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by Danielle Hatch
Willie Nelson has built a career on his outlaw image, but he could do no wrong on Sunday night when he performed in front of thousands at Summer Camp 2009 at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe.
Nelson is an icon, and the crowds treated him as such from the moment he casually walked on stage and launched into “Whiskey River.” They waved and scrambled to take photos. They sang along, and clapped when he prompted them to.
Nelson wore a black leather cowboy hat, his long gray braid trailing out. He banged on an acoustic guitar that was so beat-up it seemed his fingers had worn off the body’s finish. He smiled, waved and pointed at the crowd as he rolled through the set list, which included “On the Road Again,” “Good-Hearted Woman” “Mama, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys.” In fact, he crammed a hefty collection of songs into the 75-minute set (I counted twenty-something).
The crowd swayed along to slower tunes, like “Always on My Mind” and “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground.”
While Nelson is an advocate for everything from the legalization of marijuana to protecting small family farms, there was no political talk on this night – hardly any talk at all, really. He never introduced himself nor bantered about how it was a beautiful night to play in the heartland – it was, as the thunderstorms that were forecast to hit the area didn’t materialize. Instead, a gorgeous sky of pink and blue stripes lit up the evening as Nelson sang “Blue Eyes Crying.”
The audience leaned into his every move. He was flashed by at least one bikini-clad woman perched above the crowd. (You’d think that would make a 76-year-old take pause, but he didn’t seem to care either way – perhaps this happens often?) Another fan held a sign that read “Please smoke a joint with us Willie,” and the lucky guy who caught Nelson’s cowboy hat after he tossed it into the sea of people seemed electrified with joy.
The sound quality was excellent. You know how sometimes at a concert it can be disappointing when a singer’s voice isn’t quite as polished as it sounds on a record? Not so with Nelson. His distinctive voice is strong and clear, just as it sounds on finely engineered albums.
He doesn’t seem to be slowed down, either, by his years on the road. Minutes after the show ended, his big, shiny tour bus rumbled out of the park, probably to drive all night to his next gig. Here’s hoping he plans a return trip soon.
Danielle Hatch can be reached at 686-3262 or dhatch@pjstar.com.
http://www.pjstar.com/entertainment/x1083522788/Concert-review-The-road-has-been-kind-to-Willie-Nelson