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The 10 best moments from Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan at the Hollywood Bowl

BBG News

As a lifelong fan of American roots music, I can confidently say that Wednesday night at the Hollywood Bowl was nothing short of legendary. The Outlaw Music Festival brought together three titans of the genre – Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, and John Mellencamp – for an unforgettable evening of timeless tunes and heartfelt performances.

For the first time since 2009, Willie Nelson (age 91) and Bob Dylan (age 83), two music legends still with us, embarked on a long journey together. On Wednesday evening at the Hollywood Bowl, they captivated the audience individually, contributing to this summer’s Outlaw Music Festival tour.

Here are 10 highlights from the sold-out show:

In 2016, Nelson started the yearly Outlaw tour, but had to cancel the initial performances this year due to sickness. However, during his performance recently, he appeared perfectly healthy, ambling onto a minimalist stage with his band of six, sitting next to his son Micah, and starting his hour-long concert with a lively rendition of “Whiskey River,” a song he’s performed numerous times in the past.

2. On Wednesday, Lukas, Nelson’s other son, was absent from his typical position in his father’s band. In his place, John Densmore of the Doors unexpectedly showed up and played various percussion instruments during the performance, as described by the singer. Additionally, Amanda Shires performed a lively rendition of “I’ll Fly Away” on the fiddle. Lastly, Lily Meola, a past contestant on “America’s Got Talent,” collaborated with Nelson for a captivating version of “Will You Remember Mine.”

3. “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground” seemed like timeless wisdom when Nelson composed and performed it for the 1980 album, “Honeysuckle Rose.” Over four decades later, this country-jazz ballad remains a captivating performance; in fact, if anything, its charm has grown even more profound as Nelson manages to discover fresh ways to shape its intricate vocal line. The A+ guitar solo is a standout feature as well.

4. For decades, this dedicated progressive advocate avoided discussing election matters during his performance, but it was intriguing that amidst an energetic set filled with popular songs like “On the Road Again,” “Always on My Mind,” and “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys,” he chose to perform a new song from his 2021 album, “The Border”: a powerful portrayal of the nuanced morality found in a region frequently oversimplified as a political caricature.

Lately, there’s been a breeze carrying recollections of Dylan’s electric era, stirred up by the recent trailer for James Mangold’s biopic featuring Timothée Chalamet. However, Dylan seems to be looking back to before that transformative period with tender renditions of late-’50s hits like Chuck Berry’s “Little Queenie” and the Fleetwoods’ “Mr. Blue,” the latter being as light as a feather.

Alternatively, Dylan’s grumbling rendition of the wickedly cynical “Ballad of a Thin Man” during Wednesday’s performance, where he stood boldly with his legs apart behind a grand piano, revealing his shirt up to his navel, seemed to indicate that he still harbors new discontent over the misconceptions prevalent in the mid-’60s.

Long-standing friends who once contributed to “We Are the World,” Dylan and Nelson, haven’t performed together at the Bowl. However, Dylan did ask Mickey Raphael, Nelson’s harmonica player, to join him on stage for a beautiful rendition of “Simple Twist of Fate.”

Alongside the two main acts, the Outlaw tour also includes John Mellencamp, a seasoned artist in American roots music. His passionate, albeit somewhat dry performances of “Small Town” and “Pink Houses” during our show on Wednesday sparked thoughts about how perspectives on the heartland have significantly evolved over the past 40 years.

9. Mellencamp’s simplified interpretation of his song “Longest Days”: “Cease worrying about matters that don’t truly matter.”

10. Amidst the weathered faces, Brittney Spencer, who received recognition this year after being featured by Beyoncé on “Cowboy Carter”, began the concert with a playful and lively act that culminated in a fusion of Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places” and her own “I Got Time.”

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2024-08-04 18:06

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