Billy Strings Announces Two Shows in Owensboro, KY; Remember the First Time He Played Here?

Yesterday, the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum here in Owensboro made A LOT of people very happy.  I was surprised to see a show announcement for Billy Strings. He and Brian Sutton, and bassist Royal Masat will play two shows in September as part of a smaller venue tour.

Billy Strings sells out massive arenas these days, so those two shows here will be pretty darn special. It won't be the first time he's played in Owensboro, though. I'm reminded of the time the Grammy-winning Bluegrass superstar first played music here. My friend, Chris Langdon, shared a throwback video clip from a set he did on the patio at Lure downtown. (keep scrolling)

Lure Live Music

Lure is a beautiful restaurant on the corner of the waterfront Hampton Inn here in Owensboro. With delicious food, cocktails, a beautiful atmosphere, and when the weather is nice, owner Ben Skiadas schedules a lineup of live music for the outdoor seating area that overlooks the river. It's something he has done ever since the restaurant opened. It really creates a cool and unique atmosphere in downtown Owensboro.

Lure Special Events

The crew at Lure also loves to celebrate a special event. Holidays big and small, they'll create signature drinks and themed plates that express the creative culinary skills in the kitchen and behind the bar. One of those special events is the Kentucky Derby.

Back in 2016, Ben collaborated with ROMP, Katie Keller, and Sandra from Gene's Health Food and Fresh by Gene's food truck to plan a "Talk Derby to Me" party that looked like a total blast.

The ladies encouraged everyone to wear fancy attire, play games, win prizes, and of course, enjoy live music. Sandra told me about a hilarious horse race with stick horses, "The rule was you had to gallop. Like those weird shows where the participants pretend they’re horses." So funny and creative!

Billy Strings and Mike Wheeler & One Fell Swoop

Katie Keller had just moved from Owensboro to Nashville and was immersed in the music scene there. "She had connections with a young up-and-comer called Billy Strings. We booked him and he played his first gig in Owensboro. Not long after, he played ROMP for the first time, and he mesmerized people with his skill," Ben told me. Mike Wheeler and One Fell Swoop also performed that day.

Billy Strings Once Played the Patio at Lure Seafood & Grille in Owensboro

Here is Chris' video of Billy Strings and his banjo intently playing with unmatched skill.

It's so wild to think he was sitting in the little stage corner of Lure's patio right here in Owensboro. Like Ben said, he played ROMP for a few years after that, "It’s pretty cool that a bluegrasser who played on our patio at Lure now sells out stadiums for two-night runs."

Chris told me that Billy loved visiting Daviess County and playing ROMP, "He really enjoyed coming to Owensboro and quickly made friends here. We bonded over our love of skateboarding."

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It's awesome to know that even though Billy Strings is one of the most popular performers in the world, he wants to come back to the Bluegrass Capital of the World. Folks are already planning pre-parties and after-parties, and you know Lure is gonna have some great live music as well. Never know who might show up there!

To request tickets for either of the shows at The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum or the other stops on the tour, click here and cross your fingers!