Billy Strings at Moody Theater in Austin, TX – Loud Hailer Magazine

Bluegrass musician Billy Strings sold out Austin’s iconic ACL Live at The Moody Theater, where Strings closed his headlining North American tour.

​Billy Strings, born William Apostol, is an American singer and songwriter from Michigan. Music has always been a big part of Strings’ life, but he started his music career seriously in 2012. He took on the name Billy Strings after his Aunt saw his talent on various traditional bluegrass instruments. Today, Strings tours with a handful of bluegrass musicians, including Royal Masat (bass), Alex Hargreaves (fiddle), Jarrod Walker (mandolin), and Billy Failing (banjo).

This past year, Strings and his band have been touring North America, concluding their tour with two shows in Austin, TX. The first being at the Moody Center and the second and final being at ACL Live at The Moody Theater. Billy Strings is no stranger to ACL Live and has previously recorded multiple episodes of the venue’s famous series. His debut aired in 202,1 and he went on to record another taping in 2024. In 2024, Billy Strings released his most recent album, Highway Prayers. The album explores themes of personal reflection, identity, and family.

Billy Strings didn’t have an opener and began his set at a little after 8 PM. He opened his set with a few classic bluegrass covers, some being “Riding the Midnight Train” by The Doc Watson Family and “Big Spike Hammer” by The Osborne Brothers. He also performed originals like “It Ain’t Before” from his latest album, Highway Prayers. The song is about feeling disadvantaged by societal systems that don’t work in your favor. The song blends traditional and modern bluegrass sounds, featuring a mouth harp in the original recording.

​The band sped through some more classics while the audience on the floor cut up a rug. He performed a few more originals, such as “Gone a Long Time” from Highway Prayers  and “These Memories of You” from his 2017 album Turmoil & Tinfoil. The latter was recorded with his stepfather, the one who introduced Strings to the genre. The song reflects on their sustained relationship. 

Fans were surprised and delighted when Strings began “Cora Is Gone,” by Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, and The Foggy Mountain Boys. Strings and his band haven’t performed the cover since 2020. Ultimately, Billy Strings closed his set with Patty Griffin’s “We Shall All Be Reunited,” clearly implying that Strings will be back to commune with the locals of Austin.

Billy Strings will be back on tour soon enough. In February, he will kick off a tour in Georgia and finish towards the end of April in Indiana. Billy Strings has successfully kept an exceptional genre alive by sharing his and his band’s talent with the world.

BILLY STRINGS
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MOODY THEATER
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