Sold out Billy Strings shows bring a lift to the center of Asheville

A bunch of ‘Billy Goats’ has fallen down on Asheville when bluegrass artist Billy Strings started the first of six shows at Harrah’s Cherokee Center on Thursday night.

Strings are known for genre-bending bluegrass tunes that wake thousands of fans, some who refer to themselves as ‘Billy Goats’. His shows run this weekend, 7-9 February, and 13-15 February

At the forefront of Thursday’s show created a flurry of fans and suppliers outside Harrahs. A few strumed guitars and danced barefoot while a block of suppliers hocked band Merch, handmade jewelry and other decorations.

On the sidewalk, Bobby Elizando stood behind a flat top grill in a light green tie shirt and cooked pesto grilled cheeses, as he said he “does with love.” It’s his first concert since Hurricane Helene hit the region, destroyed his truck and destroyed roads near his home in Burnsville.

Vendor and Billy Strings tab said he is happy to be back in his element.

“It’s beautiful that he decided to get to this area because it needs this right now,” he said. “It’s a truly uplifting thing to see the community here after such a terrible tragedy.”

Elizondo loves to be part of Billy String’s fandom. Bluegrass music – and its connection to Appalachian Culture – is what makes the strings’ appearance such a special experience.

“It’s just well known and it’s good and it’s healthy and it’s uplifting. And that’s what everyone needs, ”he said. “To take a step back, forget about everything that has been going on for a moment, and just enjoy these amazing musicians creating something that is just as opposed to something else, do you know?”

Down on the block from Elizando, Christina Parks and Carol Peugh were ahead of the line for the concert. They have both seen strings perform more than 30 times, and they traveled from Cedar Key, Fla., To the show.

Parks said she first saw strings in 2022 in St. Augustine, Fla.

“I’ve been drinking Kool Aid ever since,” she said. “Every show is different. I think he has something like over 900 songs in his set list catalog. He won’t play the same song any night he’s here in Asheville. “

BPR asked Parks what people should expect from a Billy Strings concert.

“For your face to be melted,” she replied. “There are no words or anything that I can ask you to prepare for what will happen inside tonight. Just hang on the trip. “

Parks was also hit by Hurricane Helene on her Cedar Key Home, so she said she understands that the match Asheville has faced the post-Helen. She and Peugh spend the week volunteering in storm-torn areas such as Black Mountain and Swannanoa, bringing some much needed business to local businesses.

All of these additional visitors bring a lively energy to the center, such a many local businesses have missed.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Gar Ragland, a co -founder of Citizen Vinyl, a café in the center and record facilities, said the connection between strings and Asheville is “really appropriate.”

“The style of music that Billy plays really speaks to bluegrass and acoustic roots in this area,” he said. “But he is also very exploratory, he improvises, he has decided elements in the Jam Band -tinging.”

There is an experimental, sometimes weird, in Billy’s music, which Ragland said harmonizes with Asheville’s eclectics.

“Billy marches to the rhythm of his own drum, and I think many people here in this community subscribe to the same kind of lifestyle and philosophy,” he said. “They look up to Billy as a musical role model, someone who is not afraid to take chances, to experiment with new approaches.”

As Asheville and the surrounding community heal from the troubled ring effects of Hurricane Helene, a show of this size can make a huge difference, Ragland said.

“Most of the companies in the center of Asheville, included Citizen Vinyl, are very much looking forward to both this weekend and next weekend,” he said. “We are all hopeful that his fans will generate a significantly positive financial impact here locally, because we certainly need it after the hurricane.”