Billy Strings has picked a theme for his forthcoming two-night Halloween celebration at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore. The artist, who is known for devising well-conceived plans for the holiday ahead, says he and his band will evoke motifs from the Joel and Ethan Cohen-directed O Brother, Where Art Thou? The theatrical restaging will occur on Thursday, Oct. 31, followed by night two, Nov. 1, dubbed The Men and Women of Constant Sorrow Performing the Songs of Highway Prayers & More.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? draws out the storyline of three Mississippi convicts who have escaped prison sentences in search of hidden treasure. On the run, the trio stops by a radio station, cutting a tune under Soggy Bottom Boys, making the airwaves and becoming a hit, further intertwining the role folk music plays in the film’s presentation, a major component of its assembly, due in part to the producer and musician T Bone Burnett’s role in assisting the directors in culling selects that lean into gospel, Delta blues, bluegrass, swing and country.
To fulfill the task at hand, Strings, who will be joined by his typical backing band, Royal Masat, Alex Hargreaves, Billy Failing and Jarrod Walker, has also tapped special guests such as Tim Blake Nelson, Jerry Douglas, Chris Thomas King, Sierra Hull, Duane Trucks, Nat Smith, Rachael Davis, Cris Jacobs, and Lindsay Lou. According to the musician, after striking O Brother, Where Art Thou? Motifs the ensemble will gather for their follow-up on Nov. 1, performing songs off his 2024 release LP Highway Prayers.
Notably, soundtrack favorites like Ralph Stanley-famed “Man of Constant Sorrow” have appeared during Strings’ live performances, threading an already-established connection between the task at hand and the musician’s ties to the forthcoming theme. Watch Strings perform the aforementioned favorite below.
For more information, see Strings’ post below and visit his official website.
The post The Soggy Bottom Boys: Billy Stings Applies ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’ Theme to Halloween Run, Details Baltimore Run appeared first on Relix Media.
