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| photo by Will Piper |
Summerfest's 50th season closed with a festival within a festival. Pairing together a healthy mix of veteran Americana legends (Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan), established performers (Sheryl Crow and Jason Isbell), and rising stars (Nathaniel Ratliff, Margo Price, and Lucas Nelson), the Outlaw Music Fest provided a stellar day of music that both celebrated, reinvented, and pushed the boundaries of the Americana genre.
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| photo by Will Piper |
Margo Price: Few acts are hotter on the Americana scene right now than Margo Price. Touring heavily in support of her breakthrough release, last year's Midwest Farmer's Daughter, Price's exceptional vocal range was evident in her set which felt close and intimate even in the cavernous American Family Amphitheater. Price blends elements of traditional country and honky tonk together, and was probably the most purely country sounding act on the bill. By the time Price closed her set with "Hurtin' (On The Bottle)" she was greeted with a standing ovation from the fans who got there early for her set-- a rare, but well-deserved honor, for a fantastic musician in an early afternoon support set.
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| photo by Will Piper |
"The last time we were in Milwaukee we played, Club Garibaldi," the infectiously charismatic Rateliff declared to start off his set, bringing the crowd to their feet. Going from the cozy confines of a Bayview club to the American Family Amphitheater is a huge jump for Rateliff and the Night Sweats who have experienced a meteoric rise in popularity over the past year and a half. Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats are one of the most entertaining acts in the business-- mixing up rhythm and blues numbers with soulful lyrics and an immensely engaging stage show. Despite having a shorter set time, the Night Sweats, as always, gave it their all, and the musicians were good and sweaty by the closure of their 45 minute set. Highlights included a new number, "Out on the Weekend," along with fun and energized staples including "I Need Never Get Old," and "Shake."
Sheryl Crow:
Sheryl Crow has been performing and touring for over two decades, continuing to redefine her songs and push her craft. Her music ranges from pop to rock to country... and she showed off this dexterity during her ten song set which covered several of her more well-known cuts such as "Everyday is a Winding Road," "My Favorite Mistake," "If It Makes You Happy," and "Soak Up the Sun" (which was particularly well-received.) However, her final tune, a tribute cover of The Allman Brothers's "Midnight Rider" was perhaps her finest. Joined on stage by Lucas Nelson, who did a phenomenal job channeling Duane Allman's guitar solo, Crow and her band finished her set with a bang.
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| Lucas Nelson and Sheryl Crow- photo by Will Piper |
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| photo by Will Piper |
With their latest stellar release, The Nashville Sound dropping earlier this summer, Isbell and his band had a renewed since of energy as they hit the stage for their early evening set. The new material from The Nashville Sound translated very well live with the 400 unit and Isbell's wife, Amanda Shires, providing rich grooves to back Isbell's soulful and introspective lyrics. In many ways, Isbell and the 400 Unit stole the show at the American Family Amphitheater with a set that filled the large venue with larger rocking tunes. "Anxiety" off of The Nashville Sound, opened the set, and other louder tracks like "Hope the High Road," "Cumberland Gap" and "Super 8" moved fans to their feet. However, Isbell is a rare artist who can translate equally well with his rocking numbers as well as his softer ones. "If We Were Vampires," a stand out track from The Nashville Sound was a show highlight, focusing on a duet with Amanda Shires about growing old together. To close their show, Isbell and company followed Sheryl Crow's lead and performed a ruckus, jammed out rendition of the Allman Brothers's "Whipping Post," a daring cover which was pulled off to perfection.
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| photo by Will Piper |
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| stock photo- Dylan doesn't allow photgraphs |
Bob Dylan is Bob Dylan. The enigmatic song smith has made a career out of reinventing himself. He has toured almost non stop for the better part of the past two decades, and has played large festivals, minor league baseball stadiums and theaters. Much can be said about Dylan's weaknesses... he won't allow photography and unless you were blessed to be sitting in the first few rows, could rarely see his face, his voice is so garbled that his lyrics would often benefit from subtitles, and these days he either sits at the piano or sings at the back of the stage. The key strength to his performance is that he is having fun. Dylan was beaming, and dare I even say I got a wink from the old bard himself smiling at him in the front row. This time around, the 76 year young Dylan took his crack at singing some old standards like Frank Sinatra's "Melancholy Mood," and Tony Bennett's "Once Upon A Time." Dylan as a lounge singer? As goofy as it sounds, it grows on you, much like his Christmas record. Dylan's original material like "Highway 61," "Desolation Row" and "Ballad of a Thin Man" were highlights. I was very grateful to be up close for Dylan, as seeing him from further away would have been a very different experience.
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| photo by Will Piper |
At 84 years young, I hope that I have half of the vigor of Willie Nelson when I reach that age. Nelson, is an elder statesmen in the music industry and continues to tour heavily. He headlined the Outlaw Music Festival with a well-rehearsed set which played heavily on country standards and hits. Joined with members of his family as well as Margo Price, Sheryl Crow and Amanda Shires for most of the set, Willie got the crowd singing along to "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys," Toby Keith's "Beer for My Horses," and a medley of tunes to close out the show including "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," and "Light Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die." Willie clearly enjoys being the ring leader of his Americana circus, and the Texas rocker doesn't seem like he has plans for hanging up his boots any time soon.
