Southeast Missouri State University student publication

Willie Nelson returns to Show Me Center with lineup of country greats

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

The Red Headed Stranger, Willie Nelson, led a lineup of country greats at the Show Me Center April 15, and paid tribute to a legend no longer in their midst. 75 tickets were available free to students, but the venue was less than full.

Merle Haggard, a dear friend and musical constituent of Nelson, passed away in 2016 — 2 days before the two were set to play in Cape Girardeau. Haggard’s memory loomed heavily throughout that show, and had the same effect this time.

Dwight Yoakam, who went on before Nelson and said his first album was heavily influenced by Haggard’s music, played “The Bottle Let Me Down,” in tribute to the fellow Bakersfield, California native.

Nelson had the same notion late in his set, hollering “Let’s play one for Merle” before diving into “It’s All Going to Pot,” one of the last songs the two recorded together.

Nelson will reach 85 later this month, but the muscles in his hands and forearms still flex visibly as his fingers walk up and down the neck of his heavily weathered nylon-string guitar, infamously known as “Trigger.”

“Listen to what the blues say,” Nelson called out before launching into one of his signature solos on a cover of “Crazy,” a song he wrote, made famous by Patsy Cline. His respect and adoration for the origins of the genre shined through on Hank Williams tracks “Move Over Little Darlin’” and “Hey Good Lookin.’”

The energy of Nelson’s performance balanced upbeat sing-a-long songs like “Beer for my Horses” and country ballads, where the power of his jazz-soaked plucking and tremoring vocals shined through.

His little sister, Bobbie Nelson, played piano, adding an element of St. Louis-style ragtime to the set.

About a third of the seats in the venue were empty and the crowd’s tendency to remain seated throughout the show must have given the room an old-time opry vibe, but the performer drew thunderous response with classics like “Whiskey River Take my Mind” and “Angel Flyin’ Too Close to the Ground.”

Yoakam’s set included “I’m a Honky Tonk Man,” “You’ve got your Little Ways” and his most well-known song “Guitars and Cadillacs.”

Robert Earl Keene, who went on before Yoakam, spent a large part of his career touring with Country Music hall of famers Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark. His song “The Road Goes On Forever,” recorded by the Highwaymen, closed out the set.

The Willie Nelson and Family tour continues through November, and is not likely to be his last.

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