Willie Nelson

It's not a secret that I have a list of performers I want to see before they die. High on that list was one Mr. Willie Nelson. Now, Willie's only 78, but some people just look like they've really LIVED, you know? In any case, I wasn't going to take my chances and let his most recent concert slip me by, so I headed out to Jersey to catch his show.

There's something charming to me about a performer who is fully willing to be exactly who their audience wants them to be, to the extent that they almost parody themselves. And watching Willie line up a bunch of bandannas and then tie them on for a bit before throwing each into the audience...that was adorable. If only because he seemed to do it all in good humor. He was nothing if not a pro. Songs charged into each other, banter was kept to a minimum, and on we plowed through decades worth of material. It could have felt cold and calculated (and who knows, maybe it was), but with his voice sounding completely unchanged by the years and his guitar playing energetic and enthusiastic, it was a near perfect concert for someone who had never seen him before. From "On the Road Again" to his version of "Me and Bobby McGee," he played everything I could have hoped for. I would argue that he was never the most forward-thinking or innovative musician, but he writes a damn good tune nonetheless. And his new songs , a few of which he played amidst the two hour set showed the great humor and heart that he's always brought to the table.

The audience at the show was a pretty fascinating cross-section of people that went from business suits to neck tattoos. And the curiosity factor about who would get thrown out for drunken misbehavior next definitely added a level of tension to the show. For the record, the first two people ejected didn't even make it to the end of the first song. And there was a 47-year-old woman who wasn't about to go without a fight (which oddly involved her hollering her age repeatedly).

What else is there to say? Willie Nelson is the flannel pajamas of music--cozy and warm and possibly going to lull you into a slumber--in a good way. And if he does an 80th birthday tour, I'll get out there to see him again for sure.