(I took this one.)
This was the best Willie Nelson & Family show at Red Rocks ever. Do I say that every year? There is something timeless about seeing Willie Nelson at Red Rocks. There’s always that moment when Willie is in the middle of a song, he arches his back and grins at a fan up in the stands, the wind is blowing his hair. Priceless; you could be at any Willie Nelson and Family Shows Willie over the decades they have played Red Rocks. Sister Bobbie on piano, Paul and Billy English on drums, Bee Spears on bass, Mickey Raphael on harmonicas. And there’s Willie Nelson playing great music and making his fans happy again. Timeless.
Red Rocks is a one of a kind natural amphitheater, just at the edge of the mountains west of Denver. It is formed naturally, by two giant rocks that were shoved out of the earth a long, long time ago. Indians used it for their rituals and special occasions, and then in early 1900’s, artists started performing there. The City of Denver wisely purchased the park and have upgraded it, and made some simple improvements. They show movies there on nights when there are no concerts, High School graduations are are held there and on Easter, they have an unforgettable sunrise service. It is a great place to hear any concert in the summer, and when Willie Nelson plays there, it is pure magic.
photo: Daniel Petty. (See all his photos at Denver Post.)
When Willie walked on stage, he greeted us with, “It’s nice to be back!” and the crowd went wild. Colorado loves Willie Nelson and he gives that love right back to us. Maybe because he lived here for a little while, or because he has played Red Rocks so many times, we claim Willie Nelson as our own, too, a little bit ours, even though he’s got the Texas ranch and the Hawaii home, the LA apartment, and his tour bus, where he spends most of his time. But everyone everywhere claims him as their own, and he is. I just know summer wouldn’t be summer without without getting to see Willie Nelson and Family at Red Rocks.
I loved that everyone stood for Willie’s entire set, because we love Willie, out of respect, because we had to dance. He was there for one hour, and no one wanted to miss one minute of that most enjoyable hour ever. The amphitheater, is a comfortable place to see shows; the floor and seats are made of stone, and the aisles are wide, with lots of room for dancing, and people do dance. It is a challenge to get up and down those stairs, but worth the climb, every time.
I met up with Janis from Texas and Lane and Kattrina, from Arizona, new friend Shelly, from Hawaii, and Ruthie from Scooterville sat with us for a while, too. Martha English joined us out front, along with Promise of the Real band and family members who sat with us after their band had performed. Mickey Raphael and Brenda sat with us, too, for Randy Houser, and Jamey Johnson’s set, too. Mickey created a stir when he walked out, fans wanting autographs, pictures, and to shake his hand. One fan came up to Mickey and said, “What are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be getting ready back there?” Mickey said, “I am ready.” It was cute when Randy Houser tried to toss Mickey a guitar pick after his set, but another fan got it.
My favorite Denver Nuggets player ended up sitting with us, too , somehow, when Willie came on. The Birdman created a stir, even though his hair was not done up, he was recognized. I usually see Colorado’s own baseball hall-of-famer Goose Gossage there, he’s such a big Willie Nelson fan, but he might have been up on the side of the stage watching from there.
We had so much fun. We were there all day, sitting in the park or sitting downstairs, wandering around watching the crews set up, enjoying all the music. Willie came on at about 9:55 and played for an hour, but the music started at 4 in the afternoon with the other bands in the Throw Down tour. It was a beautiful day, sunny, warm. Night was beautiful, perfect summer night in the mountains. We needed our jackets at night, but barely.
The Security Guard in front of us told Janis and I that we couldn’t use our big cameras. I got to take a few for the first couple of songs, because the Throwdown People kindly gave me a photo pass. I’ve never seen a security guard that was immune to Janis and her drawl, her Texas drawl, but the guy in front of us kept his eye on us, and we didn’t use them; why risk being kicked out of a WN&F show? Janis had a small camera, and I’m looking forward to seeing her photos as soon as she gets back to Texas and settled in. I just sat and enjoyed the show.
I took this one.