Brad Paisley answers two pals’ viral call to ‘relax and have a beer’

Two upstate New York pals put out a call inviting anyone “black or white” to join them for a beer — and ended up getting a virtual visit from country star Brad Paisley, according to reports.

Longtime friends Benjamin Smith, who is white, and Marcus Ellis, who is black, put up signs last week in front of Smith’s house in Pittsford to bring people together in the wake of George Floyd’s death, news station WROC reported.

“Black or white, relax and have a beer,’” the signs said.

The pair said they were impacted by Floyd’s death and wanted to do something to offer solidarity during the protests across the nation.

“I fought for a free America, a just America,” Smith, who served in the Marine Corps, told the outlet. “When I heard about the George Floyd incident, it really really upset me. That’s not what I fought for.”

Ellis added, “People have a right to protest, people have a right to share their voice, but there’s a right way going about things, and a wrong way going about things.”

The pair parked up in lawn chairs in the front yard and a photo of them clinking beers went viral on Twitter.

“It’s insane,” Smith told the outlet. “It’s such a cool feeling that we’re making such a big impact across the community, and what seems to be across the US.”

And the message even reached Paisley, who took them up on their offer via a Zoom call and shipped beer to their gathering, according to the outlet.

“I’m trying to hear out my friends in the black community, that’s what you guys are doing; together, the same thing,” Paisley told the pair. “I’m all ears.”