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Willie Nelson’s life of late has been playing out like the lyrics of one of his most famous songs, “Me and Paul.”
The song’s opening line goes like this: “It’s been rough and rocky travelin,’ but I’m finally standing upright on the ground.”
No doubt something like that was running through Nelson’s mind as he and his down-home Family band took the stage Thursday at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo at the AT&T Center at 9:30 p.m.
He received a rousing hero’s welcome, a standing ovation, at the sold-out show. For one, Nelson hadn’t played the rodeo since February 2007. For another, folks have been worried.
The 83-year-old country music icon and outlaw country pioneer had to cancel shows last week in California, New Mexico and Arizona due to a serious cold that required rest.
Eric Plata and Vanessa Castillo were downright giddy about finally being able to see Nelson. The San Antonio couple had tried to catch his area shows the last few years, but they were always sold out. Thursday’s show was the first time to catch the singer.
“This is extra special for us, maybe that this could be the last time,” said Plata, noting that they’d heard about the canceled shows last week. “This is something we’ve been waiting for forever.”
“We were worried because we’d heard on the radio that he was sick,” Castillo added.
Not all the news has been grim lately. On Sunday at the Grammy Awards, Nelson won in the best traditional pop vocal album category for “Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin.” Just this week, he released a music video for a new song, “A Woman’s Love,’ from the upcoming album “God’s Problem Child.”
Yes, Nelson’s to be cherished but there’s a lot of fight left, too. That whiskey river has not yet run dry. He waved his brown cowboy hat at the audience.
He opened with ‘Whiskey River.’ Nelson was in good voice and took one of his signature, loud chromatic-note solos high up the neck on his battered steel ’n’ nylon-string guitar, Trigger. Like jazz great Mile Davis, Nelson plays to his own internal clock, slurring notes at will and nimbly filling in with two-note chords and flourishes.
‘Still is Still Moving to Me,” the gypsy-flavored ode, followed. The symbolism wasn’t missed on this crowd who cheered loudly. “Beer For My Horses” had many singing along on Toby Keith’s Dylan-ish country blues.
“Let’s do one for Waylon,’ Nelson said as he kicked into the song he wrote with Waylon Jennings, ‘Good Hearted Woman.’
Screams became deafening as he launched into a rowdy “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys.”
Fifteen minutes into the show, he tore into the somber blues “Funny How Time Slips Away.” He threw in some extra 9th-chords into his passionate guitar solo. As has been his style for decades, he jumped into the next song abruptly; suddenly he was singing his song “Crazy.”
In a blink, he was digging into “Night Life,” urging all to listen what the blues are playing and saying. The applause lines matched his intensity, urging the star on as he played — sometimes under control, sometimes manically. And as always, his piano-playing sister Bobbie Lee Nelson took a piano interlude.
The cowboy hat came off close to 10 p.m. and the red bandana came out for “Me and Paul.” The rascal tale drew guffaws and cheers.
“If You’ve Got the Money I’ve Got the Time’ continued the good-time vibe with plenty of sweet harmonica from Mickey Raphael. “Georgia on My Mind” was the flip side with just the right touch of melancholy, his guitar prominent in the mix. Next, Billy Joe Shaver’s “Fast Train to Georgia,” as if to say let’s keep the mood light and fun. Tom T. Hall’s “Shoeshine Man” had the same effect. Again, Raphael and Nelson traded licks.
Nelson and the band were in top form and more in sync than its show at the Majestic Theatre late last year, which was often wobbly. Not so, here.
“Angel Flying to Close to the Ground” found its gentle spirit awoken by Nelson’s impressive, jazzy countrified guitar solos. It was classic Willie Nelson, still full of surprises and playing it his way — and always revolving around the song’s melody.
“On the Road Again” brought the energy up. His talk-sing reedy style urged the crowd to sing along. His confessional, pleading “Always On My Mind” sounded as believable as the first time he ever sang it. The song drew the loudest applause.
“Let’s do one for Merle,” Nelson said, as he launched into the Merle Haggard tribute “It’s All Going to Pot.” He introduced “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die” as a new gospel song.
“Will the Circle Be Unbroken” (with daughters Susie and Amy singing along) signaled that the show was winding to a close but no one in this crowd of about 12,000 was leaving. They were soaking this country music god in for as long as they could.
“I’ll Fly Away” rolled straight into the funny, if dark, “Still Not Dead.”
“You got time for another one before we go?” he asked. Nelson answered with the gentle “Family Bible” followed by “The Party’s Over.”
He wrote both, and both represent the real Willie Nelson. As did the closing song, “My Home in San Antone.”
He’s an honorary hometown boy everywhere he goes. But he doesn’t need a standing ovation to know that.
hsaldana@express-news.net
hsaldana@express-news.net
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