Willie Nelson performing at a stop on the Outlaw Music Festival tour. (Photo by Joshua Timmermans and Blackbird Presents)

Willie Nelson is 92 and Bob Dylan is 84.

Neither of these esteemed artists owe us anything more than their already immeasurable contributions to American music.

Yet they still tour, and will be performing in Bangor on Friday as part of Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival.

With older artists, sometimes their voices may have changed and the range isn’t what it once was. They’re also not bopping around the stage like Energizer bunnies, but rather might be seated — or at least stationary like Dylan, who mostly stands at his piano. They also surely don’t need the money.

But when you love what you do, you keep on doing it. Like the 83-year-old Paul McCartney, who recently announced yet another round of dates that left fans scrambling for tickets.

I will say from recent personal experience that older musicians are still very much worth your time.

Roger Daltrey of The Who at Fenway Park in Boston on Aug. 26, 2025. (Photo by Kevin Brown)

Case in point: The Who. I saw them last week at Fenway Park for the first time and still can’t believe how tremendous that show was. Pete Townshend, 80, still slays on guitar — complete with his signature pinwheel move. He also brought the goods on one of my favorite Who tracks, “Eminence Front.” Roger Daltrey, 80, can still sing well and I wiped away tears during “Love Reign O’er Me.” It was transcendent.

Hearing iconic songs sung live by older artists changes you. In 2022, Joni Mitchell, then 78, was a surprise guest at the Newport Folk Festival. Mitchell’s set included her classics, “Big Yellow Taxi,” “A Case of You” and “Both Sides Now.” It was Mitchell’s first live performance since a brain aneurysm in 2015. Her recovery was long, and Mitchell had to teach herself to play guitar again by watching old clips of herself. Sure, her voice is quite different than when albums like “Clouds” and “Blue” were released, but that hardly mattered.

Last year I reviewed Diana Ross’ concert at Merrill Auditorium. Ross, then 80, was phenomenal. Her singing voice is still strong and gorgeous.

Willie Nelson and his band performing at a stop on the Outlaw Music Festival tour. (Photo by Joshua Timmermans and Blackbird Presents)

Former Press Herald arts writer Bob Keyes is the editorial director at Colby College and chair of the Maine Arts Commission. He’s also the biggest Dylan fan I know and has seen Dylan about 90 times, starting in 1986. He’s also seen Nelson somewhere around 15 times.

“I feel like, especially with artists like Dylan and Willie who are committed to the road, that they’re better at what they do in many ways now because they’re so intentional about it, and they’re doing it because they really want to be out there doing it,” he said. “They’re doing it exactly how they want to, and really it’s a treat for the fans to see them reinvent their material.”

Keyes, who saw the Outlaw show in New Hampshire last month, said that Dylan uses his voice in different, but still effective, ways. “He can’t do as much with it as he did even just a few years ago, but I think he gets as much out of it as he ever has. His voice, to me, is as much an instrument as any of the other people on stage.”

Keyes will also be at the show in Bangor. “It’s an honor that these people want to continue to tour and I find is inspiring to go and watch them perform and to see them find new ways to express themselves and find new meaning in very old songs. I think they learn how to perform in different ways than they did when they were younger, and they are in many ways more in tune with their intuition.”

I took a look at recent Outlaw setlists of both artists, for anyone still undecided about going to Bangor Friday.

Nelson’s been playing “On the Road Again,” “You Were Always On My Mind” and “Whiskey River” consistently.

Dylan’s set has included “Highway 61 Revisited,” “All Along the Watchtower” and “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.”

One last thing: Get there on time.

Sheryl Crow and her band put on a crackerjack live show and you know way more of her songs than you might think. When that guitar riff alerts you to “If It Makes You Happy,” you’re gonna be psyched.

Waxahatchee, fronted by Katie Crutchfield, played a sold-out show at the State Theatre last year, packed with songs from their gold star album “Tigers Blood.” Waxahatchee is Americana/roots/rock at its finest.

Madeline Edwards, a new-to-me artist, has a multi-genre sound that incorporates jazz, country, soul and rock. Her vocals are pure fire. Edwards released her second album “Fruit” in July.

Outlaw Music Festival

4 p.m. Friday. Maine Savings Amphitheater, 1 Railroad St., Bangor, $67.50 – $299.95. waterfrontconcerts.com.