Simply name them the Rolling Stoners.
You realize you’re music royalty when Keith Richards exhibits as much as pay his respects. And the Rolling Stones icon was readily available Sunday for the second and last night time of Willie Nelson’s epic, ninetieth birthday live performance on the Hollywood Bowl.
At 79, Richards was the teenager on this pairing of dwelling legends, and the 2 harmonized sweetly on two songs: Waylon Jennings’ “We Had It All” and the late outlaw Billy Joe Shaver’s “Stay Perpetually,” notably poignant with its chorus, “Similar to the songs I depart behind me / I’m gonna reside perpetually, now.”
The Richards shock got here shortly after 10:00 p.m. on this cool, overcast night time within the hills above Hollywood, almost three-and-a-half hours into the night’s celebration.
Randall Michelson
Earlier within the set, big plumes of smoke have been projected in opposition to the Bowl bandshell as Jack Johnson regaled the gang with tales of dropping poker video games to Nelson in his house state of Hawaii, a reminiscence that impressed him to write down the music “Willie Obtained Me Stoned and Took All My Cash.”
Marijuana could be a standard theme all through the night time. Dave Matthews, who admitted to be nervous within the presence of so many musical titans, recalled assembly Nelson 30 years in the past whereas taking part in at Farm Support, then being invited to hitch the nation legend on his tour bus for a marathon smoking session.
“After I thought it couldn’t go on any longer, it had solely simply begun,” Matthews stated. (A photograph commemorating the second adorns his proud mom’s mantel.) He then carried out a beautiful rendition of Nelson’s “Humorous How Time Slips Away.”
Woody Harrelson, too, was readily available in a cowboy hat to introduce a few marquee names — Bob Weir of the Grateful Lifeless — who carried out the Western swing traditional “Keep a Little Longer” — and, later, Willie himself, who snuck up on him from behind.
(The White Home Plumbers star couldn’t resist getting in a plug for his West Hollywood weed dispensary, The Woods, simply as he did throughout his Saturday Night time Stay monologue in February.)
Ethan Hawke, in a go well with of peach satin, and Helen Mirren, sporting Nelson’s personal cowboy hat, additionally popped up every now and then to introduce performers as disparate as Beck, Tom Jones, Emmylou Harris and Norah Jones (who carried out a touching duet with Kris Kristofferson, 86, on Kristofferson’s in style romantic ballad “Assist Me Make it By means of the Night time”), and Sheryl Crow.
Randall Michelson
Crow recalled Kristofferson’s recommendation to her, whispered backstage at New York’s Beacon Theatre 27 years in the past, to shining alongside Nelson: “Don’t attempt to sing with him — simply sing louder than him.”
Different glowing moments concerned next-generation (simply don’t name them nepo-babies) nation stars Shooter Jennings, a useless ringer for his father Waylon, and Lukas Nelson, Willie’s boy, who dueted on “Good Hearted Lady,” written by their dads in 1971.
The boys emerged once more just a little later together with Micah Nelson, Willie’s youngest, and Rosanne Money, daughter of Johnny Money, for a rendition of “Highwayman,” the music which in 1985 impressed the founding of the supergroup The Highwaymen by their respective fathers and Kristofferson.
By the point everybody emerged for “On the Street Once more” after which a sing-along of “Blissful Birthday to You,” the Bowl bandshell emblazoned in a projection of Previous Glory, it was a uncommon second of patriotic satisfaction in a real nationwide treasure.
Nelson deserves nothing much less.
Randall Michelson
