Billy Strings is an impressive performer. The band of musicians he has on his tour are also pretty incredible. Theirs is a show based on bluegrass styles, but they mix in elements of jam bands and rock. It draws in a diverse crowd of fans and develops quite a following. This crowd came to the War Memorial Auditorium this week and my cousin was kind enough to offer me a ticket for the show. Thank you primo!

I can’t remember ever visiting the Memorial Auditorium before. It is a large building in the city’s downtown built in the 1920s. It, and the lawn surrounding it, occupy a whole city block. The exterior is brick and stone with a style that is fairly simple except for a roman classical entryway. Standing on the front steps and looking at the building, those stentorian columns loom large over you. This is where metal detectors and security screened the patrons for entry.

Stepping inside was a little surprising to me as the building style changes abruptly to Spanish Mission. An adobe texture finish on the walls, arch motifs, iron chandeliers, and the large exposed wood beam ceiling are reminiscent of many California landmarks. The lobby and halls surrounding the central auditorium are all in this style, with just a little adornment here and there. The colorful flags posted over the lobby stand out against the utilitarian structure, almost giving the sense that you are in a fort. It is a war memorial after all. However, the flags didn’t quite pop as much among this crowd that wore a surprising amount of tie-dye. I also wore tie-dye, so I felt like I fit right in.

Entering the auditorium introduced me to yet another style. Now I sensed the 1920s. The ceiling plaster, modern style chandeliers, and the painted frame around the stage feel like they are exactly 100 years old. There is a small badge of stars and stripes looking over the room, but other than that the room is suited to the purpose. Rows of wood theater seats surround the large floor, which was a wood platform with a nice tilt, set up for viewing the stage more easily from anywhere in the room.

I’m don’t think that the century old room and the modern sound system made a good mix. As the band started to play, I immediately noticed high frequency reflections piercing my ears and making the music nearly unintelligible! I grimaced at myself for neglecting to grab my earplugs. I sat for a bit with my fingers plugging my ears, which dramatically improved the sound, but got up to find a better solution.

Set up in the lobby was a folding table set up with some things so I decided to investigate. Thankfully, they had free earplugs! I grabbed enough for me and the group I was with. The table was set up to support folks who are practicing sobriety. I later learned that Billy Strings exercises sobriety, and this group goes on tour with him to support fans who also follow that path. I thanked them for the earplugs and their community service then returned to the show.

The plugs really helped filter out the resonances! Now I could hear the instruments clearly to appreciate each note, and I could make out the lyrics. Though, I couldn’t hear the sweetness of the highs from the instruments with them in. I found that using my fingers made for the best sound, but I wasn’t going to hold my hands up against my head for the whole show! Looking at old pictures of the room, there used to be curtains surrounding the upper tier, and I wonder if that would have helped. I’d be curious to learn about what decisions the sound engineers made to accommodate the show for the room. I would have liked to try applying a comb filter to the mix.

A very nice projector screen with a live camera and visualizations floated above the performers’ heads. The camera followed the performers through each song. There was a slight delay so it could not be watched as a live representation but the colorful effects did offer a nice visual accompaniment to the sounds. I could just gaze at the floating colors and vibe with the fiery picking of the band. The screen helped a lot as I chose to sit towards the back where I wouldn’t have to turn my head yet had an obstructed view of the stage due to the standing crowd.

It was a sold out show, so it was a crowd! Feeling the energy, I decided to visit the stage after finishing a drink with my primo. It was a challenge, but I manage to install myself front and center with a group of dancers whom I jumped around with for the remainder of the set. One of the dancers, who went by the name Thunder, noted that there was surprisingly little dancing for such an energetic show. I agreed, and I just guess that an indoor show on a Wednesday night doesn’t add up to much dancing? A few songs into the second set and I started to get tired. Keeping in mind that I had work the next day, I decided to slip out, rehydrate, and regroup at our seats.

The music was fantastic. Each player has incredible skill and their group dynamic makes for seamless transitions into each other’s leading parts, in and out of the meandering jams, and sharp transitions to new songs. Billy and the band graced us with an encore of Pink Floyd’s “Fearless” to end the night.