Willie Nelson is so well known for his distinctive voice that when you watch him perform live you’re reminded that his guitar — which he calls Trigger, after old-timey cowboy Roy Rogers' horse — is an integral part of Willie’s Family Band.
Secured with a red, white, and blue strap around his neck, Trigger shared the spotlight with the 77-year-old legend during the entire performance of his 90-minute sold-out greatest-hits set at House of Blues Friday night.
No wonder Nelson has worn a hole right through the front of his instrument.
No matter who wrote the song Nelson sang onstage, he made it his own. Whether it was Hank Williams' “Hey Good Lookin'” and “I Saw the Light,” Kris Kristofferson’s “Me and Bobby McGee,” or Lefty Frizzell’s “If You’ve Got the Money I’ve Got The Time,” they were all 100 percent Willie once he wrapped his warm voice around them.
The slices of American pie kept coming, as Nelson pulled from his treasure box, playing a reworked “Crazy” (a huge hit for Patsy Cline that Nelson wrote) and the cowboy favorite “Me and Paul.”
Nelson — who flung his bandanas into the audience and sported a few different hats, including a Cleveland Indians cap, during the show — also played with a new song called “Hero,” which he noted as a “work in progress.”
Nelson's band of gypsies was tight and complemented him tastefully — big presence minus the flash. —Karen Laney
