Austin, TX

Bulleit Elevates Spirits At Billboard The Stage At SXSW And The Stage After Hours

Published

9 months ago

March 20, 2025

Bulleit Elevates Spirits At Billboard The Stage At SXSW And The Stage After Hours

Billboard’s iconic live music series The Stage at SXSW returned to Austin, March 13 to 15, 2025. This year they highlighted some of the biggest movers and shakers in Country, Latin and EDM. Billboard and Bulleit teamed up to elevate the experience and extend the celebration with an exclusive after party featuring the hottest music and the coolest cocktails.

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Bulleit and KSHMR during the Billboard THE STAGE After Hours on March 15, 2025 in Austin, Texas.

Julian Bajsel

As the Official Whiskey Partner of The Stage at SXSW, Bulleit curated a vibe that uplifted artists that not only push the boundaries of music but broaden their respective genres. Koe Wetzel and Grupo Frontera showed how they do it in Texas, repping their home state with electrifying headlining performances for Country and Latin nights. While John Summit, fresh off a globe-trotting series of shows, amped up the energy in the amphitheater with infectious beats and mind-blowing pyrotechnics.

The Bulleit bar during the Billboard THE STAGE at SXSW held at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on March 15, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
Gilbert Flores

Billboard and SXSW deepened their connection this year thanks to Austin-native mixologist, Ryan Smith, who created custom cocktails with Bulleit to celebrate the creativity and innovation that can only be found at the festival. The Bulleit Bourbon Austin Calling enticed with notes of elderberry, while the Bulleit Rye Wildcard had the perfect balance of basil and strawberry. They perfectly captured the energy of the city and the culture it creates.

Bulleit during the Billboard THE STAGE at SXSW held at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on March 15, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
Julian Bajsel

At The Stage, guests cooled down in the Bulleit Lounge with whiskey drinks while basking in the beautiful orange neon lights. On the other side of the venue, Bulleit set up a stylish bar where you could sample Bulleit Bourbon and Bulleit Rye on the rocks or mixed in a Whiskey Sour or a Mule. Whether attendees were there to kick up their cowboy boots, celebrate Latin cultures, or dance to melodic beats, there was libation for every occasion.

Bulleit during the Billboard THE STAGE at SXSW held at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on March 13, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
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Julian Bajsel

John Summit may have closed out the stage, but the party continued downtown at the After Hours presented by Billboard and Bulleit. KSHMR, the producer and songwriter behind some of the biggest industry shifting hits, brought his one-of-a-kind sound to SXSW when he took to the stage, spinning high-energy tracks and pulse-pounding classics. Those lucky enough to make it to the after party before the venue reached capacity were treated to a performance from KSHMR and Izzy Bizu who performed an upcoming single live for the first time.

Izzy Bizu, KSHMR Bulleit during the Billboard THE STAGE at SXSW held at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on March 15, 2025 in Austin, Texas. — Izzy Bizu, KSHMR Bulleit during the Billboard THE STAGE at SXSW After Hours on March 15, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
Julian Bajsel
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KSHMR took a second to share a toast with everyone. With a Bulleit Cocktail in hand, he said “Thanks to Bulleit and Billboard for putting on this amazing party! I wanna put on a little toast… Austin, are we having a good time?” Which was met with thunderous cheers from the audience.

KSHMR Bulleit during the Billboard THE STAGE at SXSW held at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on March 15, 2025 in Austin, Texas. — KSHMR Bulleit during the Billboard THE STAGE at SXSW After Hours on March 15, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
Julian Bajsel

The evening offered the perfect amount of style and edge with genre blending tunes and classic cocktails like Bulleit Bourbon Whiskey Sours and Bulleit Rye Mules. Whether you’re into the tried and true or trying something new, Billboard and Bulleit created an intersection of music and spirits that could only by accomplished by this pairing.

For even more coverage of Billboard The Stage at SXSW and Billboard and Bulleit Present The Stage After Hours, including exclusive photos and video coverage, check out Billboard.com and Billboard’s social channels.

BULLEIT BOURBON Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. 45% Alc/Vol. The Bulleit Distilling Co., Louisville, KY. PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

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Austin, TX

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

Published

5 hours ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

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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