There are people in this world who emanate a “joie de vivre,” joy of living. This spark is not circumstantial, it is steady and serves as a reminder that life not only knocks you down, it also picks you up.
During this highly anticipated weekend, The Pear Tree Project encountered Michelino, an Uber driver intent on sharing his spark. A chef by trade, he is temporarily providing safe passage to voyagers, but that’s not all.
On our half hour journey he delighted us with anecdotes of Italy, recommendations for the best pasta, recipes for risotto, and the occasional flurry of enlivened hands to convey frustration, happiness, or inquisitiveness.
This short ride to the PNC Bank Arts Center ended with laughter and a last minute reminder not to take ourselves too seriously. After all, at the gates, we are all just nobody.
This happened to be the perfect way to begin The Outlaw Music Festival, which proudly celebrates its 10th anniversary, marking a decade of unforgettable performances and camaraderie among music luminaries and fans alike. Since its 2016 inception in Scranton, PA, the festival has become a hallmark of authentic Americana, developing into one of North America’s largest annual touring franchises.
Led by cultural and musical icon Willie Nelson, the festival unites legends with today’s superstars in celebration of the outlaw spirit and genre-defying music. It also incorporates local food and shopping vendors to create a full-day music and lifestyle experience.
This milestone year has been the biggest yet, with 35 stops across 22 states featuring an incredible lineup of artists and special tributes to its storied history.
In addition to Willie Nelson & Family, the tour includes Bob Dylan as a headliner, with a rotating lineup of artists like Sheryl Crow, Billy Strings, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, The Avett Brothers, Wilco, The Red Clay Strays, and more.
Here are some of the performers we were fortunate enough to experience during the leg of the tour, which brought the ‘outlaws’ to New Jersey –
Willie Nelson is a mythical musician who, aside from his extensive discography, is an accomplished actor, published author, and activist. He wrote his first song at age seven and later penned hits like “Crazy,” which became famous through Patsy Cline. After serving in the Air Force and working various jobs, Nelson became a successful songwriter before becoming a major recording artist and a constant performer. Nelson has won 12 Grammy awards from 57 nominations, in addition to the Grammy Legend Award in 1990 and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000.
Bob Dylan, born Robert Zimmerman, is famous for his 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature, which he received for creating “new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” He’s won numerous awards, including 10 Grammys and an Academy Award, but famously walked off the Ed Sullivan Show for his principles, and introduced The Beatles to marijuana in 1964. Dylan also had a brief, obscure career under the stage name Elston Gunnn before legally changing his name and embarking on his legendary “Never Ending Tour” in 1988.
Sheryl Crow is a nine-time Grammy winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer known for selling more than 50 million albums, but she also worked as a backup singer for Michael Jackson, battled breast cancer and a benign brain tumor, and was once a teacher for the McDonald’s advertising jingle. A devoted activist, Crow uses her music and public platform to raise awareness for environmental and health issues.
The aforementioned three artists all performed distinctly.
At 92, Willie ushered us through a set of songs we knew so well. Despite his limitations to complete them the way he once did, the tenderness of each classic lost no luster. And, boy can he still strum his road-worn, nylon-stringed acoustic guitar.
Then I would not have found you
Angel flying too close to the ground”
The chance to see Bob Dylan live was a no-brainer. Oddly, enough we never actually saw him. On a stage drenched in fiery molten, Dylan crooned through 17 songs hidden in dark lava. Despite the absence of his visage, his brilliance was still balanced by other senses.
Sheryl Crow’s energetic, inclusive, and genuine musicianship elated the nearly 18,000 attendees. She adeptly blended her contemporary style to the communal atmosphere, as she effortlessly inspired exhilaration.
“I’m, I’m gonna soak up the sun
I’m gonna tell everyone to lighten up
I’m gonna tell ’em that I’ve got no one to blame
For every time I feel lame, I’m lookin’ up”
Did You Know? The term “outlaw” historically refers to figures of the American Wild West who operated outside the law, often engaging in cattle rustling, train robbery, and bank robbery. These individuals, like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, utilized routes like the Outlaw Trail for sanctuary.