Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson turned the Hollywood Bowl right into a haven for Americana and nation on Friday night time, as the 2 legends introduced the Outlaw Music Competition again to the storied venue for the second yr in a row.
Dylan went on simply as nightfall settled, and the stage lit up like a noir rodeo, revealing Dylan’s signature piano. He and his band — wearing black like outlaw undertakers — opened with a swaggering “Issues Have Modified.”
The stage setup was easy: A picture of a peaceable mountain lake backdrop that resembled a flowery water bottle label, mixing effectively with the encompassing Hollywood Hills, and a crowd filled with cowboy hats and rhinestones.
Opening for Dylan and Nelson Friday night time have been bluegrass stars Sierra Hull and Billy Strings, whereas upcoming Outlaw Fest 2025 tour stops will rotate in acts like Sheryl Crow, Wilco, Lucinda Williams, and Nathaniel Rateliff. Outlaw lineups in earlier years have included Neil Younger, Brandi Carlile, and Chris Stapleton.
At 83, Dylan continues to be assertive, quirks and all. His piano was blended unusually loudly, highlighting each rhythmic drive and occasional missed notes. It was a forgiving viewers, a lot of whom have been in all probability teenagers when Dylan launched his first albums.
Dylan’s set was essentially the most unpredictable getting in. On this tour’s opening nights, he shook up his latest Tough and Rowdy Methods tour materials and as an alternative pulled out deep cuts, first-time covers, and fully reimagined variations of beloved songs. To superfans, this night may’ve felt like a rerun — almost an identical to his set the night time earlier than in Chula Vista — however to most, it was refreshingly unusual, particularly for the youthful attendees seeing him for the primary time after catching final yr’s A Full Unknown however not realizing how a lot Dylan has reworked his reside sound from the previous few a long time of touring.
Tracks like “Easy Twist of Destiny,” “Desolation Row,” and “To Ramona” have been reshaped with shuffling grooves and Dylan’s honky-tonk piano. “All Alongside the Watchtower” felt like a dare if Dylan may make considered one of his songs sound like Sade — a sentence this author by no means anticipated to write down. “Blind Willie McTell” wore a Dire Straits combover. Even “Beneath the Pink Sky,” the title observe from what was lengthy thought of considered one of Dylan’s lesser albums, shed its early ‘90s sheen and was allowed to breathe, sounding particularly spacious and fairly.
Different Dylan gems — “Forgetful Coronary heart,” “Love Sick,” “Early Roman Kings” — remained near their unique recordings whereas he carried out new-to-this-tour covers like George “Wild Little one” Butler’s “Axe and the Wind,” Charlie Wealthy’s “I’ll Make It All As much as You,” and “Share Your Love With Me” by Alfred Braggs and Deadric Malone.
In typical Dylan trend, he mentioned little between songs, other than a humorous second asking an viewers member what they have been consuming. For the primary a number of songs, the Bowl’s screens stayed off, as if Dylan didn’t need to be seen. After they did come on a couple of songs in, to the viewers’s cheers, they solely confirmed a far huge shot, nonetheless preserving the without end recluse principally hidden.
Each time Dylan picked up a harmonica, the group roared. The largest applause got here for the nearer, “Don’t Suppose Twice, It’s All Proper,” reimagined with jangly piano and harmonica.
If Dylan was the dusky preacher Friday, Nelson was the campfire mild. At 92, he’s nonetheless quintessentially American, our real-life bald eagle. After seeing him reside within the tenth yr of what has turn into outlaw music’s most beloved pageant, it’s onerous to argue with that.
Billed as “Willie Nelson & Household,” the stage lit up in crimson and orange glow, an infinite American flag hanging behind them. Nelson, seated with Set off — his trusty, lengthy worn-in acoustic guitar — was surrounded by his literal household. He opened with “Whiskey River” and the Bowl erupted. Nelson didn’t pull any tips, simply basic after basic, carried out with pleasure and readability.
His set included hits he wrote or popularized with associates: “Workin’ Man Blues” (Merle Haggard), “Good Hearted Lady” (Waylon Jennings), and “Assist Me Make It By the Evening” (Kris Kristofferson). In contrast to Dylan, Nelson often chatted with the group, giving intros to songs and recollections of previous associates.
Standouts included a rollicking “Bloody Mary Morning” (with the viewers cheering for its LA name-drop), a crowd singalong to “Mammas Don’t Let Your Infants Develop As much as Be Cowboys,” and tender and humorous renditions of “(Die Once I’m Excessive) Midway to Heaven” and “Every part is Bullshit,” each written by Nelson’s youngest son Micah, who performs beneath the moniker Particle Child. The latter was particularly entertaining, with the youthful Nelson, who does a close to excellent impression of his dad’s voice, injecting cat meows whereas the older Nelson scatted “bullshit” all through the choruses—smiling like your grandpa who is aware of that he’s in hassle for saying one thing naughty.
Beginning simply earlier than 10 p.m., Nelson by no means appeared drained. He smiled, nodded, and sang like he nonetheless meant each phrase. The night ended with a lot of the Outlaw Fest crew coming again on stage collectively (besides Dylan, who was possibly asleep), performing with Nelson to shut the night time by masking the timeless “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?” and “I’ll Fly Away.”
Nelson then gave his farewells and exited stage proper as the remainder of the gang performed him off with Hank Williams’s “I Noticed the Gentle.”