Lord of the Billy Strings
A repost of my account of Billy Strings’ Away From the Shire Halloween shows. It tracks the song choices and how they relate to the story from the movies.
NIGHT ONE
It came to my attention this morning talking to a couple at the hotel that not everyone would understand wtf was going on as Billy told the story of Frodo and the One Ring through song.
So if you’re interested, here’s an account of the absolutely amazing show last night, with a focus on the story that was told. I encourage you to seek it out and listen if you can.
If this is not your thing, that’s ok. Positive vibes only. Negativity is 👉.
Billy monologues (pre-recorded?) Cate Blanchett’s opening from the movie, Fellowship of the Ring. We are introduced to Rushad Eggleston as Gollum as he crawls about the stage.
Billy and Jarrod (clean shaven!) come out as hobbits and play Howard Shore’s theme from the movie. Followed by Billy F as Aragorn, Alex as Legolas (with his “bow”), the remarkable Anh Phung on flute as an elf (Arwen?), and finally Royal as Gandalf, as he says “A wizard is NEVER late.”
We get two “Home” songs, My Old Home Place and Home, detailing the comforts of the Shire. During Home the lyrics speak directly to leaving (“maybe I can slip away…), which Bilbo is specifically planning to do.
Bilbo has his 111th birthday party, complete with balloons from the ceiling. They play happy birthday with crowd joining in.
Secrets is played, reflecting when Gandalf tells Frodo to keep the Ring safe and secret.
The hobbits leave on their quest as the Road Goes Ever On, Away From the M(Sh)ire (balloons actually fell here), and Travelin This Lonesome Road are played.
Set one ends with Hide and Seek, as the hobbits hide from the Black Riders.
Set two opens with Eggleston as Gollum free-basing us on his cello, screaming almost incomprehensibly.
They play Midnight Rider, as the Black Riders chase the hobbits town. They Strider, who saves them from the Wraiths
An amazing Wild Horses is played, and it’s this moment my 81 year old dad realizes just how this music brings people together. Frodo Strings says they head to the Prancing Pony
Heartbeat of America, which I thought was out of place, but Frodo Billy at the end clutches his heart as he is close to dying. This is also basically a song about a trip, which kind of happens when Frodo slips the ring on for the first time.
All Along the Watchtower… the Eye of Sauron is ever watchful. As a Dylan fan this was treat to see played for the first time and it didn’t disappoint. The hobbits and Strider take camp at an old ruined watchtower. This is where Frodo gets stabbed, which tracks what I was feeling about Heartbeat, which is a song that details a trip, basically, symbolizing when Frodo slips on the Ring and sees the wraiths.
Poor Ellen Smith contains the lyrics “Shot through the heart lying cold on the ground.” “Frodo! Hang on!”
Whispers of the North signals the Fellowship leaving with the ring, 9 companions on a quest to save Middle Earth.
Love and Regret, Aragorn leaving his love, Arwen, behind?
High On a Mountain, the Fellowship tries to cross the mountains. They cannot battle through the cold weather (Ice Bridges), as Saruman magically makes their passage deadly.
They must pass through the Mines of Moria (Dark As a Dungeon, this was LOVELY).
Ring of Fire is played with Gandalf Masat on lead vocals. He battles with the fire beast Balrog and is dragged down to the abyss. “Fly, you fools!” It’s here I think we are going to get a nutso All Fall Down but it’s a tease.
The Fellowship escape the Mines, minus Galdalf, and go to Lothlorien, and meet the elf queen Galadriel as they sing In The Pines, another wonderul song made famous by Lead Belly and Nirvana. It’s not that version though, but the “Longest Train Version” sung by both Watson and Monroe, not to mention Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and host of others.
They Meet at the Creek, travelling by boat to leave Lothrorien. Gollum tracks the party and Eggleston and Phung join on stage. Bonkers. Just… wow.
Encore is Will the Circle Be Unbroken complete with singalong, the Fellowship is broken.
Stay tuned.
Hope you enjoyed this. Keep kind and enjoy these shows. The Two Towers is my favorite of the three and I can’t wait to see what they do. Will Royal be in white? Where is Gimli?
NIGHT TWO
The Two Towers is a complicated movie with a lot of moving parts. It's wonderful, though. Here is part two!! Let me know if you were there and what it was like. I caught a recording today... def not the same! As always, be kind. This is LONG and there might be typoes.
Again, this may not be for you. That’s ok. 😁
The opening theme is more somber than yesterday, the Fellowship is broken and scattered. Gandalf has fallen. Frodo and Sam have decided to take the Ring to Mordor alone. The hobbits Merry and Pippin have been captured by orcs as Boromir has died trying to save them. And Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli race to save them.
Our 5 band members on stage are wearing the green cloaks given to them by Galadriel, with Aragorn Failing choosing a better costume. 😂
Watch It Fall: The movie opens with Gandalf falling into nothing as he fights the Balrog. It's all a "Long Forgotten Dream," though, that Frodo wakes up from. This song plays double duty, Frodo and Sam capture Gollum, who agrees to lead them to Mordor, "Would you like to tag along with us?"
Running/Running the Route: Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli sprint overland to catch the orcs, whose speed is aided by magic.
This Old World took me for a "ride" as Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli are met by the Riders of Rohan led by Eomer. They've "lost everything and then their pride,” having been exiled by their king, Theoden, who is under Saruman's spell.
Home From the Forest: tracking Merry and Pippin into a forest, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli are met by Gandalf now wearing white (no Beyonce costume change for Royal, yet). We are introduced to Jon Stickley as Bilbo (not in the movie). I am reminded that as fans, there is no one that compares to Mr. William Apostol for us, but there are other guitarists that are slaying it on the scene, and Stickley doesn't disappoint.
Black Mountain Rag: Maybe depicting Gandalf recounting his story of fighting the Balrog, as the movie depicts him lying on a mountain post-fight, exhausted and dying. Also maybe referring to Mount Doom, as Sam and Frodo see it in the distance on their journey.
In My Tree: Merry and Pippin have escaped the orcs and entered a dark forest. They climb a tree (thought there'd be a Slewfoot here), and discover it to be sentient. It's Treebeard, who’s an ent, ancient and wise and SLOW. Hoom hoom.
Down in the Swamp: Sam, Frodo, and Gollum cross a dangerous swamp at Gollum's direction. Anh Phung (YES!), Tatiana Hargreaves, and Rushad Eggleston join on stage. They absolutely kill it. Guys, we've got 4 fiddles on stage and a fucking flute. WTF is happening?
"Show me Mordor... or show me something more." Nice, Billy. We see Rushad Gollum's sweet side on his cello as Frodo befriends Gollum.
You Must Come in at the Door: Gollum leads Sam and Frodo to the Black Gate... but it is too imposing and guarded to enter. He tells them of another way....
Set one ends with Tennessee Stud, which is about a horse. Tolkien must have loved horses, because they are all over the books and often named. Gandalf summons Shadowfax, Lord of the Horses, wild and free and fast as the wind.
Set two opens without Royal as they play Feast Here Tonight "that's where I'll rest my weary bones.” They've ditched the cloaks and Aragorn Failing is back in his leather jacket. The Ring is making Frodo weary, Sam cooks up potatoes and rabbit for the trio. Gollum is not happy the rabbit is "cooked." They also feast in Rohan when Theoden is saved from Saruman's spell.
Billy tells the story of Gollum pissing off a mountain as he Pees on a Bird. In the movie they are climbing stairs up a cliff. But they hear strange bird calls, and are captured by Faramir.
Nights in White Satin: Royal returns to the stage and gets his costume change as Gandalf the White. He also has a metal silver bass. Gandalf’s staff changes in the movie from a gnarled tree branch to a shiny silvery one. Nice touch guys. Another double duty song? Eowen, Theoden's daughter, falls in love with Aragorn. He wishes to return the favor... but he is sworn to Arwen.
So Many Miles: Rohan is under threat from Saruman's army, and they move the entire kingdom to Helm's Deep, a fortress that has never fallen. It's probably specifically referring to Aragorn falling off a cliff, as Aragorn Failing is on vocals. He is presumed dead but is found by the horse Brego, who takes him many miles to Helm's Deep. These guys are GOOD, y'all. Billy hits a Trey note, the latest of many things blowing my mind, including Billy playing horse hoof rhythms on his guitars, and tuning his guitar mid-strum. Favorite song of the night, so far.
Fishing: Gollum proves to be quite the fisherman, as he dives into a pool while being watched by Frodo and Faramir. I think it's here that Faramir discovers the ring, he resists its pull (!) but takes them to his father in Minas Tirith, on the border of Mordor.
"Cheers, everybody!" I had a Thirst Mutilator last night (me, not Billy)... they're delish.
There is a Time for love and laughter. Arwen is convinced by her father to go with them to the West, and leave Middle Earth, as she will outlive Aragorn by many hundreds of years. Oh no! In other news, check out Anh T. Phung's Instagram. She posts flute stuff!
All Fall Down with Anh AND Rushad? Oh shit. Here it is! "The orc are coming it will all fall down!" Saruman, in a bid to fuel his army, tells his orcs to tear down ALL trees, even the ancient ones. Hrm... isn't Treebeard on his way to Saruman with Merry and Pippin...? He gon be PISSED. Where's my face? I think it melted off....
Bonaparte's Retreat: Saruman retreats into his tower as the ents attack, upset at the forest's destruction. We got four fiddles on stage again with Tatiana and Rushad. I'm recovering from the All Fall Down.
We have a Wargasm right where it should be. The orcs attack Helm's Deep. Balloons fall from the ceiling like last night... this time fiery red, not Shire green. On stage they have an actual catapult that I’m pretty sure shot stuff into the crowd, and there is an orc with a red bomb that blows a hole in the walls, causing the heroes to retreat into the keep. My face melts again. Dang it.
Big River: The ents break the dam and flood Isengard at Saruman's tower. My favorite part of the movie.
In the Morning Light: Galdalf arrives with the Riders of Rohan to save the day. He uses the sunrise and his magic to blind the orc army as he charges down the hill with the Riders. Billy says he skipped over this one and it's a request... probably was going to go right after Wargasm.
This makes sense... because the final song of the set is Taking Water... which would pair with Big River. The lyrics fit nicely, and I encourage you to read them knowing Isengard lies in ruins, and the Helm's Deep army is decimated but victorious, and Faramir at Minas Tirith is being overwhelmed.
The encore is Freeborn Man, and we are joined by Stickley, Phung, T. Hargreaves, and Eggleston. In one of the best dialogues of the Trilogy, Sam, still captured by Faramir with Gollum and Frodo, tells Frodo that there are still things worth fighting for.
Hope you enjoyed it if you got this far!! Enjoy the show tonight if you go. I will try to do this again and I encourage patience. Hah.
Be kind and let me know if I got anything wrong.
NIGHT THREE
DISCLAIMER: I was unable to catch the full stream. I had to listen to a recording and watch audience clips on YouTube like a fucking neanderthal! I did my best. Also, I posted once but it disappeared. Sorry for the delay.
Welcome to the third and final installment. This is an explanation to the best of my ability of the Halloween show with regards to the STORY it tells through song as they relate to the Lord of the Rings movies. If you've been brought joy or passed some time reading or just simply learned something I'm happy to have helped. The response has frankly been overwhelming.
Again and for the last time... this may not be for you, and that's okay. Please enjoy.
The Return of the King is epic by definition, and is the movie that won Best Picture.
We open the show with Rushad Eggleston mainlining us as Gollum with his cello and kazoo. His tone changes, though to a comical scholarly voice, and he tells of how Gollum came to be. Short version: his cousin Deagol finds the Ring while fishing and Smeagol kills him for it. Rushad tells the story in detail at the show, the whole video available on Nugs' YouTube.
A recurring theme in multi-night Billy shows I've noticed is "How will they top this tomorrow?!?!"
Well....
BIlly comes out with an electric guitar... a Les Paul(?). Royal is on electric bass, Billy F on acoustic guitar, Anh Phung on flute, and Duane MF Trucks on DRUMS as Gimli (finally!). They are dressed more formally, especially Aragorn Failing, Legolas Hargreaves, and Arwen Phung who is in white tonight. Frodo Strings’ clothes are tattered and ripped.
We get our Led Zeppelin as I'm sure someone somewhere goes "I knew it!" Zep would famously sit and write Middle Earth songs. Ramble On is not necessarily a story straight from the books, it's more Tolkien-adjacent and stream of consciousness imho, but it specifically says Gollum slips away with the Ring.
They switch to their regular instruments, including Gandalf and his wooden bass (nothing special in significance here, he probably just likes it). Billy says they still have a long way to go, and we are treated to one of my favorites, Highway Hypnosis. The Ring is weighing heavily on Frodo, literally and figuratively, and it is affecting his mind.
Back to electric for Sabbath's the Wizard. Someone else somewhere else says "I knew it!" Billy crowd-surfs, which always scares me because people are dicks sometimes. Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas meet up with Merry and Pippin, who are sitting calmly, smiling, and eating apples (?) in front of an absolutely demolished Isengard.
Back to acoustic for Ready for the Times to Get Better, which just seems like a fitting song at this point. Everyone is tired, and the road is still a long one.
Back to electric for Hendrix's Fire. Billy plays with his teeth at one point. I thought this was Pippin lighting the signal fires, but that comes later. It's probably more likely Gollum turning Frodo against Sam, who is not a Ringbearer and can't understand it's burden. In the movie, I think Gollum literally curls up next to Frodo at their campfire.
Which pairs well with Walk On Boy: Frodo is having trouble carrying the burden of the Ring, and says Sam can't help him.
Lamp Lighting Time in the Valley: In one of the coolest scenes of the Trilogy, Pippins lights a signal fire at Minas Tirith. They trigger a sequence of fires being lit, hilltop to hilltop, mountain to mountain, as the old warning system gets used. If you're curious, the southwest end of the Great Wall of China had a similar system. They're just excavating it.
Leaders: A song that could do a lot here. Denethor is ill-suited to rule, and would let the orcs take over. It's probably the case because he literally "sucks his thumb" while he disgustingly eats in the movie.
Sauron is a Highway that never seems to end. The forces of darkness seem endless and unbeatable. This pairs nicely with All Time Low, which must have been a treat for Trucks. Set one ends with Sam being dismissed by Frodo, having been tricked by Gollum.
Set Two opens with Frodo’s Not Dead, Sam finds Frodo and thinks he’s dead having been poisoned by Shelob the spider, and takes the Ring. Frodo is discovered by orcs and taken, NOT dead.
Know It All: There’s a million miles to go. Let me learn from my mistakes and try to pick up all the pieces. Sam saves Frodo from the orcs. Frodo forgives Sam and is reminded of who has stood with him all this time. They continue on to Mount Doom forever.
Hellbender, another one of my favorites. "The girl from last evening lay silently sleeping" likely refers to Arwen. But Aragorn has more to accomplish before he can save her. Also, Frodo is on quite a hellbender caused by the effects of the ring. At the end he can barely walk.
Dealing Despair is a natural fit. Denethor and Gandalf are at odds with what to do, as Denethor would open the gates and simply let them in. Theoden, in Gondor, is wary, they simply don't have enough warriors. Aragorn enters the Paths of the Dead to try and recruit an ancient band of soldiers who abandoned their duty and were doomed to be cursed until they fulfilled their purpose.
Soldier's Joy: Aragorn convinces the cursed band to serve their purpose, and fight for Middle Earth. They will turn the tide and be freed from their curse.
A third person somewhere in a third place goes "I fucking KNEW IT!" as Battle of Evermore gets played. Ann Phung shows us she can sing, too as she does Sandy Denny's part on the song. More story-driven than Ramble On, it specifically refers to this battle for Minas Tirith.
War Pigs is another natural fit as battle rages. Zeppelin, Sabbath, Floyd. Come on guys.
Fearless: I love Floyd and this is one of my favorite songs. Side note here: my five favorite artists are The Grateful Dead, Billy Strings, Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin, not necessarily in that order. Cliche, maybe, but Billy is like a cross-section of awesomeness for me. Sam and Frodo cross Mordor. but Frodo falls exhausted... and Sam says "If I can't carry the Ring... I'll carry YOU!" and hauls him up Mount Doom. This song could play double duty a bit... who's the fool who wears the crown, Denethor? Regardless, what a wonderful song, no?
Fire Line: In spite of their bravery, and saving Minas Tirith, they must simply bide their time in hopes Frodo and Sam succeed, and attack Sauron’s forces. Also, Sam and Frodo enter Mount Doom... but Frodo hesitates and slips on the Ring.
Fire on my Tongue... a little on the nose with this one. Gollum serves his part in all this as he battles an invisible Frodo for the Ring. He bites off the Ring finger... and cries ecstatically... but falls in the lava of Mount Doom, and the Ring is destroyed after it sits on the lava for a minute, not wanting to be consumed. This is the climax of the movie and the rest is an epilogue, which famously takes like 45 minutes in the movie.
Crown of Thorns: Aragorn accepts his rightful place as King, with Arwen at his side. It’s at this point the white balloons fall from the ceiling in celebration.
On the nose, as they literally have a Long Journey Home back to the Shire. They feel out of place, though, as the Ring and their experiences have changed them forever.
Lord of the Rings 3000! Damn I would have shit if I'd been there... someday, Billy. Someday.
The Road Goes Ever On of course... as it does. Bilbo and Frodo leave Middle Earth with the elves, unable to stay in the comforts of home, and we depart to meet at another show... watch another stream... and think about how we can make OUR world a better place.
Billy is visibly emotional, as am I, as he hugs fans in the front row.
Thank you for joining, I'm sorry I didn't get to watch it, but thanks to Zman for an excellent audience tape. Price was a factor after I'd dropped a few hundred on Saturday's show and hotel and merch.
I'm no Billy scholar, I'm no Tolkien scholar, I'm no music scholar. But I saw something I wanted to do and did it.
See you soon and stay kind to each other.
Ryan
posted by Moose @ 2:09 PM
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