Willie Nelson & Family with Asleep At the Wheel

See my earlier post, Concert Fun, to learn more before reading this.

The show that I went to was a week before Willie’s 91^st birthday.  It’s amazing that he is still touring, playing, and even keeps releasing new music.  I doubt I will ever be that prolific with anything but it sure is a nice goal to strive for.  90 years old is old, and unfortunately it kind of showed during this performance.

He had Trigger with him, as that is a staple of all his live shows.  If you don’t know, Trigger is his acoustic guitar that he has had and played for over five decades.  It never had a pick guard and Willie wore a hole right through the wood. It some autographs on it and is completely battered. It has a very unique sound. But it didn’t sound great that night.  I think there was a bit of an issue with the sound tech’s side.  There were times nothing could be heard while it looked like he was playing.  Other times, it sounded so high pitched, that there was no way that it was tuned like that for a show. 

The show was at the Rady Shell.  It is this awesome outdoor venue that was built right on the bay for the San Diego orchestra and symphony.  It has an incredible sound, usually.  Being right on the water, there are amazing sunsets to take in.

I have no idea what it feels like to be touring all the time, let along doing it in my 90s.  Willie sat the whole time during the performance.  There is nothing wrong with that.  But he didn’t sing all the songs and didn’t even play all the songs. 

The “& Family” part of the tour was that he had his son Micah Nelson, Particle Kid, with him.  Micah played backing guitar for most of the songs and even some lead.  He also sang a few songs.  I believe one song, he did entirely by himself, and another Willie sang back up on.  Micah is extremely talented and did a great job.  His solo music is worth checking it out.  Some of it has a country feel and some of it is very experimental and cool.  There was also another song that the other guitar player sang and played. (I wish I could remember all of the details.)

There was an opening band, Asleep At The Wheel.  They did a good job.  I didn’t really know anything by them.  But with their set, break down and set up between them and Willie, the whole show was two hours.  It started at 1900 and was finished by 2100.  Willie’s set was about the last hour of that.  However, there was no encore.  He finished and the lights went on.  I know it would be impossible to play 70 years’ worth of music.  But that does mean there is so much to choose from and play for more than an hour. 

It was shocking that he didn’t play for more.  It also makes sense, too.  He is 90, tired, sat the whole time, and didn’t even do the whole show.  He also was coughing a bit.  That is a tough call to if that is an older person cough or a reefer cough. 

I may have seen him perform at Woodstock ’99.  I can’t remember.  My friend remembers seeing him, so it’s a good possibility that was the first time I saw him.  Either way, I’m glad that I got to see Willie Nelson play and have a recollection of it.  A truly great musician but not a truly great show.  I would recommend seeing him, if you can, but realize you are seeing him play in his 90s, not in his peak.