photo by: Richard Alan Hannon
www.2theadvocate.com
by John Wirt
Willie Nelson was the life of the party Tuesday night at the Varsity Theatre. Playing a 90-minute show with a five-piece band that included his piano-playing little sister, Bobbie, the energetic singer, songwriter, six-string maestro and enduring country music star belied his 76 years.
Moving swiftly from song to song, Nelson never left the stage. Smiling and frequently raising his guitar-picking hand high, pointing a forefinger to the ceiling and beaming like some honky-tonk guru, Nelson obviously loves his work.
Nelson and his troupe opened with a rolling “Whiskey River,” kept moving with “Still Is Still Moving To Me” and got the crowd singing along with Nelson’s 2008 hit duet with Toby Keith, “Beer For My Horses.”
Despite the show’s quick-tempo momentum, Nelson easily slipped his slower songs into the mix. Performed early on, a medley of classic ballads “Funny How Time Slips Away,” “Crazy” and “Night Life” featured Nelson’s extended, free-wheeling guitar solos. He plays his hollow-bodied nylon-string guitar as if it were a Fender Stratocaster, bending high notes in the instrument’s stratosphere.
Beyond the many solos, Nelson played continuous fills between his vocal lines. The singer’s battered old guitar truly is his second voice. While his single guitar lines and arpeggios often had a Spanish tinge, the blues made frequent appearances.
Early in the show, Nelson tossed the black cowboy hat he’d made his entrance with into the audience. He later tied a succession of red bandanas around his head before tossing them to the throng.
As fine a musician and songwriter as Nelson is, he’s also an all-around entertainer, comedy included. “Me and Paul,” a song inspired by 44 years of travel with drummer Paul English, details the pair’s road misadventures in funny style. Nelson also introduced English’s little brother, Billy, a comparatively new member of the band. “We don’t know what he plays,” Nelson joked.
Many more Nelson classics poured from the stage, including “Good Hearted Woman,” “On the Road Again,” “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” and “Always On My Mind.” A medley of “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” and “I’ll Fly Away” fit right in, as did medleys of songs from fellow tunesmiths Kris Kristofferson and Hank Williams.
A few minutes before 11 p.m., Nelson, having given his audience a heck of a show, shook lots of hands in front and waved goodbye as the band played the joyful strains of Williams’ “I Saw the Light.”