“Before religion made it all about what we believe, Jesus was all about how we love.” ~ Susan Cottrell
Billy 1
I’ve been a fan of Billy Strings’ music before the world figured out how incredible he is. I finally had the chance to see him tonight at Rupp Arena, and he did not disappoint, even though it was an incredibly sad day for him. When he walked on stage by himself, hat pulled way down over his eyes, I thought this was either going to be the most dramatic opening of a concert I’ve ever seen or something was wrong. The latter was the case. His mother died in her sleep, and he’d only learned of it when he had gotten to Lexington earlier in the day. It broke my heart when he came out and told the audience, completely honest and as raw and vulnerable as if he was standing naked in front of thousands. You can hear what he had to say here at about 01:40. If I didn’t love the guy before tonight, he won my heart as he forged ahead despite being visibly heartbroken. You could feel his grief in the first set, but he rallied for the second set and set the place on fire. He played for nearly three hours. It was like watching Springsteen all over again (and he wore me out he played so long in 1985’s Born in the USA tour). I will definitely see Billy again, and his crowd are totally my people (in tie-dye and overalls, and all that), and I will send my condolences in the meantime.
Billy 2
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