Despite price-gauging beer and food vendors, and bathroom lines that took 20 minutes to navigate, Saturday’s “Willie Nelson, Pat Green & Friends” concert at Smirnoff Music Centre at Fair Park was a great success. The cool fall weather was perfect for the outdoor event that attracted nearly 15,000 music-loving fans to Dallas.
The event began in the late afternoon with performances by Micky and the Motorcars, Eleven Hundred Springs and Todd Snider (who wrote Cross Canadian Ragweed’s newest single “I Believe You).
In the early evening, well-known singer songwriter Cory Morrow took the main stage at Smirnoff. Morrow is notorious for his raw energy on stage and Saturday’s performance was no exception.
He and his band played several of his well-known tunes, as well as some excellent new songs that significantly utilized the lead guitar. Being a personal favorite of mine, I only wish Morrow was able to play a longer set.
As the sun set over the upper edges of the lawn at Smirnoff, the Randy Rogers Band took the stage. A huge fan favorite, Rogers and his four band members have quickly risen to must-hear status within the Texas country music scene. The band played mostly from its 2006 release “Just a Matter of Time,” an album that truly does not have a low point.
Despite a promising start to the day, the highlight of the event was undoubtedly Pat Green’s performance. He and his band took the stage with a passion that engaged the crowd at Smirnoff.
Two days before the event, a modest Green spoke to the challenges of building a set list for such a large and diverse crowd in the artist’s home state.
“When you have 10 records out and 17 songs that have had radio play [in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area], you’re not going to make everyone happy,” he said. His words ended up being far from the truth, as almost the entire crowd remained on its feet singing and dancing along through Green’s one hour and 20 minute set.
With several tracks off of his most recent release “Cannonball” already gaining significant radio airplay, it would have been logical to assume the majority of Green’s set list would include songs from that album. However, Green returned to his roots, playing tunes that true fans appreciate like “Galleywinter,” “Southbound 35” and “Me & Billy the Kid.” In one of the more memorable parts of the night, Green also invited Morrow, who attended Texas Tech with Green, to come on stage and sing “Texas on My Mind.”
Green concluded his performance with one of the artist’s best-known songs, “Wave on Wave,” complete with an interlude of U2’s “With or Without You,” before country legend Willie Nelson took the stage late in the evening.
Nelson’s performance was very mellow and subdued compared to Green’s, but the guitar-driven set was the perfect way to end the night. With Nelson playing fewer gigs in the area in the past several years, the opportunity to see the master in action becomes more and more rare. It’s always a treat to see Nelson on stage.
In recent years, Green has gained national success that has taken him on the road all across the U.S. with country stars like Kenny Chesney. However, Green, who lives in Ft. Worth with his wife and two children, was clearly excited to perform in the Lone Star State.
“It means everything to be playing at home,” added Green, “It’s a great way to cap off a great year.” With two months still left in 2007 and his single “Way Back Texas” climbing the national country music charts, the rest of the year (and the future) appear limitless for Green.
