Billy Strings, along with a star-studded cast of amazing music and film guest stars, brought the Coen Brothers‘ classic O Brother, Where Art Thou? to life during his traditionally over-the-top Halloween extravaganza last night at Baltimore’s CFG Arena. Mixing stage re-enactments, many of the songs from Grammy-winning soundtrack, carefully selected band originals, traditional tunes and covers, and musical assistance from folks like Sierra Hull, Duane Trucks, original cast member Tim Blake Nelson, and many more, this production was truly greater than the sum of its parts.
The fusing of the movie, soundtrack, and live-action recreation of the scenes and musical adaptations was, itself, perfectly fitting of the wild mash-ups of the film’s convoluted origins. In order to truly appreciate what Strings, his band, and many co-stars accomplished, a background history lesson is necessary.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a fever dream fantasy, written and directed by two of modern cinema’s finest creators, Joel and Ethan Coen (The Big Lebowski, Raising Arizona, Fargo) at their Frank Capra-esque high point. O Brother made revolutionary use of painstaking color correction to give it a truly unique, “old-timey” look to match its time setting during the Great Depression. The film—starring George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson—is a wildly imaginative fusion of the late film director Preston Sturges‘ Sullivan’s Travels and the ancient epic poem the Odyssey, written by Homer around the 8th or 7th century BC. Both, like O Brother, are tales of epic journeys and the trials and tribulations of travelers.
Sturges’ film tells the story of a film director, John Sullivan, known for his comedic works but who yearns to make more “relevant” films. Sullivan sets out to adapt a serious novel, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, into a film. To truly understand the subject matter, the director goes undercover as a hobo where he faces numerous trials and obstacles mirrored in the Coen Bros’ masterpiece. Sullivan ends up penniless and amnesiac, goes on railway train-hopping journeys, and even sees a film with other prisoners after ending up on a work farm. Sullivan’s Travels ends with Sullivan abandoning his plans for dramatic relevancy to stick to comedy films as he now realizes how important humor is in such a dark time.
Meanwhile, Homer’s Odyssey, an ancient story cycle, contributes numerous story beats as well, such as the meeting with a soothsayer who foretells the “Great Reward,” the battle with a cyclops (John Goodman‘s character “Big” Dan Teague, the corrupt and racist Bible salesman), and the relentless pursuit of a sheriff who stands in for Grecian God Of The Oceans, Poseiden. Charles Durning’s Gov. Pappy O’Daniel is a take on Zeus’ role from the epic poem while political consultant Vernon T. Waldrip represents the many suitors of the seemingly widowed wife of the Odyssey‘s protagonist, Penelope (played by Coen Brothers collaborator Holly Hunter). Even George Clooney’s name in the film, Ulysses Everett McGill, is a homage to the poem’s Roman title and main character sobriquet.
The multi-platinum-selling soundtrack is another key part of the film’s enduring success. The Coens and music producer T Bone Burnett placed several timeless songs throughout the film and deftly inserted many modern and not-so-modern voices and players, including Dan Tyminski, Allison Krauss, Gillian Welch, and many, many more. The millions of copies sold is a clear turning point in the awareness and the popularity of bluegrass music. In a turn of serendipity, Strings’ latest album Highway Prayers became the first bluegrass album to top the Billboard album sales chart since 2002—a title he took from none other than the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack.
Billy Strings — “Richard Petty”, “Lonesome Road Blues” (Traditional), “Big Rock Candy Mountain” (Harry McClintock) [Pro-Shot] — 10/31/24
An old time-y radio broadcast booth was slowly illuminated stage right, revealing a pair of broadcasters who served as both narrators and a Greek chorus. In addition to the duo, a video screen foreshadowed the events to come with the simple words “Act I”. Actors dressed as convicts came out, sledgehammers in hand, before Billy and his band (minus fiddler Alex Hargreaves) struggled out, similarly costumed and chained awkwardly together, to kick off the show with their excellent acapella original tune “Richard Petty”.
The band members added hand claps, perfectly timed with corresponding hammer impacts, as they sang together in unison. As Strings and his fellow inmates grabbed their instruments, the extras turned their tools on their chains and escaped into the crowd. Billy and his boys—bassist Royal Masat, mandolinist Jarrod Walker, and banjo plucker Billy Failing—proceeded to wail away on “Lonesome Road Blues”.
The first soundtrack tune, Harry McClintock’s “Big Rock Candy Mountain” was brought to achingly yearning life. The extras, still in their striped prison uniforms, scampered in and broke off the leg irons of the band, much to their mutual delight. Costumed sheriffs, who had previously interrupted the radio broadcast duo, returned to a chorus of boos, searching for their missing chain gang to no avail. As they cleared out, Strings and company returned for a one-two “Running The Route” into “Running” that wowed the crowd and doled out the evening’s first taste of psychedelia.
Strings did some impressive fingerpicking on the intro to “You Are My Sunshine” which also featured some fine fiddling from Hargreaves and beautiful harmonies from the full band. Toward the end of the tune, Strings turned over vocal duties to the audience, before encroaching but unseen search dogs forced the band to scatter once again. A new actor came out, in period garb, and delivered a new version of the hand car-riding blind seer’s ominous foretelling: they will find a fortune, but not the one they seek.
Next, Sierra Hull, Lindsay Lou, and Rachael Davis carried out a single mic and did a stirring “Down to the Valley and Pray” to cover for Strings and his band as they did a quick costume change. At this point arrived the film’s stand-in for bluesman Robert Johnson—fresh off his mythical deal with the devil at the crossroads—as portrayed in both the film and in Thursday’s staging by Nashville musician Chris Thomas King. King, (aka Tommy in the film proper) whose voice and playing were featured in an outstanding yet understated way, was backed by Strings playing a resonator guitar for “Hard Time Killin’ Floor Blues” before the rest of the band returned and joined the pair on a stark “Gravedigger Gonna Cut You Down”.
To lend some added drama to this portion of the performance a sharply dressed, stylized Devil, joined by a mix of fire-twirling dancers, entered the narrative, The hellish troup made the front of the stage their own with flame-trailing waves and twirls. To add to the symbolic fireworks, dobro king Jerry Douglas and Widespread Panic drummer Duane Trucks thickened out the musical side of things to the audience’s delight.
Multi-instrumentalist and Baltimore native Cris Jacobs, standing in for the film’s use of real-life bank robber George “Babyface” Nelson (Lester Gillis), was introduced by the onstage radio narrators who recounted the thief’s bank robbing spree. Jacobs immediately launched into a fun take on the Steve Miller Band’s “Take the Money and Run” while the extras, now in cartoonish bank robber garb, came running, snatching up the fake money confetti that suddenly rained down from the rafters. Jacobs, Douglas, King, and Strings had their musical summit with an extended riff on Miller’s iconic solo section, stretching it out to new sonic horizons. Masat picked up a more modern electric bass and delivered some much-needed rocking low end to the mix.
At the end of that track Douglas, Jacobs, and King cleared out though Trucks remained for a peppy and psychedelic-tinged “Keep On The Sunny Side”. As the song concluded the barking of the ever-pursuing bloodhounds returned and the faux radio station announcers called for the first set break of the evening and the end of “Act I”.
Billy Strings — “You Are My Sunshine” (The Pine Ridge Boys) — 10/31/24
[Video: Seneca Creek Bluegrass]
The radio crew returned to announce the second set before being interrupted by the resoundingly jeered sheriff who offered a bounty for the so-called “band of miscreants.” The pompous blowhard ironically intoned, both earnestly and comically, that said malcontents are “Eating the squirrels…eating the possums” in a well-timed political aside. The sheriff urged everyone hearing his voice to be on the lookout for this surely dangerous gang.
Hull, Lou, and Davis returned for a lilting “I’ll Fly Away” while an interpretive aerialist did some remarkable rafter-mounted poses and spins. After the ladies departed, Strings returned with a trio of adorable young vocalists who embodied the crooning daughters of the escaped McGill (aka The Peasall Sisters) for a fun “In The Highways (I’ll Be Working For My Lord)”. Davis, Lou, and Hull then stood in for the soundtrack’s epic acapella trio of Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, and Gillian Welch to deliver the siren’s song, “Didn’t Leave Nobody but the Baby”.
Enchanting temptresses in long flowing gowns emerged with comically oversized juggs of hootch to aid them in bewitching the just returned Strings and band. Properly enchanted, the free-flowing outer space-tripping “Meet Me At The Creek” and subsequent multi-song jam proved to be one of the true highlights of the evening. Billy gave a cosmically-backed monologue in “Spinning” about his senses clearing during the enchantment and beholding a mystical “horny toad.” Going on an extended break from reality, the band showed elements of their sound similar to the finer moments of acts like Pink Floyd at their most astral.
The jam continued intensely, moving seamlessly into Black Sabbath’s “Planet Caravan” and original “Hide And Seek” which came and went. At the height of the adventurous musical trip through a sonic wonderland, Strings strode boldly to the center stage lip to fans’ delight. A figure in a white tailored three-piece suit wearing a singular, cyclopean eyeball mask, jerked his body as he emerged from stage left before collapsing completely in the face of the powerful jams. The contingent of actors returned, again wearing their prison-striped garb, robbing the unconscious figure and, as a team, lifted the unconscious figure and spirited him away.
Pausing, Strings and company reset center stage, joined by the trio of songbirds—Hull, Lou, and Davis—as well as cellist Nat Smith for “Im Weary (Let Me Rest)”. Next up, Leftover Salmon‘s beloved “King” of the festivals, the one and only Vince Herman, took to the airwaves of the onstage broadcast platform for a little “mass communicating” for his political fortunes in the upcoming elections as he recreated an ersatz Coen Brothers repertory player Charles Durning‘s “Governor Pappy O’Daniel” from the film.
After some tongue-twisting “politicizing,” Herman dropped character briefly to mention that actor Tim Blake Nelson, Delmar from the film, was about to enter the equation, accompanied by Jerry Douglas. True to Vince’s words, Strings and his band, joined by Douglas, retook the stage now sporting the overalls and fake beards used by Clooney and company as disguises during their show-stealing turn as The Soggy Bottom Boys in the film proper.
The more modernly attired Nelson was still more than capable of delivering his unexpectedly charming and idiosyncratic turn at the mic from the film on “In The Jailhouse Now”. The backup reenactors, now in themed bearded Soggy Bottom gear, rejoined the spectacle, mirroring the enthusiastic dance moves showcased by Pete, Delmar, and Everett, all as Nelson yodeled merrily away. Rather than end the sit-in there, the band launched into the film’s most memorable tune, “Man Of Constant Sorrow” with Herman joining, dancing ala Durning’s memorable rump-shaking entrance.
Herman quickly took over from Strings to vocalize on the sweet Salmon tune “Let In A Little Light” before departing to make way for soundtrack producer T Bone Burnett! Burnett fittingly stood in for the late, great Johnny Cash at his menacing best for the dark, apocalyptic “When The Man Comes Around”. Then, the production mirrored O Brother, Where Art Thou?’s darkest story beat as, finally cornered by the pursuing Sheriff and his deputized posse, the four heroes of the film face their own graves and four hangman’s nooses.
Billy and his band were similarly captured onstage by the Sheriff figure and his deputies. Strings, unceremoniously stripped of his guitar and drug to a hastily installed second mic, delivered a broken man’s acapella take, ala Ralph Stanley’s seminal version, of the dirge-like “O Death”. Finally, as if spared by God’s good graces, the sound of rushing water preceded Panic’s returning beat keeper Duane Trucks’ monstrously massive drum intro to “When The Levee Breaks”, as penned by Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy and made famous by Led Zeppelin. In a fun nod to the infamous cow from the film an overly large bovine figure appeared, lowered to a level height and swing wildly from the rafters.
Billy, now wielding a similarly outsized, double-necked Gibson in homage to Jimmy Page and flanked by Lindsay Lou, led the band through the beloved tune to a thunderous conclusion. After a short appeal to folks to “Live and work together” from the onstage radio crew’s final broadcast, the entire cast of the evening returned for a cleansing, hopeful, united take on the film and now show’s closing song, “Angel Band”. Finally, with a truly well-earned bow taken to roof-rattling cheers, the production was done and this version of the tale was fully told.
Billy Strings and his fellow re-creators did an inspired job writing themselves into the already intricate and decidedly twisted O Brother, Where Art Thou? history with this sure to be legendary performance. The splendid mix of faithfulness to the source material and live recreation’s inspired innovations created something wholly unique and beautiful on its own merits. Strings’ management team, crew, and various partners need to be commended for planning, staging, and executing such a precision production from start to flawless sticking of the landing.
The boldness of last night’s Halloween O Brother installment in Billy Strings’ ever-growing series of dauntlessly impressive themed productions raises the bar yet again (see the Van Andel Scramble, Away From the Shire, and The Wizard of Oz). The fact that Strings and company keep clearing that same ever-raising bar so cleanly surely points to grander escapades in the future but, for now, as the last notes of this triumphant Halloween experience fade, it’s probably for the best to sit back, relisten, and rewatch the show and escape into this glorious, magical fantasy again.
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Billy Strings, Tim Blake Nelson — “Man Of Constant Sorrow” (Emry Arthur) — 10/31/24
[Video: Seneca Creek Bluegrass]
Setlist: Billy Strings | CFG Bank Arena | Baltimore, MD | 10/31/24
Set One: Richard Petty [1] [2], Lonesome Road Blues (Traditional) [3], Big Rock Candy Mountain (Harry McClintock) [4] [5], Running The Route > Running, You Are My Sunshine (The Pine Ridge Boys) [6] [7], Down To The River To Pray (Traditional) [3] [8] [9], Hard Time Killin’ Floor Blues (Traditional) [10] [11] [12] [13], Gravedigger Gonna Cut You Down (Traditional) [14] [15], Take The Money And Run (Steve Miller Band) [16] [17], Keep On The Sunny Side (Traditional) [18] [19]
Set Two: I’ll Fly Away (Albert B. Brumley) [8] [20] [21], In The Highways (I’ll Be Working For My Lord) (Maybell Carter) [22] [23], Didn’t Leave Nobody But The Baby (Traditional) [3] [8] [24], Meet Me At The Creek > Spinning > Planet Caravan (Black Sabbath) [25] > Hide And Seek [26] [27], I Am Weary (Let Me Rest) (The Country Gentlemen) [28] [29], Man Of Constant Sorrow (Emry Arthur) [30], In The Jailhouse Now (Traditional) [3] [31], Let In A Little Light (Leftover Salmon) [33] [34], When The Man Comes Around (Johnny Cash) [35] [36], O Death (Traditional) [3] [37], When The Levee Breaks (Memphis Minnie & Kansas Joe McCoy) [38] [39]
Encore: Angel Band (Traditional) [40] [41]
[1] Band (minus Alex) around single mic front of stage
[2] Chain gang hammering rocks, keeping the beat
[3] FTP – Traditional
[4] FTP – Harry McClintock
[5] Prisoners are freed from their chains and on the run; deputies are looking for them
[6] FTP – The Pine Ridge Boys
[7] Crowd sing along
[8] Performed by Sierra Hull (Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist), Lindsay Lou (Bluegrass and Americana singer and songwriter), and Rachael Davis (multi-instrumentalist)
[9] w/ congregation dancers circling them while singing
[10] Duo Billy Strings w/ Chris Thomas King (New Orleans Grammy and Country Music Award winning blues guitarist, actor, and author)
[11] FTP – Skip James
[12] Chris Thomas King on lead vocals
[13] Billy Strings on a Paul Beard Resonator Legacy E Squareneck Guitar
[14] w/ Chris Thomas King on lead vocals and Duane Trucks (Widespread Panic drummer)
[15] FTP – Fairfield Four
[16] w/ Cris Jacobs (Local American singer and songwriter) on guitar , Jerry Douglas (dobro), Duane Trucks (drums), Royal on electric bass guitar and Billy on his PRS Electric
[17] FTP – Steve Miller Band
[18] Last Time Played 2023-12-29 | 49 Shows
[19] w/ Billy on his PRS Electric Guitar, Royal on electric bass guitar and Duane Trucks on drums
[20] FTP – Albert E. Brumley
[21] w/ an aerial dancer suspended center stage with aerial hoop
[22] Billy Strings Duo w/ trio of children
[23] FTP – Maybelle Carter
[24] Sirens circling artists on stage w/ jugs of alcohol and full of temptation
[25] w/ Duane Trucks (drums)
[26] “Safety Dance” (Men Without Hats) tease
[27] Cyclops defeated and carried off stage
[28] w/ Nat Smith (cello), Lindsay Lou (guitar, vocals), Sierra Hull (mandolin, vocals), and Rachael Davis (vocals)
[29] Last Time Played 2012-03-23 | 1373 Shows
[30] Alex Hargreaves solo instrumental
[31] w/ Tim Blake Nelson (American actor and director) on lead vocals and Jerry Douglas (Dobro)
[32] Last Time Played 2022-05-06 | 225 Shows
[33] FTP – Leftover Salmon
[34] w/ Vince Herman on lead vocals (and on guitar) & Jerry Douglas (dobro)
[35] w/ T. Bone Burnett (American Producer and Guitarist) on guitar and lead vocals
[36] FTP – Johnny Cash
[37] Jailers taking away band while Billy Strings sings solo a capella front of stage
[38] w/ Billy on a Gibson Custom EDS-1275 Double Neck Electric Guitar Cherry Red, Cris Jacobs (electric guitar), Duane Trucks (drums), Lindsay Lou sharing lead vocals and Jerry Douglas (dobro)
[39] FTP – Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy
[40] w/ Everyone minus the children
[41] Last Time Played 2023-12-29 | 49 Shows
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