I had the extreme pleasure last weekend of attending American legend Willie Nelson's sold-out concert debut at the Hollywood Bowl. Willie strolled on stage with his hair in a braided pony tail stretching down to his waist and played his beat-up, old guitar Trigger and gently sang a 30-minute introductory set with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, then returned to the stage in his red bandana after a short intermission for a rockin' two-hour set with his traveling family band.
It was incredible to be reminded of how many great songs Willie Nelson has written in his nearly 50-year career. He sang almost all the audience favorites and even included a few lesser known songs for hardcore fans. I loved all of it, even though I attended the show alone. I had plans to meet up with my friends Ben and Sirena, who had tickets in a different section from mine, but I was never able to connect with them. It didn't matter, though. I had my little cooler with my beers and snacks and I had a great time.
Incidentally, Willie still likes to party quite a bit. He just got busted for possessing a pound and a half of pot, plus mushrooms, on his tour bus. No wonder he always wants to get "On the Road Again"!
