Nile’s long-awaited D.C. show came on the day of a march marking not only the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, but to endorse the voting rights act that bears Lewis’ name. Many of the streets adjoining the venue were still closed off from the day’s activity.
Nile met Lewis at a birthday party for former Congressman and longtime fan Joe Crowley, who was not only in attendance at the show but, having been ousted from his Bronx district seat by A.O.C., available to sing on stage to no less than three songs — “The Justice Bell” as well as Nile’s hopped-up version of Dylan’s “Blowing in the Wind” and the finale of the main set, “One Guitar.”
Not that Nile needs a lot of vocal help. Bassist Johnny Pisano provides strong harmonies and guitar ace Jimi K. Bones joins in from time to time as well.
Nile had a lot to celebrate Saturday; he had gotten married just four days earlier, to Christina Arrigoni, the photographer who did the shot of street performer Johan Figueroa Gonzalez, the often-seen living sculpture in Washington Square park, for the cover of Nile’s new album. The soulful ballad “I Will Stand” that followed his announcement had the kind of sincerity perfect for a wedding day’s vow.
He had a number of intentional songs of serious intent, such “Across the River,” the one piano-based song, which opened his encore; or rockers that contained underlying messages — “All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go,” he sang, because of climate change.
But on this Saturday night after a long season deprived of music, audiences best responded to the unbridled rockers, from “New York is Rockin’” (to which he necessarily added “D.C. is rockin’” to the stone classic “Heaven Help the Lonely,” which turned out to be just about the oldest of his songs he’d play, 30 years ago, from his third album (though he recently played his terrific first two albums front to back to mark their anniversary; he didn’t fit anything from them in).
The covers, too, were well-received, from Tom Petty’s “Runnin’ Down a Dream” to Lou Reed’s “Sweet Jane.” And to mark Charlie Watts’ death that week, he ended the encores with “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” an accompanying testimonial and a spirit that emboded keeping the flame going.
The setlist for Willie Nile Saturday was:
- “Forever Wild”
- “Run”
- “The Innocent Ones”
- “The Day the Earth Stood Still”
- “Sanctuary”
- “Blood On Your Hands”
- “The Justice Bell”
- “I Will Stand”
- “All Dressed Up and No Place to Go”
- “Heaven Help the Lonely”
- “The Backstreet Slide”
- “Runnin’ Down a Dream”
- “New York is Rockin’”
- “House of a Thousand Guitars”
- “Sweet Jane”
- “Blowin’ in the Wind”
- “One Guitar”
- “Across the River”
- “Give Me Tomorrow”
- “Run Free”
- “I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”