It’s called the ‘asleep at the wheel’ tour. I’ve never seen Willie before so despite my general avoidance of country, here I am.
They’ve restructured the upper green with bleachers and a central staircase.
Sorry Asleep at the wheel is the opening act. 7 piece,” w/fiddle, standing bass, slide guitar. Very country. Meh.
The grass area is totally redone with terraces, bleachers on either side & new stairs to the upper concourse. It’s nice. Hardly recognize the place.
Lotsa cowboy & trucker hats.
It was a sold out show. A pleasant crowd and the new walkways were kept quite clear (the bowl was seated). A week from turning 91, Willie had his crowd eating out of his hand and he sat, playing and singing his classics. He’s got such a textured voice, the epitome of whiskey-soaked throat, that he’s more of a talker than a singer. His approach to his lyrics was very different than the timing of his recordings - reminded my of Dylan in that regard. He fronted a 6 piece, 2 other guitarists, drums, harmonica, keys. It was okay. Glad to have seen him live. Don’t feel compelled to go back. He’s got a big tour coming to shoreline with Dylan & Billy Strings, but I have a conflict for that date.
It was good to be back at the Greek. I was on a 3 person team and we got along well. We had one call - chest pain, post hear surgery - that was during intermission so it was easy to transport him to our medical area. After some rest, he was ok.
The remodeled grass area makes things much easier for us. It makes the place feel neater. I approve.
There’s a few green shows that are beckoning this season. This week was a pleasant start to RM 2024.