On the stage again, Willie’s still a hero
Willie Nelson, at this point in his storied career, only has to show up to earn a hero’s welcome.
The legendary performer was met with mountainous cheers when he walked on stage and strapped on his guitar Saturday at RodeoHouston. The crowd was ready to listen and love.
This was Nelson’s first RodeoHouston appearance since 2004. He drew a crowd of 75,008, just 25 people shy of Luke Bryan’s Thursday night show.
There were (completely unfounded) rumors that he’d cancel the appearance. Nelson canceled shows in January and February due to illness.
It made “Still Not Dead Again Today,” a darkly humorous ode to internet death rumors, even funnier.
Nelsen looked and sounded healthy on the revolving stage. He sported his trademark braids, red bandana and a black T-shirt that read Paia, a small town in Maui, where he’s lived for years.
Nelson, who turns 84 next month, talk-sings his way through most of his songs. But what continues to make him arresting onstage is a deft balance of levity and gravity.
It was a kick to hear him yelp “Mamma!” throughout “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys.”
He charged through “Whiskey River,” “Still is Still Moving to Me” and “Beer for My Horses.” Dutiful sister Bobbie Nelson accompanied him on piano.
He paid tribute to Waylon Jennings (“Good Hearted Woman”) and Merle Haggard (“It’s All Going to Pot”). And he led the crowd through a Hank Williams medley that included “Jambalaya,” “Hey Good Lookin’” and “Move it on Over.”
There were too many classics to count: “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground,” “On the Road Again,” “Always on My Mind,” “Georgia on My Mind.”
And there were even more that he couldn’t get to in just an hourlong set.
“Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die” was a laugh-out-loud highlight. (“Take me out and twist me up/And point me toward the sky.”)
Minutes later, he took the crowd to cowboy church with “Will the Circle be Unbroken,” “I’ll Fly Away” and “I Saw the Light.”
“I hear y’all,” he said amid the nonstop cheers. “Thank you very much.”
Nelson got through a few seconds of “Me and Paul” before stopping the song and closing with a spirited “Shoeshine Man.” (Hey, he’s earned the right to change his mind.)
He lingered before stepping into the black SUV that whisked him out of the stadium. The crowd was still roaring as the lights came on.