Stagecoach: Willie Nelson still pulls a crowd at 90; Jelly Roll, Ernest, Charley Crockett join

Few people can still pull in big crowds quite like Willie Nelson, the legendary country artist who's been performing for more than six decades. Just two days before his 91st birthday, he decided to celebrate by making it a family affair at the Stagecoach country music festival.

Nelson and his family band, along with Waylon Payne, played a number of easy-listening and upbeat tunes for the Saturday crowd eager to see the nonagenarian. The legendary artist kicked off a streak of highly anticipated acts at the festival, later followed by Leon Bridges, Post Malone and headliner Miranda Lambert.

Kicking things off with songs such as "Whiskey River" and "Stay All Night (Stay a Little Longer)," Nelson got into the groove as if no time had passed since he penned those songs back in 1973 and 1978, respectively.

He didn't interact much with the crowd, aside from an occasional "How y'all doin'?" or acknowledgement of the crowd's applause. But he didn't need to schmooze with his audience too much as his guitar strumming and voice did all the work to keep everyone on their feet.

Nelson also showed a little (welcomed) sass during his set — with songs such as "I Never Cared for You" and "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" — and more tender moments with "Always on My Mind."

An unexpected pick during his 50-minute set included a cover of Pearl Jam's "Just Breathe." He shared a tender moment with his son, Lukas Nelson, as they sang, "Nothing you would take, everything you gave, hold me 'til I die, meet you on the other side." The two looked at each other and smiled, showing the love between them.

Nelson was eyed as one of the artists on the Stagecoach lineup who could bring out Beyoncé as a special guest, mainly because he's featured on her new country album, "Cowboy Carter." Instead, Jelly Roll, Ernest and Charley Crockett joined in for "I'll Fly Away" and "It's Hard to be Humble."

At this point, Jelly Roll may have set a record for the most surprise appearances during the festival, also joining Ernest and Nickelback this weekend. But he and the two other men were great additions to the set, singing along and looking at Nelson with eyes full of admiration.

Like a true rockstar (even at nearly 91 years old) he threw his red bandana into the crowd at the end, signing off like the legend he is.

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Stagecoach: Willie Nelson joined by Jelly Roll, Ernest, Charley Crockett