The traveling roadshow of Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan with guests like Robert Plant and John Mellencamp, dubbed the Outlaw Music Festival 2024, is wrapping up its mid-summer dates this weekend in Washington.
Spearheaded by 91-year-old Willie and supported by 83-year-old Dylan and 75-year-old Robert Plant and his co-singer Alison Krauss, guests have also included Billy Strings, Brittney Spencer, Celisse, and Southern Avenue.
True legends gracing the stage in a no-nonsense presentation of some of the most cherished songs in popular music history.
When the last two shows for this leg wrap up in Washington state, Nelson would have performed 40 times this year.
Does that not seem like a lot to you?
Keep the counter going because after a three-week hiatus the show goes back on the road in Wisconsin.
Here are a short list of much younger performers that have not rocked out on stage 40 times this year yet:
Coachella headliner Lana Del Rey (7), Rap god Eminem (2), Super Bowl Half Time entertainer Usher (6), NBC Olympics host Snoop Doggy Dog (16), Madison Square Garden record holder Billy Joel (18), Mr. Worldwide Pitbull (21), Singer who they built an arena for Adele (26), The Thunder from Down Under AC/DC (22).
The list goes on. Willie has been a machine. As always. We're nearly a 1/4 through this century and look at how many shows Willie sat down with Trigger and played for the people: even during the blackest of plagues the Texan has ever seen.
In the last decade since Willie has stopped playing over 100 shows a year, he's still raced together 660 gigs.
For you. The people. And even the babies who grew up to be cowboys.
You don't hear him whine, storm off stage because of monitor issues, preach at people to get off their phones, or whine about his exes.
He braids his hair, ties on that bandana, puffs the magic, and straps on his guitar. Like a pro.
Mr. Bob Dylan is cut from a similar cloth. He barely talks to the press, he doesn't do any preaching from the mic, you're lucky if he says "hello Hoboken."
The Bard in 2024 is working behind the piano instead of the guitar. This is something James Brown did in his last chapter. But unlike the Godfather of Soul, Dylan likes to play the lead parts on the ivories even though he's surrounded by perfectly capable musicians.
He's got it. Thanks.
Even Dylan has only racked up a mere 42 gigs this year (the equivalent of AC/DC, Billy Joel, and Eminem combined), from 1998-2010 almost every year was over or damn near close to 100 shows a year.
A legend in motion stays in motion.
Does he still play harmonica? He sure does. On "Soon After Midnight," from 2012's Tempest, Bob shows off his harp skills and if you were under the stars you might just float right away.
Which is why some are known to stuff cans of beers in their pockets for safety.
There are many more shows left on this tour come September.
Although we should be grateful they are playing at all for us, you know what would be nice, if they resisted something they did 20 years ago: play some songs together like they did May 5, 2004 at The Wiltern in Los Angeles.
Will that happen? Probably not.
They're outlaws!
But if they do you'll wanna see it in person. Grab your tickets here before they go away.
