Billy Strings Covers Widespread Panic’s “Fishing” at Beach Road Weekend!
Leave it to Billy Strings to bust out the good stuff — every time. Billy and his band have often dipped into the Widespread Panic well, and their Grateful Dead repertoire is legendary, but they really tapped into the motherlode Saturday, August 27, at Beach Road Weekend Musicfest on Martha’s Vineyard, when they played WSP’s “Fishing,” track one from their 2003 album Ball.
Inveterate Panic superfan Lee Rissin sent us this:
I literally tracked down & chatted with Amy Karibian, a gal who was at Billy Strings in Martha’s Vineyard the other day & explained what a big deal this is. She never heard the tune before & had no clue. That being said, she is the real HERO on this one. Enjoy !!!
We whole-heartedly concur, and “Ice Bridges” is incredible as well! Her tag for the YouTube video reads:
Billy Strings “Fishing” (Widespread Panic) Into “Ice Bridges” from his 2021 album “Renewal.” Live at Beach Road Weekend Musicfest, Martha’s Vineyard, MA, August 27, 2022
For points of comparison, here is the original from Ball, with George McConnell and John Bell on acoustic guitars and JoJo Hermann, piano; Todd Nance, percussion; Sunny Ortiz, percussion; and David Schools, bass.
Here also is a version from Live Wood, an exclusive Record Store Day Vinyl release featuring select tracks from Widespread Panic’s sold-out WOOD TOUR of 2012, with Jimmy Herring on acoustic guitar.