Concert Review: Billy Strings (Koka Booth Amphitheatre)

BY MARK DOLEJS

Bluegrass phenom Billy Strings opened up the first of three sold out nights at Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre on Thursday night. He and his band kept the crowd dancing and singing for a good three hours.

The night was full of long jam sessions as they worked through song after song, like “The Fire on My Tongue,” “Ole Slew Foot,” “Hide and Seek,” and “A Letter to Seymour.”

Strings’s picking is flawless, and the sounds he creates from his six strings are quite incredible, often sounding like an electric guitar.

The band consists of Jarrod Walker on mandolin, Royal Masat on bass, Billy Failing on banjo, and Alex Hargreaves on fiddle. Strings surrounds himself with musicians that are able to share their talents on each and every song.

They played several songs from his latest album, Highway Prayers, including “Seven Weeks in County,” “Stratosphere Blues / I Believe in You,” and “Seney Stretch.”

Strings played homage to Doc Watson with “Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down” and “St. James Hospital” and then ended the night with a fun encore of “Shady Grove.”

The night ended strong with a psychedelic “Away From the Mire” with trippy lighting and imagery throughout the song. “Love Like Me” and “Highway Hypnosis” finished out the second set.

The crowd was wonderful. There was always someone nearby who was dancing and singing, whether they were standing in place, or on their way to the concession stand to get another beer. People from all walks of life were there immersed in the music that served as the common denominator to bring them all to the same turf.

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MARK DOLEJS

Photography is an avenue that Mark Dolejs uses to learn about the people and places that cross his path. After more than 30 years as a photojournalist, Mark enjoys concert, macro, and roadside photography. Follow Mark on Instagram at @solidrockpix.

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