Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp – Live @ Coveleski Stadium

The persistent rain only dampened clothes but not the spirits of the thousands who attended Willie’s Picnic at a crowded Coveleski Stadium in South Bend on July 4. Nelson has traditionally held the picnic in his home state of Texas until he traveled in 2007 to Seattle. In 2008, he held the event in his home state again. This year, he traveled to the Hoosier state to play at a baseball field with Bob Dylan and Indiana’s John Mellencamp where the legendary lineup would perform an epic show to celebrate the nation’s birthday.

Before the main course of superstar musicians took the stage, The Wiyos, a folk group from Brooklyn, served as the appetizer for the star-studded main event. The quartet – playing a brand of rural music that would fit in perfectly on the O, Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack – plucked a steel guitar, banjo, upright bass and jangly acoustic guitars to create a sound reminiscent of the 1930s. The sounds and looks straight from the Depression era perfectly complemented the band’s sonic signature. Front man Michael Farkas even pulled out a washboard adorned with a variety of clown horns, bells and whistles which he seemed to play with four arms. The guitar work, along with the vocal techniques and use of a megaphone gave their sound gristle and grit, but their fragile and quirky folk music would be dwarfed by the opener.

With a talented group of musicians in tow, John Mellencamp stormed the stage with the fitting “Ain’t That America” before steamrolling into other classics such as “Pink Houses,” “Paper and Fire,” “Rain on the Scarecrow” and “Crumblin’ Down.” Mid-set, Mellencamp went solo with just his acoustic guitar with a delicate performance of “Small Town” as he belted out his down-home and dusty vocals. He also performed newer tunes such as the bluesy “Don’t Need This Body,” proving the good old Hoosier can still craft a solid tune. Before he played “Authority Song,” Mellencamp apologized for his political views during the recent election but said that everyone had sung along to the song at one point in their life – regardless of their political views, the crowd did again that evening en masse. “Jack and Diane,” perhaps his greatest hit, was sorely absent from the set list, calling into question if he could still make the vocal leaps that run rampant throughout the song.

Mellencamp’s backing band proved to be quite rousing. The twiggy Miriam Sturm was the musical surprise of the night as her fingers nimbly danced along the taught strings of her fiddle, supplementing the guitars of Mellencamp and veteran Mike Wanchic, who has been with Coug since 1976. Mellancamp’s son, Speck, even made an appearance hammering out a solo on a song near the end of the set. Mellencamp blasted hit after hit out of the ballpark, leaving a rowdy audience who raised American flags and pumped fists in the air for Dylan who waited on deck.

Dylan paraded on stage with his black flat-top hat and grey suit as his band donned tan suits and hats of similar variety. Dylan’s backing band was fantastic with bassist Tony Garnier cementing the groove and seasoned drummer George Recile handling the beat. The band was spot on from the opener “Everyone Gets Stoned” to the end of the show. The band’s slide guitar player, Donnie Herron, spouted dirty riffs that were especially nasty and tasty on “Highway 61 Revisited.” Dylan stayed behind the keyboard for most of the songs, letting his band and throaty and indecipherable vocals do the talking, especially on the legendary tune “Like a Rolling Stone.” Occasionally, Dylan would step out to center stage and play his harp, but for the most part relied on his band to flesh out the majority of the sound.

Out of the trio of legends, Dylan was showing his age the most, as his voice was the most obvious casualty of about 50 years of performing. The audience sang along to “Just Like A Woman” as the clouds parted and the rain began to cease, almost as if God was paying his respects to the icon. Dylan and company were the only band that played an encore, finishing with the classic “All Along the Watchtower,” as Dylan bent and realigned the song’s vocals to match his throaty and rambling voice.

After Dylan vacated the stage, Nelson took over the show, as an enormous Texas flag unfurled as the backdrop of the stage. The 76-year-old country star rummaged through his extensive back catalog of old favorites, interesting covers and newer material, while pulling out some unexpected tunes along the way. Nelson wished America happy birthday as he and his humble band kicked off the longest set of the night. Classics like “Georgia on My Mind,” “On the Road Again,” “Always on My Mind” and “If You’ve Got the Money, Then I’ve Got the Time” spoke volumes about Nelson’s uncanny ability to mesh stories that carry hues of emotion with beautiful instrumentals.

His harp player, Mickey Raphael, provided smoky tones at the perfect time, knowing when to sit in the shadows and when to take center stage. “Little Sister,” Nelson’s sister Bobbie Lee, sat hunched over the keys ready to pluck honkey tonk tones from her grand piano. During her solo performance, she never took her eyes off the ivories, except to nod to the massive throng of screaming fans when she concluded. Paul English, Nelson’s drummer, only needed a snare drum to keep time – a testament to the band’s stripped down sound that places emphasis on lyrics first and instrumentals second.

Nelson’s faithful sidekick and guitar, “Trigger,” was strapped around his neck all night; the instrument still has a sizable hole in the body from decades of Nelson’s strumming. During the extensive set that lasted nearly an hour and a half, Nelson played everything from gospel tunes like “I Saw the Light” to blues standards such as “Rainy Day Blues.” Throwing a few bandanas that he had worn throughout the night into the crowd, Nelson proved to be a generous man. The audience was just as generous throwing back a bra and a glow ring which Nelson caught mid-song and placed on his head for the remainder of the set.

Nelson’s genuine character and friendliness were inspiring as he took time during a few songs to shake the hands of nearby lucky fans watching from the sides of the stage. Not everyone may like his music, but his authentic character and willingness to take time to meet his fans is welcoming in an age of self-centered rock stars. Nelson is certainly an admirable man and a heck of a musician.

With a hearty smile that seemed to warm the chilling night air, Nelson left the stage. As an audience who sang in unison with Nelson for most of the night bonded together with a warm embrace, fireworks dotted the sky with splashes of color. The music of three legends gave people a once in a lifetime opportunity to relive the past on the nation’s birthday, bringing everyone together for one special night – a night unified with the power of music.

No related posts.