Billy Strings took the stage for a recent performance wearing a protective helmet after being struck by an object mid-performance the previous night.
The Grammy Award-winning bluegrass musician was playing the first of three shows in Fishers, Indiana, on Thursday, August 6, when a fan threw a lighter at his head.
Before the object hit him, Strings, 33, had been telling the crowd how happy he was to be performing after having to postpone a previous show.
“Well, thank you so much, I’m so glad I can make it down here. To make up for last time,” he told the crowd, as reported by NME.
After the object hit him, he reacted: “What the hell, man? Maybe not. Maybe I shouldn’t have come back.”
The musician continued: “You know, why the f*** would you throw something at me?”
“I was just getting ready to say how much I’m happy to be here, and I love you guys and all this shit and then you throw something and it hits me right in the f***ing head,” he said.
He then gestured to the crowd, telling them: “Find out who that was and sodomize them, please.”
On Friday, the following night, Strings — real name William Apostol — arrived onstage wearing a hockey helmet with a built-in plastic visor to protect his eyes.
Fans rallied around the musician after a video of the incident went viral, as one person commented: “billy is literally the nicest dude on the planet. why would anyone do that?”
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“It’s sad people have to be like this,” said one fan. Another said: “I’ve never understood why people throw things at people they went to see a concert of! Why are you there?!”
Others praised String’s response — and wearing the helmet onstage — as a “masterclass in how to handle it.”
“I had a huge belly laugh when he came out. Love it,” said one fan on Reddit. “The situation was so s***ty but I’m glad he’s able to find a little humor and light in it,” said another.
Strings had previously rescheduled his Indianapolis dates because he had fractured his leg earlier this year in a skateboarding accident backstage.
The musician is continuing his 2026 tour, with upcoming dates including shows in Fargo, North Dakota; Bozeman and Missoula, Montana; Vancouver; and Everett, Washington.
Strings is known for revitalizing the bluegrass genre with his fast flat-picking guitar skills.
Strings released his debut album Turmoil & Tinfoil in 2017. He won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album in 2021, 2025 and 2026 for his albums Home, Live Vol. 1. and Highway Prayers, respectively.