Willie Nelson Concert

Matt and I went and saw a Willie Nelson concert last night.   Yeeehaw!

I must say though that it was one of the strangest shows I've ever been to.  Musically it was outstanding.  Really outstanding.  Send you out of this world on a wave of beauty outstanding.  Willie really blew me away, making more diverse sounds out of an acoustic guitar that I'd have though possible.  Segueing from rocking, dirty blues to traditional folk to silly songs about how no one thinks he's funny anymore which made me crack up.  He hit the old favorites like On the Road Again, Crazy, Always on Mind, Good Hearted Woman, Mama's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys, Georgia On My Mind, as well as Beer for my Horses, Healing Hands of Time, Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die, and Bloody Mary Morning.   He also played several I'd never heard of before which was neat.    He had about ten pre-folded bandannas to wear and kept flinging them off his head into the crowd.  I kid you not the first one he threw into the crowd made the people near me in the balcony lean forward as if there was any chance they'd catch it all the way up there.  Then fans started throwing bandannas and hats up on stage and he'd wear it for a while and then fling in out for some one else.  It was pretty fun to watch.  I imagine that seeing Willie Nelson rockin' your bandanna makes the show even that much sweeter.

 

He played City of New Orleans, a favorite tune of mine to play on my guitar, and he quite garbled the words.  I suppose some people might hate it when that happens.  I for one almost like it.  It is a million times better than the lip-syncing that happens with many contemporary acts.  I certainly wouldn't enjoy it if it happened every song, but the occasional mental lapse seems special.  When I was singing along I felt like I was helping him get through it.  And it was still lovely even if verse one and two merged....and verse two and three.    Perhaps this is something I developed an appreciation for by listening to so many live Grateful Dead tunes.  It happens to the best of them....Jerry, Phil, Bobby, Willie.

 

Lyle Lovett and his Big Band (who opened) were also quite excellent and since I'd never really heard them before it was even better than I hoped.  The highlight of his set was a stunning rendition of  I'll Come Knocking.  Though that song was sung by a small group the majority of his set was with the Big Band.  He had a 15 piece band.  Big band indeed.  I tried to take a few photos, but couldn't get anything decent.  Matt finally figured it out, but after Willie had already started.  At the end of Willie's set Lyle and his pianist came out to join Willie in singing I'll Fly Away.  It was a lovely song to end the show on.

As to the strangeness, well, first off it was supposed to be held outdoors at a soccer park.  At the end of last week the venue was suddenly changed to the Alberta Bair Theatre.  So, now the show is indoors.  At the sort of uppity opera/symphony/play type theater.  Hmmmmm....okay.  Outdoor shows have, in my humble opinion, a much more roomy, flexible, cool, and relaxed vibe than indoor shows.  I think the crowd was strange because it was indoors when everyone had been planning on an outdoor show.  Everyone was sitting down!  There was NO dancing!  People in fact "got after you" if you tried to dance at your seat because they couldn't see.  Which in a way I understand.....but not really.  Everyone should have just been dancing!   There was LOTS of shhhhhhhhhhhhushing, too.  Shushing....at a Willie Nelson concert.  I've never hear shushing at any concert before.  Then came the weirdest part:  Lyle Lovett, the "opening act," got a standing ovation and did an encore.  That's right, the opening act did an encore.  Okay, that was a tad weird, but it is Lyle Lovett not just some act no one has ever heard of.  But then Willie DIDN'T do an encore.  People didn't even really give him a standing ovation....unless you count everyone standing up to collect their things and leave a standing ovation.  Which I don't.  As soon as the band stopped playing the last song the house lights and music came on and roadies started tearing down the set.  Immediately.  It was downright bizarre.  I was standing there cheering, stunned.  Was everyone really leaving?  On what planet does the headliner NOT do an encore and the opener does?  I've never seen that before either.  The ABT also played Willie Nelson music during the break between acts and after the show.  Another first at a concert for me.  Usually the house music is of the same genre, but certainly not the very act performing.  I heard some of the songs played as house music that he then played live at the concert.  Very weird set up for a Willie Nelson concert.  Maybe they aren't used to this type of thing down there at the ABT.  Yeesh, that seems like a lot of complaining.   Sorry about that.... it really was an excellent performance by both artists.

So, I have sort of mixed feelings about the experience if you can't tell.  It is too bad because I think a show at Amend Park would have been much, much better for everyone... all around.  I think the crowd would have been more responsive and lively which in turns makes the band get more responsive and lively.  A good crowd makes the band play better.  It also would have been a beautiful night to dance outside. It was so wonderfully good and so disappointing at the same time... I suppose because it wasn't as good as I thought it could have been.  It wasn't the same show I bought tickets for months ago.  On the other hand I should just focus on how musically delightful it was and that I got to see Willie Nelson live!  I certainly don't regret going.  I just hope that Billings made a good enough impression that he'll come back.  I'd definitely go see him again.  And hopefully it will really be outdoors next time.