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Willie Entertains The Crowd At The Fruit Yard
Willie
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Willie Nelson and Friends performed at The Fruit Yard. VIRGINIA STILL/THE NEWS

The Fruit Yard has kicked off their summer concert series with Willie Nelson last week with a sold out show that had several audience members yelling out “I love you Willie” and each song was met with cheers and applause. The sold out show had approximately 3,500 people in attendance.

Although he recently turned 86 at the end of April the iconic Texan sang and jammed on the guitar that had people cheering. Starting the set with “Whiskey River” he had the crowd belting out the words which continued throughout the evening to some fan favorites like “Beer for my Horses,” “If you got the Money Honey I Got the Time,” “You Were Always On My Mind,” and ending the show with “I Saw the Light.”

Mixing it up a bit Nelson played some songs from Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, and Hank Williams. He introduced his band which also included his son. They not only jammed together but they sang together as well. With a new album on the horizon set to come out in June he also played a few new tracks.

The new venue has a lawn area that was filled with people that brought blankets and chairs. The seats surround the stage that was filled with fans sporting their Willie Nelson t-shirts, bandanas, and cowboy boots.

There were a couple entrances to the amphitheater and a few different areas to park in. They had vendors serving up food like Dave’s Meat offering jerky samplings, corn dogs, fries, and tri-tip sandwiches and burritos. They had beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages to quench your thirst. Tickets had to be purchased in order to purchase any refreshments.

The temperature was just right for the outdoor venue and the sunset gave the crowd a nice glow. Desure was the opening act and played some tunes as the crowd was settling in.

So far the 2019 line-up at the Fruit Yard will feature acts like Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons slated for June 14, Country music artist Justin Moore on July 12, Buddy Guy with Jimmie Vaughan and Charlie Musselwhite on Aug. 11, and Chris Isaak on Aug. 31.  

With Nelson tossing out his cowboy hat and a few bandanas the night and brining some country gospel along with his hits he made it a night to remember at the new Fruit Yard amphitheater.