Name: Billy Strings | This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #483
Uploaded: 2024-02-16T01:39:22.000Z
Description: Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Billy Strings | This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #483' from Theo Von on Comedy Buff. Published 2024-02-16. Transcript available.

Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Billy Strings | This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #483' from Theo Von on Comedy Buff. Published 2024-02-16. Transcript available.

Billy Strings | This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #483

Today's guest is that blue-eyed bluegrass bad boy, you know it.
He's a Grammy Award winner.
He has a new album, Renewal, that is out now wherever you stream music.
He's the pride of Michigan.
He just got back from the Grammys, so I'm looking forward to getting to know
him.
Today's guest is Mr. Billy Strings.
Shine that light on me
I'll sit and tell you my stories
Shine on me
And I will find a song I've been singing
I love this guy
Yeah, thanks for coming in, bro.
No problem.
I appreciate it, man. Thanks for all the wild music, dude.
No problem, man. That's my pleasure.
How was the Grammys? You went to the Grammys.
Yeah, it was great. I brought my mom and dad out there.
No. And did you get to take them last time? I know you've been before.
Yeah. No, the last time I didn't bring my parents.
But this time, the record that I was nominated for was actually...
Well, I was nominated for three things.
But the main one for me was this record that I made called Me and Dad.
Which is exactly what it sounds like.
It's a record that I made with my dad.
And he's the one that taught me how to play
And taught me all about bluegrass and stuff
And taught me how to wipe my ass and tie my shoes and everything.
So, to kind of grow up and make a record with him was just a big deal, man.
It was something that I've...
It was like a bucket list thing for me for a long time.
You know.
Like, it had been weighing on you a little bit, even?
Exactly. Yeah.
Because I've been on tour.
Like, when I was 19, I hit the road and haven't stopped.
And, you know, I'm like 31 now.
And, you know, it was like, man, time just is slipping by.
And my dad's getting older.
And I need to make this record.
And then gigs just keep getting booked.
And it's like, well, when am I even going to make it?
And so, eventually, I just went to my manager and said,
Yo, let's block off time.
I need to make a record with my dad.
Like, he's getting older.
I'm getting old.
You know.
It's time.
Like, we got to do this.
So, we did it.
And it was awesome.
You know, we got nominated for a Grammy.
Brought my folks out there.
And, you know, had them posted up at the Sunset Marquee.
And just, like, showed them a great time, you know.
Yeah.
That had to feel pretty amazing.
Just because I think a lot of people want to have that moment where they kind
of pay homage to a family member.
Somebody who's gotten them emotionally there sometimes, you know.
It's everything to me.
My dad is just, I wouldn't, you know, I wouldn't know anything about bluegrass
music and Doc Watson and all the stuff that I cut my teeth on.
And it's the reason why I have a good life today and, you know, a career and
everything.
It's all because of when I was a little kid, he was so inspiring, you know.
He's just sitting around picking.
And he was like, everybody's kind of, like, we'd have parties and stuff.
And everybody would just be sitting around vibing and smoking a couple joints,
having a few beers.
And my dad would be playing until he's, like, red in the face and everybody's
singing along.
And just, I was a little kid being like, damn, my dad's fucking cool as hell.
You know what I mean?
And I want to be like that when I grow up.
And so it was, I was a little shit already wanting to be a bluegrass musician.
So it's like, well, what I've always wanted to do.
So it's, you know, it's all because of him and bringing him out there and, like,
walking on the red carpet with him and shit.
You know, he's small town, old country folk.
Like, you know, it was hilarious.
We were doing this interview for, like, Billboard or some shit.
And the guy's like, oh, my God, you guys look fabulous.
Who are you wearing?
And my dad's like, well, these are Levi's.
And my son bought me this shirt.
And I got my jacket at a Western store.
And I was just like, this is fucking the best thing ever.
Yeah, what are you wearing?
Hand me up.
Who are you wearing?
It's like, Levi's.
You know, and this is my cousins, you know.
Yeah, the guy asked us, too, asked my dad, like, who, if you could meet anybody
here at the, you know, Grammys, who would you want to meet?
And he said, Tommy Emanuel, which is so awesome.
He's just like an amazing guitar player.
Tommy Emanuel was?
Yeah, well, he is, you know.
Oh, sorry.
Bring him up?
Yeah.
And then he, you know, he ended up meeting Tommy that day.
So it was just, yeah, it's crazy.
And who does Tommy play for?
Wow.
He's just the man himself, man.
He plays solo.
Oh, I'm not even familiar with him.
Oh, man.
He's a killer.
Yeah, he's a monster.
And he's an Australian.
Yeah, I'm going to Australia in just a week or so.
Wow.
Yeah, Tommy Emanuel.
He's like, you know, grew up kind of, he's sort of from like that Chet Atkins
school.
He knows a lot of, I mean, he can flat pick, he can play finger style, he can
do everything.
But he's a motherfucker on the guitar, man.
There's a lot of good guitar players.
I think, I don't know if Tommy lives around here, but there's this other guy,
Jack Pearson, that lives here in town, too.
That's like, sort of, I don't know.
I feel like a lot of people don't really know about him.
Uh-huh.
But he's like the best guitar player I've ever seen in my life, I think.
Jack Pearson?
Jack Pearson.
Let's get a look at him.
Man.
Oh, yeah.
He's literally the guitar player's guitar player.
He's the man.
Yeah.
Jack Pearson.
Yeah, man.
He looks like an adventurous guy.
What makes you say that?
What makes you, like, admire somebody so much on the guitar?
Well, I feel like when Jack Pearson touches the guitar, it's kind of, like,
effortless.
You know, for me, it's hard.
It takes a lot of work.
And, you know, I think people that are, when you see a true master sit down at
their instrument, like at the piano or on their guitar, whatever it is, it's
just like breathing for them.
You know, I mean, watching Jack Pearson's fingers go over the fretboard is just
like water.
You know, it's just so smooth.
It's, and I'm just like, how is that even possible?
Wow, for you to say, how is that even possible?
It's just, it's interesting to hear, like, somebody who a lot of people would
consider amazing at something, how they then see somebody that's amazing at
something, you know?
I'm like, I'm a player, and I've always been a player, but I'm not a master,
you know?
I'm not a Jedi yet, you know?
There are people that are Jedis on their instruments, bro.
Wow.
That's crazy.
Like, for real.
And then they stick me in the room with them and say, go play.
And I'm like, oh, fuck, I don't belong here.
I recently just did this thing with Chris Thiele and Corey Henry, who are,
Chris Thiele is a, like, literally, MacArthur Grant award-winning genius.
Genius, like, the best in the world at his instrument, and, um, yeah.
And what does he play?
Mandolin.
Oh, the mandolin.
Yeah, man.
There's a famous song, Mandolin Rain, right?
Mandolin Rain.
Uh, my friend Josh Kelly plays the mandolin.
He, yeah, it was originally by Hornsby and Rain, Bruce Hornsby.
Oh, yeah.
And then I think he re, what is it called when you re?
Like a remix or re, redo it?
Remastered a song, or redid a song, yeah.
Covered, yeah.
Covered it.
Mandolin Rain, yeah.
So, were you, so you're sitting there at the Grammys with your parents?
Yeah.
And you're nominated?
Uh-huh.
Wow, bro.
So, that energy, when you're sitting there, because I've never been there,
right?
So, like, when you're sitting there, is it, like, and you know, like, how long
do you know that your award is coming up next or something?
Like, how much?
Yeah, I mean, to be honest, we were kind of sitting there and, like, waiting
for ours to come, and I would kind of go out and, you know, get a little, I got
some nachos and shit, and I would chill, and I'd come back and, are we up yet?
You know, kind of thing.
And, um, it was great, and the performances were great, and we were having a
good time.
Uh, just, like, I have a hard time sometimes being in loud environments.
Because I, like, my ears ring constantly, and I'm super sensitive to, like,
like, if I'm in a restaurant and somebody scratches their fork on their plate
or something, like, dude, I'll snap.
Dude, I will, I will literally call the fucking police on somebody who bangs
their server against their plate too loudly.
Like, I don't know what it is.
I know what it is.
It's unbelievable somebody would do that.
If there's a business that has chairs that when people pull them out, they make
the most insane screeching sound and ruin the experience, and I will never go
back to there.
I will Google review there, um, but I will never return.
There's a coffee place nearby.
Somebody pulled a chair out the other day.
I used to love that place.
I will fucking not even drive by there in the daytime anymore.
It's O-V.
I will go around, because I don't even want to bring my energy over there where
people are scraping stuff on the floor.
But, yeah.
Yeah.
So, do you guys get, like, burnt, like you said, your ears ring?
Is that a common thing amongst, like, I guess, musicians?
I never even thought about that.
Yeah.
I mean, some people get it.
It's called, like, tinnitus or tinnitus.
Oh, yeah.
I've heard of tinnitus.
Um, wait.
Well, how does it say that it's pronounced?
Because this is, the actual audiologist lady, when I went there, and they, the
doctor lady, she calls it tinnitus.
But I'm like, I don't get fucking arthritis.
Yeah.
I don't, yeah, I don't get, yeah.
It's called tinnitus, right?
Yeah.
Yeah, I'm not in, like, a, um, yeah, I don't get, like, a shingillicus or
whatever.
Or, like, in a wheelchair.
Tinnitus.
No way.
Tinnitus.
Tinnitus.
Tinnitus.
That's what it says.
Tinnitus.
Oh, tinnitus, I think, is something you get in Memphis, probably.
It's a little bit more.
Tinnitus.
Yeah, but that lady's the same lady in my car.
That lady is not, I don't trust that lady.
Yeah, she can't even tell.
Like, when I play a song, she can't even recognize it on the fucking phone, so.
She can't recognize, A, my sister's name, okay?
I can't call my sister anymore, because that lady won't let me.
And, um, and she can't even get me to Murfreesboro.
So, yeah, I'm out.
Do you know in advance at the Grams if you're going to win or not, or you don't
know?
No, we have no idea.
Wow.
Um, and, you know, it was just, to me, it was, like, all about bringing my
folks there
and having that experience.
You know, we went the last time.
It's just an honor to be nominated and to be even spoken in the same sentence
as the other
nominees, like Molly Tuttle and Sam Bush and Willie Nelson was in that category.
And, you know, it's just, for me, it's, like, to even be in the, a classmate of
these people
is, like, cool.
I'm in the same class, at least.
I'm good.
That's enough honor for me.
Like, all I've ever wanted in my life is just to be, like, a respected musician.
And that's, you know, I guess, like, what it really is, the Grammys and stuff,
is just
being recognized by your peers.
You know?
And, and it, so it's, it's a great honor, you know, but it's really nice to win.
Like, I, I won one and it's, it's cool, but, um, it's not why we do it, you
know?
Oh, yeah.
I would have loved to get, gotten my dad one.
Yeah.
But, Molly Tuttle's record and her band and what she's been doing, um, she's
been working
her ass off.
I gotta tune into her.
Yeah, she's kicking ass.
Dude, I'm so glad you're gonna say some of these names because I, it's, I, I
start thinking
how, I gotta get into more new music and I'm just not getting enough of it.
Man, there's a lot of great bluegrass happening and, and I think there's like
something happening
right now where people are like getting back into bluegrass again or like, you
know, banjo
music and kind of hillbilly music.
Well, I think people are genuinely, I think there's a general feeling in the
universe for
me anyway, I know it is that I want to get back to something that feels like,
uh, less
industrialized.
I want to get something back to something that feels a little bit more
connected to something
human inside of me.
Man, I th