http://wvgazette.com
by: Autumn Hopkins
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The last time I saw Willie Nelson I was standing in center field of a ballpark, sweating in the summer heat. That was a far cry from the plush seats and air-conditioned temperatures of the Clay Center. Nonetheless, this wide variance in venue speaks to the universal appeal of Willie Nelson. Crossing age barriers, cultures and musical genres Nelson gives the performance of a lifetime every time.
Opening for Nelson was young, energetic, country singer Drake White. White got the crowd in the mood with a seven song set that included rambunctious, bawdy, playful tunes and slow, mournful, melodic ballads like “What You Can’t Have.” White was definitely a crowd pleaser and signed many CDs during intermission.
Intermission went on a tad to long but Nelson came out to a pumped and exuberant crowd. The first portion of his hour and a half long performance consisted of a lively medley of old favorites mixed with some newer songs. Songs like “Whiskey River” and “Crazy” were treated to spiffed up renditions involving lots of intricate guitar work and mind-blowing harmonica solos.
Although Nelson is almost 80 years old, his age is not reflected at all in his energy level or his guitar playing. If he can no longer hit some of the high notes, he more than makes up for it with his utterly charming ability to give new life to an old classic and his guitar skills only improve with age.
Nelson ended the concert with a strange, yet entertaining mixture of old gospel classics intermingled with songs like “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die.” Always charming, Nelson stayed after for quite some time signing autographs and taking pictures with his fans.
It is always a pleasure to see a living legend perform and this concert was no exception. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to see him.