Billy Strings Shares Touching Note Detailing ‘Surreal Experience’ Jamming With Phish In Grand Rapids

Little did a young William Apostol know when he was busking on the steps of Van Andel Arena in his early 20s that he would make history at the same venue over a decade later as the first musician in nearly 25 years to guest with Phish at two consecutive shows. Billy Strings penned a goosebump-inducing note about his “surreal experience” jamming and singing with the band on Tuesday and Wednesday in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The collaborations came at a 10,384-seat room (12,000 plus capacity) Phish had last played on November 11, 1998. Billy Strings grew up about 40 miles from Grand Rapids in the tiny village of Muir and spent the formative years of his career performing at venues across the area. Strings forged a friendship with Trey Anastasio in recent years. Apostol invited Phish guitarist to be on hand as he wed longtime partner Ally Dale at Coyote Crossing Resort in Cadillac, Michigan last September and Trey wound up sharing the stage with Billy during the reception.

“Sitting in with Phish for the last two nights was nothing short of a surreal experience, like something out of one of my wildest dreams,” Apostol began his note. Billy then made it clear the quartet didn’t come back to Grand Rapids just to have him sit in as the guest appearances came much more organically. “A couple days ago I remembered they were playing van andel and I hit up Trey for tickets.. he replied and said we should blow it up and I just about shit my pants.. I was just trying to come see the show and I had no idea I’d be in it for the next two nights,” Strings revealed.

The Michigan native went on to explain his early emotions on the invitation and how it turned into much more than he initially expected. “I’m thinking ‘okay maybe I’ll have to learn a song or something’ and I ended up playing a bunch of the second set and encore both nights which means I had ample time to go swimming with the band,” Apostol added. “It was just magic. As a phan, to be on that stage with those fellers and just hear it.. to feel it all so close.. and then to be able to interact with it. To poke it a little bit and tickle it and pet it .. and then to have it react!!”

Billy Strings was reverent to the situation. “I know it’s sacred.. and that band is AIRTIGHT after playing together for all these years .. I didn’t want to get in the way too much, I was already feeling like I shouldn’t be up there fucking up their show .. they’re so good. They don’t need me up there wanking all over the joint.. but they asked me to so of course I’m gonna go try!!” Strings wrote.

The 31-year-old guitarist also addressed the fans in the room over the past two nights. “The crowds energy was one pulsating organism, speaking us into existence. Defining and deciding the notes we all play as one collective heartbeat,” Billy explained. “The camaraderie and seamless interplay between the band and crowd was never so evident. To see it from that perspective, it was just so concentrated.”

While Strings had developed a friendship with Anastasio, he hadn’t yet performed with the other members of Phish. “I can’t speak enough about the kindness of the band as well.. I only really knew Trey and I didn’t know if the other guys wanted me there too or what.. but when I got there for soundcheck, it was like walking on stage to jam with old friends,” he wrote. “They were all so welcoming and nice. The nerves instantly melted and we just let the music carry us off into the evening. It all settled into place and we had an absolute blast. Thank you Trey, Page, Mike and Jon for inviting me into your space .. it is something I will never forget as long as I live.

Check out the full message from Billy Strings below:

Phish heads to Bethel, New York next for a three-night stand starting on Friday and then hosts the Mondegreen festival in Dover, Delaware the following weekend. Webcasts are available for purchase via LivePhish.com.

Billy Strings will return to the stage by making his lone 2024 appearance on Willie Nelson‘s Outlaw Music Festival tour on Saturday at The Gorge in Washington state. The show will mark Strings’ Gorge debut.