Island Records Country veteran Willie Nelson graced the stage at the Sun Theatre in Anaheim Tuesday night.
By David Holmberg
Daily Bruin Contributor
Country music is cool. This may be a shocking statement for many of today’s youth, who commonly describe their musical tastes as “everything except country,” but those who make this gross generalization clearly were not attending the Sun Theatre on Tuesday night, where country music and American legend Willie Nelson performed.
While many people today may know him from his classic song “On the Road Again,” or his brief appearance in the recent films “Wag the Dog” and “Austin Powers,” Willie Nelson has transcended the years.
With a voice so purely his own, Nelson plays a country music most would not recognize. It is not the twangy, line-dancing, “Lost my dog and my girl” ballads that infiltrate new country music. Instead it is an acoustic revival of Americana roots music, with newfound liberalism, a little blues and a bucket of soul.
Even his image defies the idea of a typical country star. No tight black jeans or shiny cowboy boots. In fact, this country star even prefers wearing a red bandanna around his head and long braided hair instead of the standard cowboy hat. Yes, it is a startling idea, but not all stereotypes are correct.
Opening Tuesday’s concert was The Fryed Brothers from Sacramento. Although the group had a strong country sound, the lyrics lacked sophistication, as the band sang about brother “Jimbo’s Bike” and having good times in a pickup truck. Thankfully, they only played long enough to whet the appetite for the quality music yet to come.
When Nelson finally took the stage, he played to a full and enthusiastic crowd. “I love you Willie!” was the call of the night, along with cat calls and other words of praise. The people had come to see one of music’s most talented artists, and they were not disappointed. With a huge Texas flag hung behind him and his band at hand, Nelson, who will be 68 years old in April, wore out the crowd with over two hours of non-stop music.
Starting off fast and furious, Willie and the band began with a rocking rendition of “Whiskey River,” then jammed through one classic after another. The songs flowed together without even a pause, creating a rich and deep storybook of American feeling. Every song was situated perfectly to create a narrative full of highs and lows.
There is an honesty to Nelson’s musical style that makes even his covered songs like “Me and Bobby McGee” and “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys” become personalized heartfelt messages.
In this first set, many of the songs that made him famous were raced through, such as “Always on My Mind” and “On the Road Again,” leaving little time for reflection. This did some disservice to them, as it seemed the songs were being sped through in order to finish the show.
However, this was far from the truth. As his first set ended, the red bandanna was tied around his head and an American flag replaced the Texas emblem. It was this transition that signaled that it was time for Willie and company to start showing what country music has always been about: soul.
In what appeared to be an almost Bob Dylan-esque departure, Nelson picked up an electric guitar, the first to be seen on stage all night, and headed into new territory: the blues. His latest album, “Milk Cow Blues,” is a collection with performances from major blues players including Dr. John and the legendary B.B. King.
One limitation of country music is that the sometimes over-simplified guitar riffs do not allow artists to showcase their full potential. With the blues, on the other hand, Nelson was able to show that playing chart-topping music for well over 40 years has made him into a guitar virtuoso.
Although his guitar playing has improved over the years, Nelson’s voice has remained untouched. It was virtually impossible to notice even a hint of change from that voice which has been recording since the 1950s.
In the past, Nelson has played with other country legends such as Waylon Jennings, Emmylou Harris and Johnny Cash, and also often performed solo. For this concert he was joined by a top-rate group of musicians. Two guitarists, Jackie King and Jody Payne, at first seemed excessive, but by the end of the show they had proved their worth. Bobbie Nelson’s piano work kept the songs rooted in traditional country, while Mickey Raphael’s harmonica infused rock ’n’ roll modernity.
From the blues he moved into classic Hank Williams country and everything sounded right. From fast songs to slow songs and good songs to bad songs, it seemed like anything Nelson played was done with such expertise that it was a pleasure for both the crowd and himself.
Several times near the end of the concert he started to leave the stage, but it was as if he could not stand the idea of stopping for the night, so he just kept right on going. Clearly, he was as much on the stage to play for himself as he was to play for the audience.
At the end of the night, with his weathered guitar and weathered persona, it was clear why Willie Nelson is, and always will be, one of the most legendary country rock stars of the past, present and future generations.