I, like many people, was originally introduced to Billy Strings through a YouTube video.
You know the one…
At a party, in a basement with what looks like carpet on the walls, a clean cut Billy and barefoot friend in a green shirt with a satchel looking on in wonder. It has nearly 20 millions views…
Let’s roll the tape.
Honestly, it’s a magical scene and I’d do a lot of things to have been in that room.
Well, it turns out there is another video from that night and it too is pretty incredible.
But instead of one of his songs, he pulled out an old American classic “The Preacher And The Bear”.
Written by George Fairman and originally recorded by ragtime artist Arthur Francis Collins, it’s a kind of strange story about a preacher who went hunting on a Sunday, breaking his vow to rest on the Sabbath, and as a type of punishment comes face to face with a bear on his way back. The preacher climbs a tree to save himself but the branch breaks and he has to fight the bear.
Yeah, a bit strange, but hey, it was written in 1904, what can you expect?
Anyway, it’s hard to not love everything Billy touches, but especially when it’s just him kicking back with some buddies and lighting the fretboard on fire.
Crank this up and maybe get out to see Billy in concert to end the year or start next.
