Greensboro has always valued the spirit of independence and self-expression. The home of the tide-turning Guilford Courthouse Revolutionary War Battle and of the famous Woolworth sit-in movement, Greensboro recognizes and loves a renegade. Enter Billy Strings. On Tuesday, April 14, at the First Horizon Coliseum, Billy came to fight with the heart of the battles and tournaments we're known for. North Carolina is not a land known for sticking to the status quo, hence our creation of moonshining and stockcar racing. So it is no wonder that we embrace Billy's improvisational, thought-provoking, rabble-rousing jams. It wasn't just folks from the Gate City who turned out en masse or tuned in, though. People from around the country, and even the world, were streaming the show and all agreed: this night was something special.
Neither the heat nor the midweek spot on the calendar deterred the huge crowds from the Coliseum and its Shakedown. Kudos to the venue and its staff for sharing tailgating info ahead of time and using the Jumbotron to name which sections had merch stands. Other stadiums should take note of the organization and the kindness that we were treated to. Once we all got settled inside, set one was like a slow unraveling: from memory and tradition into instability, addiction, and emotional burnout. The opening was a story of memory, fate, and loss. "Long Forgotten Dream" > "The Cuckoo" > "Train That Carried My Girl From Town" spoke of lost ambition, fate-driven wandering, and irreversible heartbreak. Billy and crew then used tradition as an anchor, briefly. "Black Mountain Rag" is a symbol of joy, virtuosity, and Appalachia. A moment of grounding before things destabilize because "Pyramid Country" > "Must Be Seven" > "15 Steps" all take us down a rabbit hole of confusion, addiction, and the anxiety/control illusion. There seemed to be a turning point at this time where the internal struggle becomes explicit, and the music starts to stretch and bend. The timeless and beautiful "In the Morning Light" then provided a brief emotional anchor. Amidst the frenzy, it felt temporary, almost fragile in context. Ultimately, we all collapse into darkness. Boom. "Little Sadie" > "Highway Hypnosis" speaks of crime and consequence, numbness and burnout. The ending tone is detached and drifting. We are all emotionally spent and spellbound. The set as a whole was an arc of nostalgia, instability, coping, collapse. It was traditional, but thematically heavy underneath. So how were we all so damn happy?!?
After the band (and audience) had a chance to catch our breath, we embarked upon the reckoning & rebuild, AKA: Set Two. Chaos gave way to expansion, reflection, and hard-earned resilience in the other chapter of this night. We dropped straight into psychological and sonic intensity with "Turmoil & Tinfoil". No easing back in, just confrontation. "Seney Stretch" opened the space up a bit. It became calmer, less frantic, and more reflective. For many of us, Jimmie Rodgers' "Miss the Mississippi and You" instilled a feeling of deep nostalgia. It was an emotional pivot toward home. The pressure increased with "Fire on My Tongue" > "Riding the Midnight Train". Billy and team led an onstage debate of creative drive versus loneliness in motion. That drive pushed us forward into somewhat of an endurance phase of "Fire Line" > "Running the Route" > "Blue Ridge Mountain Blues". This was a string of songs that sang of grit, discipline, and repetition. It's an articulation of survival mindset and work ethic over chaos. We came out of that phase and into one of clarity and vulnerability. "In the Clear" > "Nutshell" were not only one of the most popular performances of the night, they offered an emotional resolution and raw exposure. Alice in Chains' "Nutshell" rang true as the most human, unguarded moment of the night. That crowd pleasing duo was followed up at once with the collective effort and shared resilience of "Wargasm" > "Hold the Woodpile Down". There was a shared empathy of facing societal numbness and violence. Set Two was overall one of madness, reflection, endurance, clarity, and collective strength. This was one "for the heads".
The entire evening was one of movement & travel, struggle & resilience, nostalgia & home. As "far out" as Billy Strings manages to go in his live performances, perhaps it's that consistent call to home that keeps reeling us all back in. What other band can send you so far out into the stratosphere, but yet still make you feel at home, wherever you are on tour? What other songs and covers can unite us in all the spirit of our own independence? A huge debt of gratitude to the band, the crew, and hospitality staff that made this not just a night to remember, but also a night to allow us to forget the world. At least for two sets.
- Erika Rasmussen erikasrasmussen.wixsite.com/rasmusic
- photos by Jerry Friend
