If ever there was a musical artist who blazed his own trail, following his muse down every side road and back alley from which it beckoned, it’s Sturgill Simpson. Being true to his own vision has led to a storied career that’s earned widespread acclaim along with six Grammy nominations and a role in a Martin Scorsese film. He even wrote the theme song to a Bill Murray zombie movie. Of course, there are those who would question the non-conforming artist and the decisions he’s made. For those who’ve wondered why Simpson couldn’t have stayed true to country music, or why he chose to only create five original studio albums under his own name, or why he’d choose to perform under the moniker Johnny Blue Skies, the simplest answer may be found in the name of his current tour.
The “Why Not?” tour rolled into Bend, Oregon’s Hayden Homes Amphitheater on Thursday, September 19th and played to a crowd eager to witness Simpson’s current state of affairs after a few years off the road. There were some familiar faces along for the ride. Long-time collaborator Miles Miller weighed in on a modest drum kit and punched well above his weight. Kevin Black is back, having held down the bass in Simpson’s Sunday Valley days and beyond, before playing for several years in Margo Price’s band. Laur Joamets, who moved from Estonia to Nashville years ago to chase his rock n’ roll dreams, and toured with Simpson as well as Drivin N Cryin, was on guitar. Nashville session musician Robbie Crowell, who’s toured with Midland and Deer Tick, among others, handled keyboard duties, and played some saxophone as well.
With a greeting of “Hello, hippies!” Simpson got started on what would be a 30-song set that extended to nearly three hours and covered material spanning his entire catalog. From the outlaw country of 2013 debut High Top Mountain, to 2014’s breakout Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, 2016’s Grammy-winning A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, 2019’s psychedelic rocker Sound & Fury, and 2021’s concept album The Ballad of Dood and Juanita, all studio albums were represented. There were some choice cover songs included in the set, including The Doors’ “LA Woman” and The Allman Brothers Band “Midnight Rider.” The artist formerly known as Sturgill Simpson even threw down a cover of Prince’s “Purple Rain.”
It was great to see all of these songs mixed together in a live setting, with tunes from Sound & Fury playing nice with tracks from High Top Mountain and The Ballad of Dood and Juanita. Simpson, who had been forced to step away from live performance for a couple of years due to vocal cord injuries, sounded strong and was obviously eager to be back at it. And fans, from first-timers to longtime Simpson stalwarts, soaked in every moment. Whether you call him Sturgill Simpson or Johnny Blue Skies, the man and his band delivered a compelling, expansive live performance.
Sturgill Simpson, Hayden Homes Amphitheater, Bend, Oregon, 2024-9-19
Fastest Horse In Town, Juanita, Life of Sin, Turtles All the Way Down, Some Days, Railroad of Sin, Red Red Wine (Neil Diamond cover), The Promise (When In Rome cover), A Whiter Shade of Pale (Procol Harum cover), Time After All, I’d Have to Be Crazy (Steven Fromholz cover), Right Kind of Dream, All Said and Done, Long White Line (Moore & Napier cover), Brace for Impact (Live a Little) (China Cat Sunflower tease), A Good Look, L.A. Woman (The Doors cover), Welcome to Earth (Pollywog), Best Clockmaker on Mars, I Don’t Mind, You Don’t Miss Your Water (William Bell cover), If the Sun Never Rises Again, One for the Road, Purple Rain (Prince cover), Jupiter’s Faerie, Scooter Blues, Midnight Rider (The Allman Brothers Band cover), Voices, Call to Arms, It Ain’t All Flowers
