WORDS / BEN MANATT 
An unusually brisk October evening in Northwest Arkansas might seem like an unexpected backdrop for the laid back, California-tinged melodies of singer/songwriting legend Jackson Browne.
Nevertheless, that was the scene as a multigenerational throng of music lovers bundled up and came out to fill the seats and lawn of the Walmart AMP Saturday night. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer rewarded his dedicated audience with an assortment of new material, classic radio hits, and a few deep tracks spanning his nearly half-century career.
Larry and Teresa Campbell opened the show. This husband and wife act with the taken of a full band also featured prominently in a Browne’s set later in the night. A staple of Bob Dylan’s touring band for years, Campbell clearly earned the musical chops that make him a frequent collaborator with of the likes Paul Simon, BB King, and Willie Nelson, among others.
Teresa’s elegant, yet earthy voice coupled with Campbell’s multi-instrumental, well-crafted Americana arrangements brought many spontaneous cheers from the audience, even as they trickled into their seats and spread their blankets on the lawn.
The Campbells closed their short but strong opening set with a heartfelt nod to Larry’s personal friend and collaborator, Levon Helm, noting that their last song of the night had always been a personal favorite of the late Arkansas native. After a short intermission, Browne’s band took to the stage with Campbell in tow.
A veteran of the road since his early 20s, the 67-year-old Browne looked unsurprisingly comfortable, yet youthfully energetic as he took the stage, briefly greeting the audience before ripping into “The Barricades of Heaven,” off his 1996 album Looking East. 
Despite beginning the show with a handful of what most concert goers would consider “new songs,” the crowd responded relatively positively. This was due in no small part Browne’s own  genuine enthusiasm and to the band’s well-honed familiarity  with Greg Leisz’s lap-steel evoking traces of Browne’s  mid-70s Running on Empty-era sound.
One obvious standout performance early on in the show was “These Days,” a song Browne penned at the age of 16. It’s since been famously covered by the likes Nico and the Velvet Underground, Greg Allman, Glenn Campbell and more.
Yet instead of rushing through this standard of the American canon of popular music he’s no doubt played thousands of times before, Browne and his band took the time to give it the attention and care it deserves.
There’s something special about hearing a well-known song being perfumed by the actual songwriter that seems so intimidate and personal. With “These Days,” and a handful of others, Browne reminded everyone why he’s still filling venues around the world.
The band quickly picked up the pace with a jumping  cover of Warren Zevon, “Mama Couldn’t Be Persuaded,” featuring Campbell on the fiddle. Somehow the transition from heartfelt piano ballads to zydeco flavored pop seemed virtually seamless.
Over the years critics have thrown around some harsh words when it comes to Browne’s stage presence, but as he proved Saturday night at the AMP no one can say Jackson Browne doesn’t bare heart for the audience.
This was maybe a little too much heart for the NWA audience at times, particularly when Browne began to share his views and sing his concerned about the various causes he’s championed over the years– the environmental crisis, corporate involvement in public policy, and living conditions in Haiti.
But such is the curse any successful rock musician lucky enough to make it a lifelong career… Of course the artists want to share their new songs. And often, as is the case Jackson Browne, that new material is actually good. (His latest record, Standing in the Breach, was actually ranked #19 in RS’s top albums of 2014). Nevertheless, it’s just a fact of life– we want to hear the hits.
One can only guess that’s why on Saturday night in Rogers, AR  Browne did something unimaginable in the world of critically-acclaimed singer/songwriter veterans. He  actually thanked the audience for listening to his new material, showing genuine gratitude for allowing him to share with us these new songs which he’s worked so hard to craft, and which he’s so obviously excited to perform live.
 The audience at the Walmart AMP seemed to let out a collective, “You’re welcome.”
Then he played the hits. It was a great night to be a music lover at the AMP.
Full set: 
The Barricades of Heaven
Just Sat Yeah
The Long Way Around
Leaving Winslow
These Days
My Opening Farewell
Mama Couldn’t Be Persuaded
For Everyman
I’m Alive
For a Dancer
Fountain of Sorrow
Which Side
If I could be Anywhere
Standing in the Breach
Doctor my Eyes
Running on Empty
Encore:
Take it Easy
Somebody’s Baby
Looking into You
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