Willie Nelson: Live at Budokan 

PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1): 

Friday, March 15, at 11:30 PM
Saturday, March 16, at 9:30 PM

In 1984, Willie Nelson had racked up 16 #1 country hits within the previous decade and crossed over to the pop charts multiple times, all while starring in a series of hit movies and becoming one of the most recognized figures in popular culture. He has maintained that fame and notoriety throughout his entire career of more than seven decades, uniting fans across genres and generations like none other. Nelson’s live shows are legendary, and this show is a perfect example. 

In February of that year, Nelson performed in Tokyo to kick off a five-city tour that marked his first time playing in Japan, showing how global his appeal had become. The first shows were at the Budokan, the legendary martial arts hall; the concert on February 23 was recorded and filmed for broadcast but was released as a laserdisc only in Japan. The video was never seen anywhere else, and the audio was never released at all—until now. The audio has been lovingly remixed by Willie’s longtime band member Mickey Raphael and the broadcast version includes 19 songs with an amazing collection of hits—from “Whiskey River” to “Always On My Mind,” “On the Road Again” to “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys.” Additional songs included are “Me and Bobby McGee,” “Georgia On My Mind,” “Stardust,” “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain,” “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys,” “Mona Lisa,” “Good Hearted Woman,” “If You’ve Got the Money I’ve Got the Time” and more.