The 2024 Outlaw Music Festival Tour has been rolling through the U.S. since June and has featured an incredible lineup of classic stars that include headliners Willie Nelson & Family and support acts Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Brittney Spencer, Celisse, and Southern Avenue.
This past Saturday night, the lineup at Credit Union 1 Amphitheater in Tinley Park, Illinois, was Nelson, Dylan, Mellencamp, and Southern Avenue, and my lady Julie and I were very excited to attend.
We arrived just as Southern Avenue was finishing their set, and judging by the very enthusiastic response from the crowd, they rocked the house.
We walked into the venue a little late mainly because we got turned around in the parking lot where they were charging $150 (yeah, you read that right….$150!).
We opted for the free parking near the back of the lot, which wasn’t far from the entrance. Hey, if you’ve got 150 bucks to waste, God bless.
We located our seats and decided to walk around a bit to take in the atmosphere and do some people-watching.
As you would expect, the crowd skewed much older than your usual music festival crowd (much, MUCH older), and because it was a show headlined by Nelson, the overwhelming aroma of pot filled the air all over the outdoor venue. People were very old, very high, and very drunk.
The bathroom lines, even the men’s, were the longest I have seen in years. Speaking as a man who is pushing 60, this shouldn’t have surprised me, considering the average age in the crowd was about 50, and the average prostate size was about 47 lbs.
JOHN MELLENCAMP
John Mellencamp is one of the most gifted American singer/songwriters ever. He has written and performed several classic songs that have become legendary. He is a terrific live performer and always surrounds himself with remarkable musicians.
Mellencamp, 71, is also known for being a bit volatile and grumpy. If he’s particularly pissy, the concert might end at any moment.
Luckily, John was only kinda grumpy and wasn’t miffed enough to stop the set altogether. However, he did get amusingly annoyed when the crowd skipped the second verse of “Jack and Diane” and went straight to the chorus. Mellencamp took a second to school the crowd on when to jump in.
Mellencamp’s set was great, even though he and his band were never truly able to overcome the crappy and muffled sound mix provided by Credit Union 1 Amphitheater, a place known for its shitty sound.
Despite the sound issues, Mellencamp played all the hits, got the crowd dancing, filled the place with terrific energy, and paved the way for the next act.
BOB DYLAN
All the energy from Mellencamp pretty much dissipated as Dylan took the stage with his very talented five-piece band.
They played a choppy, low-energy set consisting of some covers, a few oddball choices, and wildly rearranged versions of classics that prevented the frustrated crowd from interacting.
So, yeah…. Dylan.
I will say this: Dylan had more energy and vocal power on the stage Saturday night than in the last four or five times I’ve seen him. And, shockingly, he seemed to be having a great time.
He stayed behind the piano during the entire set (teasingly, there was an acoustic guitar and a microphone-on-a-stand downstage center, but it was never used). Between songs, he stood up, spun around, flipped his sheet music pages, and sat again.
So, yeah…. Dylan.
Yes, the set was an energy letdown after Mellencamp (who should have played his set right before Willie’s), but I still enjoyed the hell out of it.
Mr. Zimmerman is a frigging living legend who has always been uncomfortable in front of crowds and will do whatever the hell he wants, which is fine with me because he’s Bob F’in Dylan, and he’s 83 years old.
WILLIE NELSON & FAMILY
By the time Willie and his terrific band took the stage for a virtually unplugged set, it was well past the bedtime of many people in the audience and on the stage.
Here’s the deal, Willie Nelson is 91 years old.
Let me write that again: WILLIE NELSON IS 91 YEARS OLD.
The man is an absolute marvel to behold. He walked out, sat down center stage with a beautifully worn acoustic guitar, and sang his heart out for well over an hour.
The set consisted of 22 terrific songs (10 more than Mellencamp, 8 more than Dylan) that were thoughtfully chosen and performed beautifully. Willie was great, and he never wavered. When he coughed during a song, he insisted that the band start the verse again and not just move on.
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Class act. And did I mention he is 91 years old?!?!?
Watching Willie Nelson perform for a vast crowd who loved every single second of the show was a joy to behold, and it was the best Willie show I have seen in years. When he finally walked off the stage, just before 11pm on what had become a chilly night, the feeling of appreciation and admiration from the audience was palpable.
So, yeah, the crowd was ancient, the pot (and cigarette!) smoke was thick in the air, there were more walkers and wheelchairs than you could shake a stick at, and it took forever to walk back to the car.
Still, we didn’t pay $150 to park, we saw a great show, and I only had to endure a ten-minute drive to get to a bathroom…. Yeah, I’m pushing 60, which means I was the target audience. And I had a great time.
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