No one knew this young man playing guitar at a party at 3 a.m. would go on to be hitmaking American bluegrass star Billy Strings, but they sure knew he could play a red-hot lick on his acoustic and sing like an old-time bluesman! In this unfiltered 41 million view capture, Billy showed what an incredible talent he was before the world knew about him. The totally raw and authentic display of Billy’s electrifying skills, as his friends appreciate him so heartwarmingly, makes this an iconic moment.
One of Billy’s friends had the inspired idea to ask him to “play the latest one you wrote.” Billy then kicks into his song “Dust in a Baggie.” The Music Man has to say the song is packed with lightning acoustic guitar licks, which are just a joy to listen to. Billy complements the guitar parts by telling a tale with the lyrics, which he delivers with a whole lotta heart. The guy in the background just smiling and grooving along to the performance and loving every second just completes the moment so well.
YouTuber Lower Standards uploaded the clip, noting that it was originally shot on 9/16/2012 in front of a small group of friends at a house party. Viewers added comments such as “I love that it’s just a bunch of dudes recognizing that their friend is an incredible talent” and “I keep coming back to this video. It’s a great example of pure, unfiltered, unprocessed, and unadulterated TALENT. What a gift this young man has, and how blessed we are to sit and see it caught on film like this.”
The “new song” that Billy shared with his friends that night would go on to find a much larger audience. Another of Billy’s viral performances features him playing “Dust in a Baggie” with his four-piece band live at the Opry. The live cut drew 11.7 million views and showcases Billy’s incredible chemistry with his bandmates. The four-piece lineup adds some tasty dual vocals and the chance for each of the three lead players to add their lightning licks to the arrangement.
Billy Strings released “Dust in a Baggie” as the closing track on his 2016 self-titled EP. The song became many people’s introduction to Billy thanks to the viral party video. The Music Man readers might be interested to hear that “Dust in a Baggie” has continued to be Billy’s most popular song, with 54 million streams and counting on Spotify.
Billy later told podcaster Theo Von that the video came about because he and his friends sought a quiet place in a boisterous party. They found their place in the basement, which was less raucous, and there the famous video was shot. Billy noted that the guy vibing to the song in the background was known around town as Barefoot Ben, and described him as “the only hippie in like Ionia,” referring to Billy’s home city in Michigan.