Willie Nelson and John Fogerty

[johniam]

Just saw them in concert. Nice. Each played for an hour and a half.

Willie got right down to business. Very little space between songs. My wife is more familiar with his music. She casually mentioned a song called Whiskey River she hoped he'd play. It was the first song he did. He also did On the road again, Me and Bobby McGee, Good hearted woman, You were always on my mind, Blue eyes crying in the rain, and others I was unfamiliar with. He ended the show with I saw the light.

John Fogerty had a totally different feel. I saw Creedence 35 years ago. This time it was LOUDDDDD. Like his music had taken steroids. I needed earplugs for Fogerty. He played great, but he acted like a rock star. Long guitar solos, didn't run songs into each other, said how are you doin?, you sound great, or I love you every few songs. 95% of his set was Creedence material though. He did Travelin' band, Green river, Who'll stop the rain, Born on the Bayou, It came out of the sky, Lookin' out my back door, Keep on chooglin', Ramble tamble, Have you ever seen the rain, Heard it through the grapevine, Down on the corner, Bad moon risin', Proud Mary, Center field, and a few more.

Overall, it was a good show. Some young folks, mostly old people like me.

[dmiller]

Wiilie Nelson's guitar is one of the more *abused* instruments in show biz today.

(running second to Doug Kershaw's fiddle bows) ---

But whenever he is playing it -- it is all good. :)

[johniam]

What is that thing just below the sound hole? Is it a clamp of some sort that helps hold the instrument together?

[dmiller]

No -- that's the end of his guitar strap -- which is that red, white, and blue thing he's *wearing* in the picture there.

[likeaneagle]

I saw Willie 3 yrs ago at the Country THunder Concert in Wisconsin....

Great concert..I loved the mood of the people and his music...

I rate him tops!!!

[coolchef]

i met willie once on the golf course in agusta maine

he seemed to be a real person

he signed my hat!

[johniam]

That's a guitar strap? Slick!

I must add that John Fogerty can play much better than when I saw him with Creedence in 1971. He did a heavy metal style intro to the song Keep on Chooglin'. He can play decent lead guitar now. Also, he was introduced by Bill Clinton. Not live, but on the screens on either side of the stage, there was Bill. I bet Clinton's the only president who ever did acid.

[dmiller]

Look below Willie's right hand -- at the extra hole in the guitar top by the bridge.

That is where it is falling apart -- but I've seen reports on how he has it worked on reguarly,

so that the top doesn't cave in completely -- as it should, given the photos.

Everything holding it together, is the extra bracing that's been added (on the inside of it).

He's got a Martin, and Martin uses a *V* brace, just below the sound hole,

where his *worn-through-the-top hole* is. There's a lotta extra wood inside -- holding it together.

Funky *road-warrior battle scarred* look on the outside, but the latest state of the art constuction on the inside. :)

He refuses to get the hole covered over. I wouldn't either, if I were him.

[A la prochaine]

Mr. Music Man...

OH MY GOD!!!

That is wild!

You should transfer this to the Guitar Talk Thread.

Thought I had pretty much everything.. I guess not!

[herbiejuan]

I saw Willie at the Tabernacle Theater in Atl a few years ago, he rocked!

Willies guitar is like Willie hisself, a worn but true instrument.

[johniam]

I've always thought that music that has been loved has an extra charge to it; a life of its own. I think that may transfer to instruments.

[herbiejuan]

It does John I did a bit of woodworking awhile back and some of the tools I used took on a very real part of my life. I bought alot of woodworking tools over the years but there were only a fw, mainly my gouges and chisels that ended up meaing alot to me, maybe like Willies early tries at the accordian? In any case a few tools meant more to me than the others, like my banger and knocker and long handled deep throated gouge and nova chuck..throughout Willies life that guitars been there, from the mariages and divorces and irs liens maybelles been there :)

I'mglad to see he's been faithful