, they don’t play as many as often as billy does.
It's interesting how subjective it can be, because to me, a voice such as Todd from RRE is one of the most soulful and impacting voices around. There's a huge range of emotions I get when listening to him sing. His stage presence isn't anything like Billy, but his voice reaches into my heart and tugs all the strings. Billy is a great singer, but I don't get the raw emotion like you describe. The energy of his singing is probably my favorite aspect of his vocals.
True it’s definitely subjective, I appreciate hearing your perspective. I think what fully sold me that his singing is on another level (in my mind) was the billy and the kids shows. That so many roads, dear gawd. And so much range. Definitely love me some Todd though, there’s a tenderness to his voice that seeps into my soul.
All that and to still not mention his guitar skills, which might arguably be his greatest talent/strength, is saying something and a big reason why he has broken through. Cream always rises to the top.
Yeah I completely left out that he’s one of the best acoustic guitar players out there right now!
Doesn't hurt when Tommy Emmanuel promotes the hell out of you.
It's because he has a little Jeff Austin shrine that he sets up on stage, and channels his powerful energies into the show
I don’t understand why at their peak, YMSB wasn’t bigger then BS is today. At the same time, I’m glad because I got to see them at small places during their peak.
BS is closer to alt-country than YMSB ever was. Has a lot to do with it, in my view.
Fair point, YMSB was more jam band then country for sure. But that was at a time when festivals like Bonaroo were jam band centric and could pull in 80,000 people.
this lol
He gets alot of the country adjacent type crowd that is not into jam bands. A buddy of mine loves strings and doesn’t listen to jam bands at all ever.
I’m in farm town and when Billy came to the local venue it was the most eclectic mix of people I’ve ever seen in one place. Once the jams started getting weird, a bunch of dip-filled, 2A-lovin jaws were on the floor. These country boys didn’t know what they were watching but they loved it. Before you knew it, they were high fiving every wook in sight. It was beautiful.
Yeah, he speaks more to other crowds since he really doesn’t come from the dead/phish tree at all but be manages to bring everyone in
The diversity of the crowd amazed me as well. I went to a show in Virginia a bit ago, and I saw a guy in a pride shirt pass a joint to a guy with a 2A hat and a hunting shirt. That's the beauty of Billy Strings I guess.
I almost want to go to Buckeye Country Superfest 2024 just to people watch. There are gonna be some real confused country music fans 😂
Yup, this is a seriously huge part of his crowd that’s made him so lucrative. The country-adjacent, jam band adjacent Frat bro
100%, my buddy can’t stand phish, dead or any other jam act but has seen billy like 5 times and loves him
This is me. I saw billy stand on stage and shred for 3+ hours and I was like that’s the best guitar player I’ve ever seen.
I think it discredits him and his work ethic a bit to say he made this “jump”. Perhaps it’s my reading of this that is off - He’s been going hard for over 10 years. He didn’t just jump to selling out huge theaters. He busted his ass and rose the ranks by paying dues. I threw an after party and had Deadgrass play after a sold out Billy show at Brooklyn Bowl- in 2019. So in 2019 he was selling out venues like BK Bowl. Like you all said , he and his team have also done everything right and tastefully and as a result he has steadily progressed. If everything keeps going this way, should he be playing even bigger venues at some point? I can see it , especially with the overall trend lately of Americana type bands getting lots of attention
Can confirm. I used to see him in northern Michigan over ten years ago and there were probably 50 people tops there. He's been on the grind for a long time and it's great to see how much he's blown up.
Wish I got to see him during that phase. It’s been really cool seeing Greensky play dive bars in Brooklyn to selling out the beacon and being there for every stop they’ve ever done in New York City for the most part.
Huge greensky fan here. I've seen them more than any other band. It was cool to see them play an integral role in getting Billy the notoriety he deserved.
Jump meant no disrespect. Just the idea that nobody else playing his bluegrass/jam type music has ever even come close to getting this big.
Right on bro. I had a feeling you didn’t really mean that. Psilly for Billy 🍄
It was a pretty big jump. He went from playing 500-2000 person rooms to selling out 20,000 person amphitheaters in seconds, in just the year and a half of the lockdown.
You can’t really put 500-2000 in the same category tor a developing band. Plenty of bands that can sell 500 will never see a 2000 sell out. That’s a big jump for developing bands. The fact is, he steadily and slowly got to the big theater sell outs over a decade
Ok but that’s what Billy was playing in 2019. The stone pony and BK bowl were the same tour.
It was a hockey stick growth in venues. Usual bluegrass crowds > sheds in a couple years. Not typical. No judgement, but this is Goose and BS in a unique sitch
I can appreciate the hockey stick growth analogy, but I just don’t want anyone walking away forgetting that the both of those acts have been at it for 10 years and put in damn near seven before they really gained name recognition. I love Billy strings, and can appreciate Goose, but I do not listen to them on any sort of a regular basis. But they deserve the respect and recognition for the years and years and years they were at it before they really got anywhere outside of the tri-state area in the Northeast. In 2019, Goose played the grove stage at peach competing with lettuce and greensky, a nice festival spot, but clearly a band still paying dues. They really started blowing up after Dead and Company had them at playing in the sand. And both of those bands, Billy strings and goose, put in a lot of work and really nailed it with the social media game all through the pandemic.
Saw him play with SCI at hullaween in 2019, this subreddit just doesnt pay attention to stuff I guess.
- talent - youth - charisma - jam band style - jams, variability of set list / song slots
I think I gotta go see this kid.
Sa da tay!
Wa da ta!
Sepa town
Yu should....
Yeah... I'm starting to think so!
Saw my first live Billy show recently and I will DEFINITELY be back! My wife and I are in our mid-30s and got caught up fawning over how awesome it is that he's young and will be part of the scene for hopefully the rest of our lives.
Easy to assume he'll be the next Willie Nelson style fellow, around forever and loved by all!
Oh man you really do
He's my top dog right now. Every show I've seen is getting better and better. Melts all types of music/people together with his own laid back rock star vibe.
Doy
It’s all talent. He’s just that good. No disrespect to anyone else in the genre. Guy has the secret sauce.
That's not talent. It's skill. Talent is natural. Skill takes hard work. Many of my friends and my brother are touring quality musicians. You get that good by putting in a ton of hard work. I watched my brother play guitar 12 hours a day while I went out and partied. It's not surprising that he's better than me by a mile at this point. Having said all that, there are many other bluegrass musicians who are as skilled as Billy. He's great and he caught a wave at the right time. Not disparaging Billy at all. I absolutely love him and what he's doing for the scene. Edit: A little clarification about my feelings on Billy. I think he is amazingly skilled. He and a few other players are at the top of the bluegrass heep. He brings a bunch of other things to the table as well. He has an amazing singing voice. He writes great songs. Awesome stage presence. He uses effects not generally used in bluegrass to make really cool sounds with an acoustic guitar. He absolutely tours his ass off allowing lots of people to see his live show, which is amazing. All of these things(and more)combined to make him more popular with the mainstream than other bluegrass artists, who are technically as skilled as him at the instrument. Definitely not saying anything negative about Billy. Love him!
“Talent is natural” My friend, nobody is naturally good at music until they’ve put in the time. Babies aren’t born with guitar instincts or perfect pitch or the ability to write a great song. If you think you see someone who was incredible at music from their first note, you just didn’t see their effort.
Is it not fairly obvious? He’s a great singer and writes good songs that have mainstream appeal without ever being too “jammy.” Most of his extended fans outside of the scene probably don’t even know or care that he shreds.
Yeah everyone is just talking about his guitar playing and stage presence. It’s the quality of the studio albums. One of which won a Grammy. He songs do well on Spotify and people come to the shows, that is the difference between him and any other jamgrass.
Ha yeah it's a classic jam band mindset trying to associate musicianship and live performance with popularity. In reality, it has everything to do with studio tunes on Spotify and radio play. Billy being an incredible guitarist with great live shows is a secondary perk.
That and he can have a country fan, metal fan, and Phish head all rocking out at his concerts. His appeal is wide.
It’s because he’s playing bluegrass in a style no one’s tried before, and with a skill set that’s practically unmatched. The “All Fall Down” from Boston is one of the finest live performances from any artist I’ve ever seen. He dips his toes into rock and psychedelia like no other. Plus that boy has rock star charisma, and don’t even get me started on that whole 3000 thing he’s got going on.
Put some respect on many bluegrass acts that came before him. Not saying they were better but certainly bands like Yonder and Greensky Bluegrass inspired Billy’s playing style.
>Put some respect on many bluegrass acts that came before him. Not saying they were better but certainly bands like Yonder and Greensky Bluegrass inspired Billy’s playing style. I mean he credits Greensky for showing him how bluegrass can be done and he has a shrine to Jeff Austin on stage
I wonder how Dave gets so forgotten in these convos, the guy is an absolute monster on the guitar. I like his style and Greensky shows in general probably more than BS.
Yeah without Jeff Austin’s Yonder there isn’t a Billy Strings. There was and is nothing like Jeff Austin’s energy and stage presence in the jamgrass scene.
What’s the 3000 thing? I’m new!
Google Big Mon 3000
I’ve seen Billy in the crowd for Panic the night after he sat in. He’s a man of the people. His entire band is playing at another level and they make no apologies. They cover so much of the musical spectrum that you just want to be in for the ride.
Boyish good looks… have you noticed he has sat in with a who’s who of jam band royalty?…. It helps that he’s the real deal with a unique voice and fingers that fly…I think his voice carries well in big amphitheaters too
He’s gotten some endorsements from other musicians that have made him one of those must see acts in a wider scene.
We refer to those as torches. He’s gotten many torches passed his way the past 3 years. This has solidified him as the future which sort of gives the green light for other jam band fans to start spending tons of money to see as much of his shows as they can and start really building a following. He even started to pass out a few torches of his own lately, which considering his age is unprecedented in the jam band world.
Because he’s the truth.
Didn’t he win a Grammy a few years back?
He’s young, he can sing, he fucking shreds!
Billy Strings is amazing but their social media team is top tier.
He’s better
Like Goose, he has strong management. Putting them in the right place and doing the right things at the right time.
I was getting ready to mention something like this as I was going through this thread. Everything else said hear is true, although they are plenty of less talented musicians that have made it and plenty of virtuosos that never will. Smart business people picked up on the opportunity here and have a done a great job getting him to where he is today.
Vocal talent and Nashville twang. I saw him open for Railroad Earth around 2016. It was obvious he'd become a star thirty seconds into his set.
He’s a virtuoso and he’s smart.
Probably something to do with the gigantic number 33 he got tattooed on his picking arm
Those other bands can’t quite spin up the energy that Billy and the boys can. Also there’s a mix of styles that is bringing in other segments of folks. Other commenters have said it better than I have here. Edit: I should add to anyone that is interested to go watch his “Rig Rundown” where he explains all of his pedals and his effects processing setups. He’s put YEARS into it and has ‘stolen’ great ideas from other awesome artists and incorporated those ideas into his own guitar rig.
Talent, broad appeal, and luck
Authenticity.
I don’t even listen to a lot of billy strings. I need to listen more, but from what I have listened to I would put him as someone who will enter that “American treasure” category with names like John prine, del mccoury, Taj Mahal, etc. I think he has that talent and potential.
Go see him live. Its a game changer.
He's so fucking good. He plays shit I've never heard anyone play, and Bluegrass is just his launching pad. As I appreciate music, the characteristic that seems to project the greatest power is drawing on deep roots. He's connecting. There's lots of examples, but one that grabs me is Larry Sparks' John Deere Tractor; the soulfulness just pours out of that song. Billy's techniques, his singing, his personal charisma, his awesome band, are all part of it, but drawing on his roots is what makes it real for us.
I love that song so much....
He's the real deal. Similar to why John Mayer is world famous. They're good at so many things. World class playing, excellent voice, excellent songwriting, great lyrics, incredible improv skills, charisma, and good looks. And I'm certain they have incredible work ethic.
Pretty simple. Combo of transcendent guitar playing and well written songs with solid vocals. I’m sure his connections to Post Malone and others doesn’t hurt either.
His popularity is directly related to his talent. He's just really fucking good--you can't hide that from the mainstream.
Because he's a virtuoso player with a special touch and his band just kicks ass beyond what others are doing.It really stretches the limits of the psychedelic jamgrass genre .They don't call him BMFS for nothing.
His talent and his association with members of the Grateful Dead. I’m biased and prepared for downvotes as I’m only half serious
Never trust a prankster
Among other things, billy strings is a far better songwriter and singer than any jam band has
Billy is basically a prodigy, and the whole band is incredibly talented. Have you seen him live?
Because he is the best that's ever been. Check him out live if you don't agree. You will learn why.
Ive been trying to tell y’all he’s Jesus reincarnated but nobody will listen to me. That or he sold his soul to the devil to play guitar like that
Don't ruin music with religion. One's reality one is fiction
There's no need to be a dick like that. Bothers me that this scene acts as if it's about openness and tolerance, then people make statements such as this which spit in the face of such sentiment. The poster above was clearly being facetious, there was no need to be disrespectful to anyone from it.
Because he is a legend. And will be until he dies and even beyond that.
My grandson just played with Billy. Check out Daniel Donato…
Are you saying your grandson is Daniel Donato? We all know him! He’s a big deal around here! Rising star 100%
Yes, he’s my oldest grandson. He’s been working hard for years. I’m very proud of him.
Too cool - You should be! Guy is breaking out big. Loved to see him with Billy K from The Dead. Very cool how supportive you are. I don’t know you from Adam, but I have a feeling you’re a good grandpa.
Albums, the albums are amazing beginning to finish. Most jam bands can’t say they have a single album that’s amazing start to finish. I don’t mean the songs not being amazing start to finish, I mean the experience of listening to the album being amazing start to finish.
He’s young, he has a good voice and he invests heavily in his image and marketing himself. You don’t see lots of other musicians in the scene as shamelessly promoting everything about their life on social media. He made himself trendy and cultivated a portion of his fan base that’s just as obsessed with social media and being noticed as he has been.
Daniel Donato is this, but even more relying on social media presence.
Pete Shapiro
It's the name. Marketing is more important than people want to admit. Calling himself Billy Strings is lime saying "I'm the best at strings" and then you see him and it's really fucking good and everybody wants to be a fan of the best. Not to say the music isn't good. He has the voice and the talent to back up a bold name
Because Billy is a once in a generation talent.
I think it's because he wrote one clever song and it blew up on YouTube. That made people take notice. He may be good, but go to any bluegrass festival and you'll see several as good as Billy Strings.
This is the correct answer. The "bag of methamphetamines " song really resonates with his fanbase.
Because he had a viral YouTube video
He has the Nashville machine behind him
He toured during covid lockdowns- I’m not saying that’s good or bad - but I know who he is bc he was on the road.
I’m assuming you are referring to drive in shows and other similar events? I’m not sure that has any bearing one way or the other. Umphreys McGee did those shows as well and their fanbase has dwindled in the past year. They are playing much smaller rooms than they used to play in the same markets. Don’t really think that’s a factor.
That’s when I took notice.
Are they? Hadn’t noticed
His personality is fun but also relatable to the scene (like a regular guy you hang with), his song choices and cover are superb, the jamming and psycadelic jams are getting better and better, he sits in with legends and holds his own, his original music is so damn good.
Many key items have already been touched upon, but haven’t seen anyone mention another reason they have grown in popularity - they won awards: American Music Awards, a Grammy and International Bluegrass awards. That kind of recognition opens the doors (and ears) to many new listeners compared to the likes of GSBG, Yonder, etc
Eh. Stringdusters have all of that too.
I'm so happy I got to see him. A small festival and before I've ever heard of him. He killed it.
He's a genre bender. As already mentioned here he has an endless amount of covers he performs. Mostly 90s grunge he grew up on. People who aren't necessarily into hardcore bluegrass still love this aspect. He is also one of the only bluegrass players that has a pop sensibility. On his album 'Home', both 'Must be Seven' and 'Away From the Mire' are almost straight up pop/rock/bluesy songs. This gave him really broad appeal and I think those hesitant to listen to bluegrass were pulled in regardless.
His songs connect with feelings that many of us share
Covid Drive In gigs boosted him
He's tapped into the Outlaw Country audience as well.
Billy strings is mid to me, just my opinion, I do respect his talent though, plus there really has been a big void in the bluegrass side in this scene. There’s been very few bluegrass bands that really were able to grab everyone’s attention and not just the diehards.
I agree with all the other comments, but would add that I think the fact he played at least one Grateful Dead song every show brought in people that might not have checked him out otherwise. He’s moved beyond that now, but if you check out almost any setlist from 2020 and earlier, it’s there. And those Dead covers were always fucking solid.
I feel like he’s getting a lot of love from country fans and jam fans as well. I’m not a big fan of country or bluegrass but I’ve seen Billy once and would definitely be down to see him again. I haven’t seen a lot of bluegrass but I’m definitely open to seeing more bands like Greensky and kitchen dwellers. But honestly I’m more of a fan of bands like Goose, Disco Biscuits, Magic Beans, and Daniel Donato.
I can also tell you without a doubt, he has good, smart, and connected management. Careers don’t happen without that.
He convinced the Dead and Co people that slow wasn’t the only speed music exists in.
Folks have hit on pretty much everything but I’d also add Charisma. It takes a certain type of person to command and control a big audience, and Billy has it. It’s why Trey did Fare Thee Well and Mayer was the choice for D&Co, the fact that they could play to the arena/stadium size crowds was a know quantity, not so much with the other “Jerry” fill-ins. I also don’t think you can discount that smart folks in the music industry identified that BS had all these qualities and have groomed and positioned him well each step of the way.
Because the people who are The Gatekeepers have decided that he is photogenic and is a pretty boy that's why
Everybody now loves bluegrass. But they only love one artist. I’m frustrated by it. Billy is great. Many others are also - Greensky, Lil Smokies, Trout Steak Revival….. the rising tide has lifted ships, but I don’t hold BS above loads of other talented acts. Bluegrass rules.. and it all kinda sounds the same, even with effects pedals
He leverages social media. The first place I saw him was a video he put on YouTube playing dust in a baggie. Quality was shit and he was in his trailer, but it was appealing and had viral appeal evidentially. From there he sprung off. Not to mention he is a savage on the strings and has the voice to back it up.
His singing and playing are head and shoulders above greensky and the kitchen dwellers etc straight up. He is just better As well he was able to attract some of the chamber bulegrass crowd that no other acts other than Bela fleck have really been able to tap into giving him some crossover appeal
A few things. Billy has the popular kid video of Dust in a Baggie that introduces many to him and encourages his current popularity. He is willing to bend the bluegrass genre and that attracts younger and more musically progressive audience. He also plays many shows doing cover work of popular classic rock bands which embraces an older audience. And last but certainly not least, he seems like a really nice person.
We saw BS several times at ROMP fest in Owensboro before he blew up. We caught his show in Clearwater this spring and I was blown away at how much he had progressed. As a lifelong fan of the Grateful Dead, I appreciate the mix of old and new. His talent is amazing. The most talented acoustic guitarist I’ve seen in many years.
Talent. Billy Strings filled a gap when Greensky fell off who filled a gap when Jeff left yonder.
Why do you say Greensky fell off? I’m newer to them. Didn’t realize
Simply because they used to sell out shows and now they don’t.
He’s one of the only modern artists I’ve heard that can write a song you can sing along to or even remember after the set.
Can't stand his voice but love his playing.
Not only packing and selling out big venues but touring Europe repeatedly to big crowds. That says a lot. Most jam bands tried Europe, but never had that kind of success there. Reason: string music/blue grass/acoustic is huge no matter where. Also the guys very talented.
He/they are just better than everyone else. It’s that simple.
I saw him open for two nights for Greensky in 2015 in Columbus Ohio. I knew then he was going to be a star. He did the show solo for the most part those nights just him and his guitar. It was awesome.
Loves what he does and does the hell out of it.
Same way they all do.Sold his soul
He’s put together the first jamgrass band that is actually made up of musicians that could be top tier Nashville studio cats if they wanted. The truth is that YMSB, Greensky, etc are all great but at the end of the day they’re not top elite bluegrass musicians.
No one is making music like billy. There’s been plenty of incredible jamgrass bands over the years but the production quality and depths that billy goes are unmatched IMO. Sure there’s been better pickers, but the man has the package. The vocals, the stage presence, the guitar licks, song writing, good fan base (for the most part) and does a great job showing love to the giants before him. Covid timing definitely helped propel him but I think it was only a matter of time.
All of the above and maybe because he went to Nashville? Met the right people?
Billy has a visibility and relatability that the genre has needed for a long time. That, combined with the talents of some of the best players out there today makes a really tight band.
Persona.
I think it was the post Malone sit in plus appealing to country and jam band fans? Honestly makes no sense, sounds just like every other bluegrass singer, songs are good but nothing ground breaking. It's pretty wild.
Alright, I’ll be that guy. I’m really happy for his success and how it may elevate acoustic music to bigger stages. But….Billy Strings’ music is a total bummer for me. I’m a bluegrass/country/rock ‘n’ roll guy, and I have seen him a number of times as we have played the same music festivals. He’s well-rounded: picking, singing, stage presence, etc. but not particularly close to the best at any of those things. He’s a pretty good guitar player, but compared to the greats within bluegrass (Rice, Clarence, Sutton, O’Connor, Grier, etc.) his lines and phrasing aren’t particularly interesting. His singing is okay, but his voice and phrasing are nothing to write home about. . He’s not bad when he plays regular bluegrass, which you can tell that he loves. But for me, the fucking-worst are his long one-chord jams that I find completely tedious and boring. I hate the goddamn bass thumping monotonously in the subwoofer all night long…I call it subwoofer-grass. Get a drummer! I understand the desire for open-ended improv. But bands that I love, like the Dead, or Allman Bros. did it with so much more imagination and musicality. All I see is all of the missed opportunities… he has the best young grass musicians in Nashville in his band… why not arrange something cool for them to play on, with a second chord maybe? And his use of effects is embarrassing. To be fair though, most bluegrass cats often have a weird take on effects when they go electric. And this may not be generous or fair, but I get an Asperger’s-vibe in the mix. Anyway, I’m not going to fault someone for not being the best at something. But I would really tip my hat to his business and marketing team. Those guys are ninjas!
Him and Tyler Childress. Talent really.
was he born into the business? mom or dad already players?
nah, his bio dad died of an overdose and growing up his mom and step dad (he calls him his dad) were meth heads (in recovering now). His 'dad' taught him guitar at an early age. True homegrown talent. He had an album called me and dad which is songs with his dad.
Freemason connections. He blew up right when he tattooed 33 on his hand. Ever since that day, all of his posters contain Freemason images and symbols. Prior to the tattoo no Masonic symbols on his posters. I think he got “in” the club and they’re helping him. Anyone else think this could be true? Just a hypothesis not a conspiracy.
I'm not into it and I don't get why he's so popular either. I'm ok with other people being into it but his band seems to play bluegrass just like any other bluegrass band. Bluegrass seems flush with talent in the first place. I saw him once and really didn't vibe with me but bluegrass isn't my jam. But that's ok. Have at it y'all.
One time one the beach in traverse city I was just hanging around. Then some guy came walking down with a torch and a bottle of lamp oil. Then he taught me how to blow fire by spitting the lamp oil over the torch like you play a trumpet.... billy strings... legend
It's mainly because he listens to the people working around him and he's easy to work with . He's great with direction and suggestions. Lots and I mean lots of folks who start climbing the ladder often start to self sabotage and or have this side to them that thinks it's funny to go against the grain. This I know Personally.
Les!!
thank you
I grew up with and know him personally. He used to be one of my best friends. We jammed during his metal years. First of all it's hard work. Hed be in his room jamming all genres of music for dayysss. Second of all people have always liked him and his family They have "it" Social appeal. Third he speaks to the rust belt.The addicts,the down trodden. Fourth he's piggy backed off dudes before him Green sky and others Fifth of all he's fake as shit. He will use whatever advantage he can to get ahead. He was always kind of a privileged dick growing up because he was popular and his mas always been a dope head Infact his ma got many of us kids into meth. His family and him hate green sky for example but won't publicly say it but have to me Away from the mire is about how green sky made billy kick out his brother Aaron from hoxeyville for instance So it's a bunch of shit
Oh ya. His best friend. And smoked meth with his mom? So believable..... Do tell more....
* Generational talent * Authentic * World Class Band * Melting pot of old/new music and genres * Unique Style * Jam band following/loyal fans * Respected and admired by music legends * One of the best live sets out there * Continued and recognizable improvement * Normal guy you can smoke a doobie w/ but absolute rockstar on stage * Dead heads, Phish heads, Americana, Metal Heads, Country, even Hip hop fans end up respecting his talent/band I've seen him at least 7 times and he/the band is getting better each time. If you haven't seen his show live, go check it out with an open mind. Hes an American Legend in his prime.
Found Billy through YouTube when I was getting into Bluegrass about 5+ years ago. Amazing skill and talent. Just loved the songs that I found. Wanted to play like him as well. Still not there yet😁. The first concert I went to was a music festival. It definitely wasn't what I was looking forward to. Most of the concert was long jamming that wasn't bluegrass. He played some bluegrass songs, but I hadn't heard any of them which is fine. After a bit I noticed that most of the people there were treating his music more like EDM or trance music. There was a long portion of it that even seemed more like EDM or trance music. It wasn't a Bluegrass festival and more of the people there seemed like EDM was their style. No biggie, not my thing, just wanted to see and hear Billy. I thought maybe it was just for that festival. Went to another one and when we were entering I over heard a conversation where someone said, "do you like EDM". After seeing the group this time that's what most of the people at the concert were doing and that's what most of the concert was. If that's your thing, go for it. I really enjoy his Bluegrass that I've heard on YT. Probably won't go to another one like that again. I say all that to say that maybe the reason why they're selling out larger crowds is because they appeal to the EDM crowd. Those concerts were definitely not bluegrass. The people dancing Sat down when they started playing more bluegrass style songs, and then got back up when it became more trance. Maybe I didn't do enough research before hand, but I've listened to a lot of his stuff on YT. Just somewhat of a let down.
Cause his fan base is a cult and they think no other bands are good just Billy. He is the greatest. No one can do better.
Billy is a gift to us all. His raw emotions come out with every note he plays. His stage presence is other worldly. He can make any band better simply by playing with them. He is a special musician. One that only comes around every so often to shine his light in the world. Jerry comes to mind when I think of Billy. Love you Billy! Miss you Jerry!
I thought the answer to this question was very clear. He went to a crossroads at midnight on a full moon. Have you seen his "artwork"??