Two big names added country cachet to the Farm Aid lineup. Wynonna Judd may be identified with ’80 and ‘90s Nashville but she totally rocked with her robust voice and R&B sass. Kenny Chesney, country’s king of stadiums, is a live-wire in concert but a half hour didn’t seem enough time for him to find his footing. He seemed rushed and not in the best voice.
When you’ve got 18 or so different acts on a bill, you can’t expect uniformly satisfying results. But these Farm Aid artists were consistent in their commitment and quality, save for the aforementioned Chesney, who tried to transform his quick set into a star turn, blowing kisses and all.
Jam bands are notorious for stretching out in concert, with long solo passages that hopefully transport listeners to other realms. Respected jam-band stars Strings, a hotshot bluegrassy newcomer, and Matthews (with Tim Reynolds) proved that they don’t need three hours to captivate a crowd. They each did it in a mesmerizing half-hour with fierce picking and striking chemistry, with Matthews and Reynolds supplemented by agile fiddler Jake Simpson from Lukas Nelson’s band.
A lot to choose from here. Price, Strings and Welles sounded fiery together in Price’s set covering Dylan’s “Maggie’s Farm.” Ferrell’s unannounced four-song appearance as part of Lukas Nelson’s set almost felt as cohesive and simpatico as his dad and late aunt, Willie and Bobbie Nelson, used to sound playing together, particularly in their remake of Young’s “Unknown Legend.” And let’s not overlook Lukas’ duet with his 92-year-old father near show’s end singing the Pearl Jam ballad “Just Breathe,” a song about immortality. Yeah, uff da.
Jesse Welles joined Margo Price during her set to help sing Bob Dylan’s classic “Maggie’s Farm.”
(Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
The 12-hour concert was a marathon, but at the end the 37,000 fans — or however many were still left — seemed to want Willie to stay a little longer. He is a universally revered national treasure, a selfless campaigner for the common good, a good guy with good tunes, good intentions and, we hear, good weed. When he crooned the line “I’ll be here for eternity” during the profound “Last Leaf on the Tree,” the crowd erupted into cheers.
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