Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson made a little magic Wednesday night at Bass Hall in front of a sold-out crowd.
FORT WORTH -- Midway through a sold-out performance at Bass Hall on Wednesday night, Merle Haggard stated the obvious.
"We're aging cowboys is what we are," said the silver-haired legend, gesturing toward Kris Kristofferson, the other well-worn icon onstage. He grinned, and the audience chuckled appreciatively.
Both men represent a time, not to mention a body of work, that continues to inspire legions of singers and songwriters. They sing tunes out of step with Nashville as it is now but make one yearn to visit the storied city as it once was. To say that Haggard and Kristofferson together was anything less than magical would be lying.
The pair first teamed up in an impromptu series of shows last year. They enjoyed the experience so much that a string of six shows (so far) was booked for early this year.
The one hour, 40-minute set whipped by in a flash, as the duo, backed by Haggard's longtime band the Strangers, knocked out 32 songs from all phases of their respective storied careers. Rather than turn classics into rejiggered duets, Haggard and Kristofferson would trade off playing lead guitar (Haggard's nimble picking, in particular, conjured the spirit of Willie Nelson to a powerful degree) and share the occasional, ragged harmony.
As expected, an arsenal of greatest hits was deployed -- Okie From Muskogee and Fightin' Side of Me for Hag; Help Me Make It Through the Night and Sunday Morning Coming Down for Kristofferson -- and the crowd greeted almost every tune with rapturous shouts and applause. And while the mood could be dour (both men are nothing if not poets of the downtrodden), the sly grins and frequent laughter from Haggard and Kristofferson betrayed the sheer joy of performing.
It wasn't immaculate and it wasn't slick; gaudy video screens and designer clothes had no place here. Besides, any flash is unnecessary: Haggard and Kristofferson together is a country, no, a music fan's dream.
Voices frayed with age yet still capable of moments of startling beauty, these titans of their craft keep pushing forward, unbent by the weight of years. As Kristofferson sings, "Everything's a little sweeter/Closer to the bone."
Preston Jones is the Star-Telegram pop music critic. 817-390-7713
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