Wow, September turned out to be a favorite month, for sure. Willie Nelson & Family performed four shows in the Rocky Mountain region (Greeley, Telluride, Grand Junction in Colorado, and in Cheyenne, WY). So nice to have shows that I can drive to. I’m exhausted, though, but I’d do it again tomorrow, given the chance. Cheyenne fans had to wait a long time to see Willie — the show was announced in January, originally scheduled for April, and then re-scheduled for September. The show sold out for April, and everyone held on to their tickets. (There were several empty seats, owing to the Nebraska – Wyoming football on Saturday. Hotels in the area were sold out for months because of the game.)
The shows were so good. When you see several shows in a row, you get to hear so many different Willie Nelson songs. He starts out the show with hits, only some because there’s not enough time, but he gifts his fans with songs that we love. In second half of show, he mixed it up with other favorites, like “I Guess I’ve Come To Live Here in Your Eyes” one of my all time favorites, and “The Party’s Over”, and the beautiful “One Day at a Time”, Matador and a couple Billy Joe Shaver songs, and “No One to Blame But Myself”. I don’t know how he packs so many songs in, but I’m glad he does.
During the show she’s all business, and you see her only when her brother invites her to “stand up so they can see you all over Cheyenne”. Always gracious, Bobbie stays after the show and greets her fans.
Willie introduces Bee Spears to the crowd.
In Cheyenne, the band was set up waaaaay at the back of a very large stage of the Civic Center. I don’t know what the deal with that was. The band seemed a long ways away, but Willie managed to connect with everyone anyway, with waves, smiles, and raising his glass of water in toasts to the crowd. When he tossed a bandanna, he would walk the twenty yards up to the front of the stage, then turn around and walk back. After show was over, he stayed and signed autographs, posed for pictures, hugged fans for a long time.
The venue had a ‘no photo’ policy, but I took a few at end of show.