On Sept. 17, Willie Nelson & Family stopped by Forest Hills Stadium as part of their annual Outlaw Music Festival. The event has featured a revolving cast of legendary musicians and up-and-coming artists at stages across the U.S. every summer since 2016 (barring 2020 because of COVID, of course). Artists who have performed on this summer’s tour so far include Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant alongside frequent collaborator Allison Krauss, Creedence Clearwater Revival’s John Fogerty, bluegrass favorite Billy Strings, and many more.
The Queens stop of the festival boasted an impressive lineup this year, featuring former Grateful Dead member Bob Weir, country jammers The String Cheese Incident, Los Lobos — who most famously performed a number of Richie Valens’ songs for the 1987 film, “La Bamba” — and country singer Waylon Payne.
Scattered outside the stadium area were a variety of shops, known as the “Outlaw Village.” Vendors sold wares that included an assortment of jewels, hats and clothes made of hemp, and band merchandise. Concertgoers dipped out of the stadium between performances to peruse the goods and imbibe refreshments like lemonade, beer, and canned wine.
While the village was fun, the action was most definitely onstage. Los Lobos’ set contained several fun covers, like the Rascals’ “Good Lovin’” and, as anticipated, “La Bamba.” The String Cheese Incident ripped through a variety of open ended, jam-based compositions that covered a range of styles — most notably country and bluegrass fused with rootsy rock and roll, and a touch of reggae here and there.
The stadium took to their feet the moment Bob Weir stepped on stage with his band, Wolf Bros. Shaggy folks with tie-dye shirts and lit joints danced in circles as the group executed renditions of Grateful Dead standards and pop mainstays – including a less than rousing interpretation of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On?” (Should anyone else be allowed to sing that one?!)
The highlight of the night, however, was undoubtedly Willie Nelson. At 90 years-old, he commanded the stage in a fashion that only a seasoned veteran of artistic expression could. His fingers aren’t as fast as they used to be, but Nelson’s penchant for crafting improvised melodies as though they were composed on the spot is still undeniably brilliant and awe inspiring.
Nelson and longtime backing band, Family, gathered in the center of the stage, the American flag proudly displayed behind them. While many artists incorporate flashy visuals in their performances, Nelson and his band present themselves with no frills — just a group of bad motherfuckers there to play.
And play they did. The set list consisted of Nelson signature songs like “On the Road Again,” “Whiskey River,” and “Always on My Mind,” alongside country standards like Hank Williams’ “Move it on Over,” and old gospel tunes like “I Saw the Light.”
Seeing Nelson perform felt like a gift, and the audience members were certainly enjoying themselves, singing and stomping along the whole night through. One can only hope that Willie Nelson will return with the festival next year. Fingers crossed.
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