Willie Nelson and Ryan Adams Bring Americana to Los Angeles

Meeting your heroes can present some unforeseen problems; just ask Canadian alt-country songstress Neko Case, who opened for country icon extraordinaire Willie Nelson last night at Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl. "Willie Nelson's playing tonight, I'm so excited! We're going to play one more song, then pee our pants," squealed a giddy Case before closing her set with the soaring Fleetwood Mac put-on "Hold On, Hold On."

The evening's Americana-centric performances -- which featured Case, Ryan Adams and, of course, Nelson himself -- closed L.A. public radio station KCRW's summer-long World Festival concert series. It was also Nelson's third straight night playing for a packed house at the Bowl. After headlining the venue with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Friday and Saturday nights, the seventy-three-year-old Lone Star troubadour held his own alongside the relatively young supporting acts, showing a seasoned onstage presence that betrayed no sign of wear or fatigue.

Having produced Nelson's upcoming October 31st release, the covers-heavy Songbird, the wildly prolific Adams seemed dedicated to proving his own mettle as a lasting name in country music. Appearing onstage with his trademark mussed hair, tight jeans, cowboy boots and a Batman T-shirt, a surprisingly spotlight-shy Adams managed to segue one alt-country song into another with hardly any breaks -- or chatter -- in between. Despite some initial fumblings, Adams succeeded in winning over the mostly middle-aged audience. He and his backing band, the Cardinals -- who were joined by Phil Lesh on bass for most of the set -- incorporated wailing a cappella harmonies and textured slide guitar into their show, giving things an authentically "Nashville" feel. Though a much anticipated Adams/Nelson duet failed to materialize, Adams' set -- which included "Magnolia Mountain" and "Shakedown on 9th Street" -- was stellar.

A pig-tailed, bandanna-sporting Nelson proved that he's still the reigning king of country, playing an array of golden oldies (including a medley of early Sixties hits "Funny How Time Slips Away," "Crazy" and "The Night Life"), country classics ("On the Road Again" and "Georgia on My Mind") and newer jams like the singalong "Beer for My Horses" and "You Don't Think I'm Funny Anymore," in which a playful Nelson makes light of his advanced years by singing, "I used to fake a heart attack and fall down on the floor, but even I don't think that's funny anymore." Tracks from the forthcoming Songbird were oddly absent from the night's set list, but with more than forty years' worth of albums under his belt, Nelson made sure the crowd left satisfied.