2019 is turning out to be a year of legends in terms of my concert viewing. First there was Sir Paul McCartney, then Jeff Lynne and his latest version of ELO, and now Willie Nelson – one of the greatest songwriters and country music legends of all time.
Opening for him were a new British country / blues husband (Chris Turpin) and wife (Stephanie Jean) duo Ida Mae, who put on a simple and effective set of dark country tunes using nothing but a foot pedal electric bass drum, a guitar, a tambourine, and matching vocals. They were elated to be on the tour and playing in the biggest venue they’ve played so far. According to Jean, the only other time they’d been in an arena was to see a hockey game.
Up next was none other than multiple Grammy Award-winner Alison Krauss. She’d put on a great show the first time I saw her, and I was sure she’d put on another great performance. She didn’t disappoint. Performing on a stage decorated with antique lamps, doll houses, benches, and even a bicycle, Krauss and her band played a lovely set of Americana, gospel, country, and blues that had everyone in the palm of her hand. Among the highlights were “River in the Rain,” “Forget About It,” “Ghost in This House,” “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground,” and “Down to the River to Pray.”
The Red Headed Stranger was up next, and he came out belting “Whiskey River.” He had the crowd laughing and singing during his cover of Toby Keith’s “Beer for my Horses.” Nelson’s singing was a little quiet at first, but his acoustic guitar shredding made up for it. His voice was warmed up by the time he reached “If You’ve Got the Money, I’ve Got the Time” and crowd favorites like “Mama, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys,” “On the Road Again,” and “You Were Always on My Mind.” He also made me giddy by doing three Hank Williams covers (“Jambalaya,” “Hey Good Lookin’,” and “Move It on Over.”).
He ended the show with a fourth Williams cover, “I Saw the Light,” as well as the classic “I’ll Fly Away” – both sung with Ms. Krauss who came back onstage wearing a jacket because it was chilly throughout the whole coliseum. It was nice to see them having fun and you could tell Krauss was joyfully singing with one of her idols.
Nelson has since cancelled his tour due to him experiencing “breathing problems.” I hope he recovers soon and get back on the road. Don’t miss him. He’s still touring at age 86, but I can’t imagine he’ll be doing it much longer.
Keep your mind open.
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