Willie’s Picnic

When the legendary Willie Nelson throws a party, you can expect a huge turnout plus lots of special guests. That’s exactly what happened on Saturday night, August 11 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in San Antonio (or Selma). After canceling his original 4^th of July picnic at Luckenbach, Willie opted for the more structured environment of the outdoor venue. An abundance of reasons have surfaced as to why the Luckenbach site was nixed. Among those being, Willie was tired and just didn’t want to mess with the hassles that the all day event often guaranteed. Other sources say that all the necessary permits weren’t obtained in time for the massive event to take place. For whatever the reason, his fans were relieved when three shows were booked in Dallas, San Antonio and Houston.

Billed as the “Willie Nelson Family Picnic,” it featured a wide variety of performers, ranging from actor Dennis Quaid to a bluegrass band that does cover versions of rock band AC/DC songs. In fact, it was Hayseed Dixie that got the ball rolling shortly after 11:00 a.m. Performing on the Levi Side Stage, Dixie played traditional bluegrass music. The fact that the songs were AC/DC songs was beside the point. Americana upstarts Cooder Graw were the first to take the main stage, shortly after their scheduled start time at noon. These boys are seasoned vets on the Texas honky tonk circuit and had hardly broken a sweat when it was time to pack it up and head home.

Dennis Quaid brought along his new band, the Sharks for a short set consisting of rock, blues and a taste of soul. Fellow Houston native Rodney Crowell, was next and he featured mostly tunes from his latest collection, “The Houston Kid.” Crowell is a master songwriter and it’s good to see him back in the limelight, doing what he does best. Pat Green has a huge fan base and the majority was on hand to witness his set. Green’s major label debut album should be out before long, which should only take his popularity level up a notch if that’s possible.

Like Dwight Yoakam, Gary Allan is a product of the Buck Owens, Merle Haggard Bakersfield sound. Allan is a California surfer turned country singer with three fine albums under his belt. Like Yoakam, Allan has been dabbling in movies as well. Perched between Allan and Yoakam’s set was Bandera’s own Robert Earl Keen. Showcasing a few new tunes from the upcoming “Gravitational Forces,” Keen still included enough hits to keep the crowd chanting “robertearlkeen” long after he’d left the stage.

You can always tell when Dwight Yoakam is about to make an entrance. Weird props are always brought out and placed strategically around the stage and today was no different. With huge banners displaying “2001” and futuristic pictures of a female adorned with stereo speakers in the background, Dwight ran through a hasty set of hits mixed with songs from his latest album, “Tomorrow’s Sounds Today.” If you missed Yoakam’s set, fear not, he’s coming back soon to the Far West Rodeo in San Antonio and to the Paramount Theater in Austin.

Dwight’s part of the show started just as ex-Groobee Susan Gibson was ending her’s at the Levi Side Stage. Gibson is a major talent and I predict big things for her. Other performers on the Levi stage were Michael Strange, the Derailers, Nathan Hamilton and Houston Marchman. All provided excellent entertainment between the performances on the main stage. As the sun faded in the West, it was almost Willie time.

Few singers can evoke such excitement as the moment Willie Nelson takes the stage. Welcomed onstage by Mattson Rainer, program director for KNBT 92.1 FM, Willie strolled casually out with pigtails, sneakers and a huge Texas sized grin. “How yawl doin’ tonight” he asked the crowd, knowing the answer even before the words left his mouth. Barely waiting for their response, he and the band kicked into their signature opener, “Whiskey River,” and the show was off and running.

As Willie stated in his autobiography, he has a two and a half hour jukebox in his mind and he turns it on every night at nine o’clock. Shifting easily from such classics as “Stay All Night,” “Bubbles In My Beer,” or “My Bucket’s Got A Hole In It” to his hits like “Night Life” or “Hello Walls,” Willie and family leave no stone unturned during their concerts. You get some blues, rock, jazz, country and maybe even a touch of reggae if he’s in the mood. Even in his late 60’s, Nelson is still the consummate entertainer.

With the ink barely dry on his latest album, “The Rainbow Connection,” he has another waiting in the wings. Titled “The Great Divide,” it will hit stores in late September, containing duets with such rockers as Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock. There’s also an interview scheduled for CMT on September 3^rd at 9:00 p.m. as part of the channels “Inside Fame” features. It’s an extremely in-depth look at Nelson and his lifestyle. During the hour-long program, he discusses his part in the Texas outlaw movement, his involvement in Farm Aid, his trouble with the IRS and his use of marijuana.

In a statement that’s sure to raise a few eyebrows, Nelson claims that smoking marijuana saved his life. “I used to smoke three or four packs of cigarettes a day and drink as much beer and whiskey as anybody in the world,” explains Nelson. “I wasn’t proud of it, that’s just the way I was raised. I’d be dead now if it wasn’t for pot. Once I started smoking pot, I quit drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes.” While he doesn’t condone drug use among young people, Nelson adds, “The highest killer on the planet is stress and so many people medicate themselves, either with cigarettes, drinking or something else. But the best medicine for stress, if you have to take something, is pot.”

True to form, Willie is still Willie. A musical genius, a Texas legend, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, a friend of the farmer and working man, a multiple Grammy winner and yes, often a controversial person. Yet few performers today have the guts to stay true to their feelings regardless of what you think of them. More often than not, all you see of your favorite star is what some high priced publicity firm wants you to see. That’s not the case with Willie Nelson. What you see is what you get. That’s why he will always tower above all other entertainers. Excuse me now while I go listen to “Whiskey River” one more time.