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The Last Of The Breed
By Eric | June 23, 2008
True originality and greatness are fading quickly in the music world. As each year goes by, we lose more of musics great pioneers. This year we have already lost Bo Diddley, Eddy Arnold, and Buddy Miles and most of the ones left are to old to continue to record new music or even play live shows. Just over a week ago, however, I had an opportunity to see one of music last remaining music legends. The night before Father’s Day, I went to the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis to see the legendary Willie Nelson.
The show was an experience that’s hard to explain. It’s wasn’t a concert that you stand and scream all night or jump around, he did get a number of standing ovations and ruckus applause though. It wasn’t a concert that made you want to act crazy or dive off of the balcony. Instead, it was almost like a religious experience. As, you sat there you knew you were witnessing something special, something that you may never see again.
When Willie first stepped onto the stage, the place went crazy. He received a long and loud standing ovation from the sold out crowd and Willie acknowledged it even though he acted as if he didn’t know what the fuss was about. The applause lasted until the first note of Whiskey River, and the crowd quieted and sat almost in amazement. Willie never missed a beat, he played as many hits as he could cram into his 75 minute set. He played songs he wrote that were made famous by other people.
He played songs that he wrote for himself himself.
He played songs that he didn’t write, but made famous.
And he played a few new songs, before closing the night with the gospel classic I’ll Fly Away.
Willie’s guitar work was dead on and his slow, lazy vocal delivery was as beautiful as ever. The best part about this concert was the fact that I finally got a chance to see another music legend (Chuck Berry being the other). The worst part, is knowing that these opportunities are becoming fewer and fewer. There just aren’t many left like Willie.
I recommend to anybody who is a fan of music, don’t pass up a chance to see Willie. If you can, take your kids. Let them see a real artist at work, maybe they will learn to respect music more and listen to less shit like Fergie, Jay-Z, Rascal Flatts, or what ever shitty actress has a new album out next week.
Willie Nelson is simply one of the greatest songwriters, singers and performers to ever grace a stage. He’s one of the few artist that has been able to transcend his genre of music and just be considered cool, by everyone. He has dueted with everybody from Johnny Cash to Ray Charles and now even Snoop Dogg. Willie Nelson is sadly the last of a breed.
(No Ratings Yet)Topics: Editorial, Greatest Of All Time, Live Performances, Miscellaneous Awesomeness, Music, Music Discussion, Perfection, Pixar-Level Genius, Reviews, The Cutting Edge
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I once heard an interviewer ask Willie what he attributed his longevity to. He said “Daily exercise and daily marijuana.”
Well than, we need to legalize marijuana, because I’ll be damned if I spend the rest of my life listening to the shit on the radio. We NEED this guy alive.
Zofia told me she heard he is gay - what do you think, Ray?
That is one of the stupidest Goddamn things I have ever heard. Why do people always feel the need to say retarded shit that starts rumors.
Why does everyone always ask ME those types of questions??????
It’s Willie, man! It doesn’t matter if he fucks women, men, children, or the dead. He is cool.
My comment referred to a private joke between myself and Ray. I’d tell you to go fuck yourself, but I usually avoid picking on middle-aged stock boys that lack the ability to write in complete and/or intelligible sentences. In the meantime, return to what you do worst - boring your audience with your opinion of what irrelevant, 1980’s hair-metal band does or does not “suck.”
OK Jeremy, I’ll hurry right back to writing stupid unitelligable stories about things that you think are stupid. In the meantime, maybe you could entertain everybody with some more inside jokes. I’m sure everybody would love that. No wait, actually I don’t think anybody but you gives a fuck about your inside jokes. So maybe the next time you refer to private jokes, you should do it in private.
And if you don’t like my stories, don’t read them. Since you read this one though, I hope it was somehow up to your standards. If not, you’ll have to excuse me I’m just a stupid, middle aged stock boy.
Eric, you’re not middle-aged. At least, I hope not …