Outlaw Music Festival at SPAC on Saturday August 2, 2025
Arriving just as the amazing LUCINDA WILLIAMS took the Broadview Stage, one could sense the feel-good vibe in the air outside on the packed lawn and inside the sold-out venue at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Unfortunately, I missed the first set from Waylon Payne (Willie Nelson’s lead guitarist) who opened the festival, but I heard him playing guitar, singing harmonies, and taking some lead vocals on a few songs in Willie’s set. It is always a joy to both see and hear Lucinda Williams perform. Having survived a debilitating stroke in 2020, the fact that she still gets out to perform live for her fans is remarkable and inspirational. She dedicated her song “Stolen Moments” to Tom Petty, and later in the set before performing “Out of Touch,” she mentioned that Petty did “a great cover of this song” (you can find it on YouTube). On “Greenville,” she was joined by Willie Nelson’s harmonica player Mickey Raphael, who had a busy night – later sitting in with Wilco, and then finishing the show with Willie. Williams told an anecdote about visiting Abbey Road Studios in London before singing The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” which spotlighted her two talented guitar players, who played some great solos during her set. She remained stationary throughout her set, holding her microphone stand throughout the set, but miraculously left the safety of her perch during the final song and walked gingerly to the edge of the stage encouraging people to clap and sing along with the final chorus of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World,” then made her way back to the mic for her parting words: “We need to spread the love. Take care, ya’ll” before slowly exiting the stage. http://www.lucindawilliams.com
WILCO was definitely the stand out performance of the show. The dynamic band of multi-talented musicians are a stellar live act that continue to tour and release music on a consistent basis. They played songs from their latest releases, as well as from their brilliant seminal 2002 album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, their 2005 Grammy award winning A Ghost Is Born, their mellow masterpiece Sky Blue Sky, the band’s 2007 release (their first studio album with guitarist Nels Cline, who played some fiery guitar and tasty lap steel solos, and multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone), and selections from Mermaid Avenue, the 1998 music project with Billy Bragg that had the band set Woody Guthrie’s previously unheard song lyrics to music. Band leader Jeff Tweedy was his usual convivial self, addressing the multitude after the first three numbers with the salutation, “Good to see you. Good to be part of this.” Later in the set when they finished a wonderful rendition of the song “Hummingbird,” he acknowledged the audience’s uproarious response, with a jubilant, “Thank you so much. What a beautiful night, right?” Toward the end of their set, Tweedy humbly remarked, “We’ve got time for a few more. Thank you for letting us play for you,” before finishing the night with “Falling Apart (Right Now)” (with Sansone twisting his E string guitar peg down at the end for effect), and two more tunes with harmonica player Mickey Raphael: “California Stars” and a rousing version of the Grateful Dead’s “U.S. Blues,” which had everyone who caught the upbeat spirit of the song smiling, waving, singing along, and dancing in their seat or the aisle. http://www.wilcoworld.net
BOB DYLAN came onto the stage in darkness, wearing a white hat, and seated himself at a piano at the far back of the stage. Although the projection screen camera was set up for a basic straight-on shot that did not change (nor did the lights), Dylan’s white hat could be seen moving and grooving as he plunked away at the piano and sang out with his distinctive voice and phrasings. Seemingly saving his 84-year-old voice for the vocals, Dylan did not provide any pandering banter, just came out and performed, letting the songs, with their overall loose (sometimes murky) bluesy vibe, wash over the audience, who seemed excited just to be in the presence of this singular influential and important music artist, who performed an hour-and-fifteen set from his illustrious six-decade catalogue of songs, starting the night with his mid-sixties classic “Positively 4th Street,” and bookending it with “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” as his last number. The rapt crowd cheered after each song, and any time he threw in a brief harmonica solo. Their praising approval at the end of his set went on long enough for fans to think that they may possible coax him to come back for an encore, but alas, the lights came on, dashing any hopes of one more tune from the aloof troubadour. http://www.bobdylan.com
As an AI generated image of WILLIE NELSON (clad in his trademark bandana and braids) appeared on the projection screens and sang some of his hit songs, a scrim banner with an Outlaw Fest logo was lowered down onto the stage while they set up for the final anticipated act; then the reception he received from patrons who were justifiably enamored with the beloved country legend’s ability to perform at such a ripe old age was colossal. With an enormous American flag unfurled behind him, Willie played his familiar nylon-stinged road-worn acoustic Martin guitar throughout his set with some impressive dexterity, which received enthusiastic applause each time. The attendees inside the venue and out on the lawn shouted out his name, and sang along with all the well-known Willie Nelson classics and enjoyed the choice covers, showing proper respect and reverence for this iconic music pioneer. For his cover of Rev. J.M. Gates’ “I’ll Fly Away,” Willie was joined by members of Wilco, who seemed just as thrilled to be in the presence of Willie as those who attended the show. All in all, a wonderful night of music from each of these talented and acclaimed artists. http://www.willienelson.com
Outlaw Music Festival tour dates: https://blackbirdpresents.com/concert/outlaw-music-festival-tour-2025/
LUCINDA WILLIAMS SETLIST:
Real Live Bleeding Fingers and Broken Guitar Strings
Stolen Moments (For Tom Petty)
West Memphis
Greenville (with Mickey Raphael on harmonica)
Lowlife
You Can’t Rule Me (Memphis Minnie cover)
Out of Touch
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (The Beatles cover)
Changed the Locks
Joy
Rockin’ in the Free World (Neil Young cover)
WILCO SETLIST:
Story to Tell
Handshake Drugs
Cruel Country
Forget the Flowers
Evicted
Spiders (Kidsmoke)
Bird Without a Tail / Base of My Skull
Hummingbird
Hesitating Beauty (Billy Bragg & Wilco song)
War on War
Either Way
Impossible Germany
Jesus, Etc.
Falling Apart (Right Now)
California Stars (Billy Bragg & Wilco song with Mickey Raphael on harmonica)
U.S. Blues (Grateful Dead cover with Mickey Raphael on harmonica)
BOB DYLAN SETLIST:
Positively 4th Street
I Can Tell (Bo Diddley cover)
Forgetful Heart
Axe and the Wind (George “Wild Child” Butler cover)
To Ramona
Early Roman Kings
Under the Red Sky
I’ll Make It All Up To You (Charlie Rich cover)
All Along the Watchtower
‘Til I Fell in Love With You
Desolation Row
Love Sick (No “Soy Bomb” guy was present this time)
Share Your Love With Me (Bobby “Blue” Bland cover)
Blind Willie McTell
Highway 61 Revisited
Searching for a Soldier’s Grave (Anglin Twins cover)
Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
WILLIE NELSON SETLIST:
Whiskey River (Johnny Bush cover)
Stay a Little Longer (Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys cover)
Still Is Still Moving to Me
Funny How Time Slips Away / Crazy / Night Life
Bloody Mary Morning
I Never Cared for You
-Band intros-
Workin’ Man Blues (Merle Haggard cover sung by Waylon Payne)
Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys (Ed Bruce cover)
Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground
On the Road Again
You Were Always on My Mind (Gwen McCrae cover)
Good Hearted Woman (Waylon Jennings cover)
Help Me Make It Through the Night (Kris Kristofferson cover sung by Waylon Payne)
Move It on Over (Hank Williams cover)
Georgia (on My Mind) (Hoagy Carmichael and His Orchestra cover)
Me and Bobby McGee (Kris Kristofferson cover sung by Waylon Payne)
Last Leaf (Tom Waits cover)
Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die
I’ll Fly Away (Rev. J.M. Gates cover with members of Wilco)
The Party’s Over
I Saw the Light (instrumental Hank Williams cover by the band as Willie waved and left the stage)
