Great show at the Mann on a chilly Friday night in Philly. The Outlaw Music Festival Tour came to town. Well worth the price!
The outdoor Mann was packed by the time the last act took the stage. Mostly an older crowd, mostly couples.
Willie Nelson was the headliner, along with Bonnie Rhett and Alison Krauuss. The acts vary on this national tour, so we were lucky to get this line-up in Philadelphia.
The show opened at 4 pm with the Chris Jacobs Band from Maryland. They did a half- hour set. They were good but we couldn't understand some of the lyrics due to sound problems. They were rock/country.
Then came a group called Gov't Mule. I had never heard of them, a;though they must have a following. We saw several "Gov't Mule" t-shirts in the crowd. They reminded me a great deal of Lynrd Skynrd or the Allman Brothers Band- Southern-fried rock. They did about 45 minutes.
The venue started to fill when Alison Kruass ook the stage with her band. I had listened to Alison in the past and knew she had a beautiful voice, but nothing compares to hearing her live. She sings like an angel.
She did a 16-song set, mostly Bluegrass stuff. When she sang accapella it gave me the chills, knowing 14,000 people were hushed, not making a sound.
Her best known song was "When You Say Nothing At All," plus she did a Glen Campbell tune, "Gentle On My MInd' and made it her own. She impressively took a Motown song, "Baby, Now That I've Found You", and turned it into a pop/country ballad.
She was brilliant and got a well-deserved standing ovation, one of the biggest hands of the night. The audience talked about her performance all during the 20 minute break before the next act.
Bonnie Rhett took the stage next. She can still rock at age 69, and play too, getting down on guitar..She brought Alison Krauss back for a ballad, and also called on the great lead singer and guitarist from Gov' Mule.
Next was Willie Nelson. Willie was Willie. He went on at 10:50 pm. For an 86-year old man, he was really good. As always, Willie will often be off-key or stray from the melody ,but, especially for his age he is really good.
Willie did many of our favorites. Songs like "Momma, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys," "On The Road Again," and "You Are Always On My Mind." The crowd sang along, knowing the lyrics, and Willie often asked for help. His guitar playing was good, and his band , including his 89-year old sister,
Willie seemed to be having a good time ( so did the audience) but he rambled through each song like a runaway truck, starting each song before the last song was finished, not much chatter between tunes. He wanted a brisk set and he got it.
The climax was a pair of inspirational songs; "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" and "I Saw The Light" with the entire crew of prior acts.
All in all, a great night of music!
*** 1/2 out of Four
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