Billy Strings - "Pancho & Lefty" Live From Out There, Nashville, TN

Billy solo, playing a Townes Van Zandt cover, from the Nugs.net live-stream on 2020-04-04

[@stasylumbassist1]

Billy is a cultural icon. He's so committed to his heroes, breathes them new life, with re-imagination, covers and his own originals with thems styles. Therefore, making him and them immortal. 💕

[@hillpunk92]

calm down... dudes awesome we all agree.

[@joebill663]

​@hillpunk92 good cover artist for sure

[@BlacksburgEV]

Nope, I totally agree with this. No one knows who Townes Van Zandt is. This dude is keeping him and a lot of other cool influences alive for another generation. Just cause you know don't mean everyone else does. Townes is still to this day criminally unknown.

[@longtalljay]

@@BlacksburgEV More people know Townes across the planet than know Strings. As it should be, and will be in the next century.

[@ThomasSmith-if5bp]

So lll say I just found TVZ a couple years ago I just found about Blaze Fowley in last two weeks. Strings does a touching vid where he plays Fowley songs at his grave sight. Strings brings many artist to all of us and I love him for that. My only hope and prayer is that Strings stays healthy and “mostly” clean The fast living life can be tough to navigate, some of our most famous young artists didn’t get a full go of life. When you say your prayer for Lefty and Pancho say a prayer for Strings too.

[@justinfaulhaber2492]

Townes is smiling ❤❤❤

[@axispowerdiesel]

Billy is all the best artists of the last 70 years rolled into one doobie

[@tonieanne1]

A phenom. A blues/folk/country phenom. I want to see him at least once.

[@dahlbaker]

Nice one. I have been covering that song for more than 45 years.

[@richardjacobs8996]

Hope you don’t use “slip away” in 3 verses: please use the original lyrics-they matter to the story.

[@FirewoodMidwest]

Townes would be proud.

[@rickhocks2616]

Billy's version of "Pancho and Lefty" is my favorite since Emmy Lou Harris covered this classic ... I love it!!!

[@alro11]

Billy is a true bringer of music through his heart and talent bringing these songs to a new generation - i heard Emmylou Harris sing this when i was in my 20s back in the 70s a sad story relevant today i am afraid ❤

[@bellatheband]

Beautiful! I love this melody and Billy's doing it very good!

[@diamonddiamond8853]

Thank You Billy for Tiping your Hat to A Incredible Artist Like ....TOWNZ Van Zandt , I Hope One Day , Yourself & Estas Tonne ...are on Tour Together .... 🌻 🙏 🌻 . Or cross paths , ...and PlaY Together . I'm so Happy that you have Respect for TOWNZ ,...Definitely check OUT,...." ESTAS TONNE " ,... BILLY 🙏 🌈. Both You guys have Such Incredible Gift's , Healing Hearts & SouL's Threw Song 🎵 🎶.

[@jimrebr]

My favorite song by my favorite songwriter TVZ, I just adore Billy Strings, he if the future of music, IMHO.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@DML575]

Great cover of a great tune, Mr. Strings put his stamp on it.

[@bubbyclark4]

Love Billy Strings he can play any thing!! BMFS🐐

[@staleyexplores]

one of my favorites, thx for sharing this friend! stay lifted.

[@staleyexplores]

out of kindness I suppose...

[@froggiechar]

Billy sure is and exceptional talent! Such talent is so special to listen to! Peace, Charles

[@Dave-gf3kd]

Beautiful

[@schnellguitars6128]

I love when he grabs the OM for a solo number

[@hemidolful]

This dude is on an entirely different level, whoever is reading this please for the love of god tab this and do a tutorial on this. This shit deserves it.

[@ericw751]

Agree, but you should listen to Townes. HE's the real deal!

[@breathplay112]

Why you need the tab when you got something better here? You can slow down the speed and not only listen but see exactly how he plays it

[@hemidolful]

No kidding Townes is incredible. It just makes it easier with the tab my dude, the video is a bit choppy-no hate just love man, good to all.

[@brmahoney27]

It's nice but I was disappointed he didn't fingerpick it like Townes.

[@JasonUmbrellabird]

It's fairly ordinary strumming and picking. If you can play guitar to a level of accompanying yourself you should beable to do this without tab...

[@chadgranoff5698]

Billy does the one thing that most Jerry/Deadheads don't realize that Jerry did. Forget the tye dyes, long solos, drugs, etc. Jerry learned songs. He knew 100s. Most Deadheads I know are still playing Me and My Uncle or Scarlet. But bluegrass (like jazz) is a style where you have to learn songs and melodies. Jerry started there and never looked back. Billy's got the same thing. Both dig deep and played killer B-cuts... like this one.

[@wshow11]

This Townes Van Zandt song was hardly considered a B side for anyone that cut it, as far could see , it's been a hit song for others, and should be a hit for Billy. I thoroughly agree with you on Billy, the caveat being that he finds great songs by great writers.

[@jimrebr]

This is no B-cut, it’s an amazing CLASSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love Jerry and you are right about him, but you obviously haven’t been educated enough about music, start listening and learning before ever calling Pancho and Lefty a B-cut, it just shows your ignorance, sorry man, but my words are truth. Do you also think Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Willy Nelson or any of the many musicians who have covered Townes Van Zandt B musicians??? Themselves fighting words.

[@efremlee6990]

Im sure Towns is up there patting his legs GOD bless keep it up Billy

[@PianoMatronNeeNee]

Wow amazing ❤

[@beckyhopkins3478]

Great song

[@judi3369]

💚🎶

[@jonathanstoffregen390]

Yes.

[@claycarpenter8625]

This is soooooooooo good and having said that you cant outdo country music GOATS Merle and Willie. I mean thats just not fair but really enjoyed this version.

[@brmahoney27]

Merle and Willie didn't write this song.

[@claycarpenter8625]

@@brmahoney27 never said they did. I know Townes Van Zandt wrote it but come on now, Merle and Willie are the ones known for it.

[@TheYamahog12]

@@brmahoney27Most people know that. So what?

[@jimrebr]

The only reason they recorded P&L, is Willy and Merle needed one last song to finish their album, Willy’s daughter brought him a copy of Emmylou Harris (and Rodney Crowell) covering TMZ and Willy said “That’s the song!”, It was 3am but Willy woke Merle up and made him record it immediately and yes it went to #1!

[@sharonmaberry-bourke7013]

Brill~

[@shariblack4128]

Michigan proud . . . Lovely guitarwork . . . banjolike ❤ With a last name of STRINGS to boot . . .

[@topangus123]

Love it. Nowadays if I take a big old pull off fatty I just end up staring at my guitar trying to remember what I was going to play….

[@ZionForman]

great

[@phil.d-roll6393]

🍺🔥💨

[@senoramoeba]

All the Federales say Ya need to play this fingerstyle way I guess Billy gets away... Cause he's brilliant I suppose

[@AdministrativeFinance]

Hahahaah

[@Wqsmh]

❤

[@longcastle4863]

This was beautiful. And made me have flashbacks of my love for Jackson Browne while I was growing up. So I'm off to see if he's put out any new music recently. Thank you.

[@tomdalyphoto]

Dang, no exhale - baller

[@josey7854]

🤠

[@LAW___ONE23]

🩵🩵💙

[@TheYamahog12]

This guy ain’t half bad!

[@jon6810]

Imho the way BMFS reinterprets the guitar part for flatpicking enhances Townes' original masterpiece. Billy probably doesn't have better vocals than Emmylou Harris or Jason Isbell (no offense intended, that's a tall order), but the melancholic beauty of his instrumental chord progressions is second-to-none amongst any version of Pancho and Lefty I've ever heard, and elevate it (for me) to the best version of this song in existence.

[@richardjacobs8996]

The Federales did NOT let Pancho “slip away” in verse 2, and Lefty in 4. If you care about TVZ get the lyrics right… not Willie (great case his rendition is…)

[@wolfsvision940]

Blah blah blah

[@Yorkie285]

Ease up on the smoking, looks bad on your videos.

[@timothylawrence707]

Billy is a recovering meth addict. He's playing with fire by smoking pot.

[@kojacked]

"don't be yourself"

[@mattfoley2315]

O he should be chopping lines

[@timothylawrence707]

@@mattfoley2315 So, you wish to see Billy relapse? Nice guy...

[@mjz242]

It's practically legal everywhere you go. Loosen up a little geeze

[@vardenguitar]

Tbh overpicked in my opinion it's a simple song

[@MikeSmith-uf3zn]

sorry but so sick of thus dude he is out of his depth. van zandt was a genius