George Strait, Snoop Dogg and other highs from night 1 of Willie Nelson 90th birthday bash

We’ll have more highlights from Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90, the star-studded birthday bash for Willie Nelson coming in another day or so, but let’s go ahead and answer the top questions on everyone’s mind after Saturday show, the first of two concerts at the Hollywood Bowl.

How was the show on Saturday?

Night one was incredible. Some Austinites felt (understandably) jilted when Willie opted to leave town for his 90th birthday. But the iconic Hollywood Bowl — a storied venue with a hundred year history — was a beautiful setting for this tightly structured production. Sound was amazing, set changes were fast and the weather was chilly but clear.

Leon Bridges and Gary Clark Jr. embodied the “Nightlife” that beckoned Willie into a decades-long journey chasing dreams through bars. Chris Stapleton broke our collective hearts segueing “The Last Thing I Needed” into “Always On My Mind.” The Chicks brought the house down with their fast-picking, dirt-kicking take on “Bloody Mary Morning.” Rosanne Cash sang the lead in a duet with with Kris Kristofferson on “Lovin’ Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again).” As emotion reduced Kristofferson's voice to a whisper, the daughter of his late collaborator, Johnny Cash, embodied the eagle's freedom, setting her own voice alight to guide the song home.

Did Willie perform? Yep, with George Strait

Of course he did. Did anyone really believe that the Red-Headed Stranger would stay on the sidelines during this amazing musical celebration? Throughout the show, the camera on the big screens never panned to his face as artists shouted out their birthday wishes. “Where’s Willie?” was a consistent murmur in the crowd.

As his sons Lukas and Micah finished supporting Neil Young on a spirited version of “Are There Any More Real Cowboys,” the man of the hour walked on stage to answer the question. The crowd went wild. As producers rushed to place three chairs in the center of the stage, the audience made a disjointed but warm-hearted attempt at singing “Happy Birthday.” (Turns out, unity among 17,500 people is easier to achieve than unison.)

Then, sitting center stage, flanked by his two sons, Willie thanked all the artists who came to “help us celebrate whatever we're celebrating,” then casually noted “George is coming.” Moments later the King of Country Music, George Strait, appeared onstage to riotous applause.

“Hey George, let’s sing one,” Willie said. And with the easy camaraderie of a pair of lifetime wanderers who just happened to reshape the landscape of the roads they traveled, the two country music icons sang the jokey 2019 duet, “Sing One With Willie.”

More: 'His heart is genuine': 11 quotes about Willie Nelson that capture his legacy

As the applause died down, Willie teased the crowd, saying there was a song he “always wanted to do.”

“Townes wrote it,” he said. Then he and Strait unwound the epic tale of wayward hustlers, "Pancho and Lefty." Strait’s voice was golden and strong while Willie’s rose, fell and caught like the dusty dry wind that rustles the scrubby brush along the Texas border — reminding listeners that his tone is the perfect vehicle for capturing the poetry of the American West.

Oh yeah, and Snoop Dogg was there

Willie Nelson has written some of the greatest heartbreak songs of the modern era, beautiful pieces that frame intricate details of the human existence with such simple clarity that people from all walks of life see themselves reflected in the words he sets to aching melodies. Also, he loves a good joke.

He brought his old friend and smoking buddy, Snoop Dogg, to the stage to duet on “Roll Me Up And Smoke Me When I Die.” Snoop is perhaps the only artist in the pantheon of American idols more associated with his love of the devil’s lettuce than Willie. To the delight of the crowd, the rap superstar sat next to Willie onstage and sang lead on the 2012 ode to a hazy passage into the afterlife.

For subscribers: Willie's country: 'The patron saint of Austin' reshaped a genre and the Texas capital

Willie didn’t want to leave the stage

Settling in with his musical family around him and his sons at his side, Willie sang a spirited version of “On the Road Again.” Then he brought the full cast to the stage for a traditional Nelson family gospel jam to close the evening.

Spirits flew on a medley that mashed up the beautiful transition songs “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” and “I’ll Fly Away.” The timeless spirituals felt extraordinarily poignant at a celebration for a man who is entering his tenth decade.

Replay: Celebrities celebrate Willie Nelson's birthday on red carpet

Stars surrounding him, Willie began singing “Happy Birthday to me” and the whole cast and crowd sang along. Then, in a move that seemed to catch everyone but the band off guard, he spontaneously burst into Mac Davis’ 1980 hit “Hard To Be Humble.”

It was a hilarious conclusion to a fantastic evening packed with classics from the new American songbook. Certainly, no one expects Willie to be humble at this point in his career, but we’ll all take the reminder that “we’re doing the best that we can.”

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Snoop Dogg, George Strait join Willie Nelson at the Hollywood Bowl