The Outlaw Music Festival
Star Lake- Pittsburgh, PA
by Elizabeth Locke
The Outlaw Music Festival has been going on for years. With a different line up, for each different city. So, no two shows the same.
This year version of the festival was packed with another exciting lineup. The 19-city jaunt kicks off June 24th in Maryland Heights and extends November 3rd. This year’s stacked lineup includes appearances by Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, ZZ Top, The Avett Brothers, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Billy Strings, Gov’t Mule, Brothers Osborne, Zach Bryan, Steve Earle & The Dukes, Allison Russell, Charley Crockett, Larkin Poe, The War & Treaty, Brittney Spencer and Particle Kid.
The show I got to watch was on July 31st in Pittsburgh at Star Lake. What I felt the show was like a mini FarmAid without the political overtone.
What it was is about of Willie friends getting together for a show. And they are bookend between the Nelson Family (Micah Nelson- The Particle Kid opening up the show) and Willie Closing it.
One of the frustrating things were there were two different door time announced. Facebook gave a time the doors opened at 3:30 and the show started at 4:30. On the official website it said
Willie Nelson & Family 9:20-10:20
ZZ Top 7:40-8:55
Gov’t Mule 6:00-7:15
Larkin Poe 4:30-5:30
Particle Kid 3:55-4:25
Doors 3:30
So a lot of people missed Particle Kid, because he started at 3:55 at the time most people were arriving for the show.
After Particle Kid you had Larkin Poe which are Rebecca Lovell and Megan Lovell. Two sisters who are into Southern blues. This is the first time I had a chance to see them live and they were great. A solid southern blues rock band.
Next you had Gov’t Mule lead by Warren Haynes. During his set Micah from Particle Kid joined him on stage and give a guitar lesson to the crowd on how two guitarists can play off of each other with their version of “Cortez Killer”.
Next you have ZZ Top. It was strange to see them. Since the lost of the bands bass player Dusty Hill, it a little bit different of a band. There is a good thing about the addition of the new bass player (who is actually their longtime guitar tech Elwood Francis) even those because of stay at home he started to grow a beard. So he has the trade make of ZZ Top beard. But in honor of the loss of Dusty Hill they are not doing any songs which Dusty was featured on. Like Tush and Heard it on the X.
But they did finish the night out with the fur guitars and a three song encore with bubbles.
Last but not least we had Willie Nelson and his small band come to stage. The band was only a small 4 piece.
Willie Nelson-guitar
His son Micah- guitar
Billy English and Kevin Smith the backend
Mickey Raphael on Harmonica.
At 89 Willie is sounding great. He opened with Whiskey River and rolled into a treeo of (On the Road Again, Still is Still Moving to Me and Good Hearted Woman)
The high of his set was a father and son duet “IF I Die When I’ High, I’ll Be Halfway to Heaven” and Everything is BS”.
So, everyone should see Willie before he is gone. So, you may hear some of the great songs he has written. And you will find out that he is more then On the Road Again.
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