Archive for September, 2010

Farm Aid 25 Live Broadcast on Willie’s Place, Sirius/XM Radio, on Saturday October 2, 2010

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

WillieDallas 

Willie Nelson at Farm Aid 2009, with Dallas Wayne, of Outlaw Country and Willie’s Place, on Sirius/XM Radio.
Photo:  Rachel Fowler, www.WillieNelson.com 

Willie Nelson’s SIRIUS XM music channel, Willie’s Place, will be home to the 25th annual Farm Aid concert, Farm Aid 25:  Growing Hope for America, broadcasting the historic show live from Miller Park in Milwaukee on Saturday, October 2, with backstage interviews and behind-the-scenes coverage hosted by SIRIUS XM’s Dallas Wayne. 

Willie’s Place listeners will hear the concert live, including performances by Farm Aid President, Willie Nelson, and board members Neil Young, John Mellencamp, and Dave Matthews with Tim Reynolds, as well as Norah Jones, Jamey Johnson, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, Jason Mraz, Randy Rogers Band, The BoDeans, Band of Horses, Amos Lee, Robert Francis, The Blackwood Quartet and the Promise of the Real, featuring Willie’s son, Lukas. The concert will be hosted by Tavis Smiley.

“Farm Aid 25 Live on Willie Nelson’s Willie’s Place” will air on Saturday, October 2, beginning at 2:00 pm ET on Willie’s Place, SIRIUS channel 64 and XM channel 13. 

Each year, the Farm Aid concert shines a spotlight on the important work of family farmers and raises money for Farm Aid’s work to guarantee good food from family farms. The Farm Aid concert features a full day of music, farm-fresh food, farmers, and fun for the whole family.  

Willie’s Place is the SIRIUS XM channel devoted to authentic Texas honky tonk music and western swing. Listeners will hear Willie Nelson, Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys, Ray Price, Lefty Frizzell, Ernest Tubb, and Hank Thompson, as well as a new generation carrying the torch for traditional country music 

For more information, please visit www.sirius.com/williesplace or www.xmradio.com/williesplace

For more information about Farm Aid, please visit www.farmaid.org

Support Farm Aid

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

DSC_0452 by you.

Can’t make it to the show?  Buy a ticket our a souvenir for your self at:  www.FarmAid.org

Happy Birthday Flaco, Kenny, and Tony

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

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Lots of birthday celebrations in September for Willie Nelson and Family’s Crew! 

Happy Birthday today to Willie Nelson & Family soundman Bobby “Flaco” Lemons, pictured here at Red Rocks earlier this month, with Budrock “the Illuminator” Prewitt, Willie Nelson’s Lighting Director.   Janis Tillerson took this picture.

And Happy birthday to bus driver Tony Sizemore and Kenny Koepke,  who both celebrated a birthday on September 28th.

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Tony Sizemore, Willie Nelson’s bus driver,  celebrated a birthday on September 28th.  Tony has worked for Willie Nelson and Family for over twenty-five years.  That’s a lot of miles!

Another reason to go to Farm Aid 25 Concert: Jamey Johnson

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

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Willie Nelson and Jamey Johnson, Farm Aid 2009, St. Louis, MO. 

Jamey will perform at Farm Aid 25, in Milwaukee, WI, October 2, 2010.

For ticket information:  www.FarmAid.org.

The show will be broadcast live on Sirius/XM radio, and on DirectTV.

DSC_0562 by you.

Willie Nelson, Farm Aid 2009, St. Louis, MO.

Thursday, September 30th, 2010



Press conference

Miller Park gets ready for Farm Aid

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

www.FarmAid.org

MILWAUKEE – Farm Aid, a national concert designed to raise money to help farmers, kicks off Saturday morning at Milwaukee’s Miller Park. Preparations for the huge concert are well underway.

More than 150 production workers are being used to turn Miller Park into a concert venue.

34,000 people are expected to see some 15 artists. But there may be a few surprise artists.

Farm Aid was founded by singers Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews. They’ll all be in Milwaukee for this year’s show.

Ram Truck is Official vehicle of Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America

Thursday, September 30th, 2010


MILWAUKEE, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ — In support of the timeless partnership between farmer and the pickup truck, the Ram Truck brand is giving back as the exclusive automotive sponsor of “Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America” concert in Milwaukee at Miller Park. As the exclusive automotive sponsor of the Sat., Oct. 2, concert, the Ram Truck brand is assisting the Farm Aid organization in its mission to support family farmers in order to provide food that is local, organic and humanely raised.

“Ram Heavy Duty Truck customers use their trucks as work vehicles, many of which are used by family-run farms and hard-working people within the agricultural industry,” said Jeff Kommor, Midwest Business Center Director, Chrysler Group LLC. “The Ram Truck brand is proud to be the official vehicle of ‘Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America,’ and we appreciate the hard work and dedication that the American family farm delivers day in and day out.”

Concert-goers can participate in the Ram Truck brand experience and learn more about Farm Aid’s efforts while attending the live show. The Ram Truck brand lineup will be featured at Miller Park with informative product displays. Product specialists will be available to answer questions and provide additional vehicle information.

Also on site, “Homegrown” concessions will feature food organically produced by local farmers. A “Homegrown Village” of interactive exhibits will offer an education in food and farming. The village features hands-on activities, giving concert-goers a chance to meet farmers and get their hands dirty. Farmers will be on hand to educate attendees on how they are enriching the soil, protecting the water and growing green energy, in addition to producing food. From beekeeping and composting to preserving and seed saving, attendees can learn more about the roots of their food.

The Farm Aid concert is dedicated to American farmers and features music performed by America’s premier artists. In its 25th year, the Milwaukee Farm Aid concert will showcase musical performances by legends Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Mathews and more. The artists have donated their time, and proceeds from ticket sales will be used to assist the Farm Aid organization in its mission.

About the Ram Truck brand

(more…)

Willie Nelson, Roger Miller, “Old Friends”, Farm Aid 1985

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

Farm Aid Facts

Thursday, September 30th, 2010


www.FarmAid.org

www.jsonline.com
by:  Jackie Loohauis-Bennett

Brewers fans know perfectly well how to navigate Miller Park when the Cubbies arrive. But what to do when Willie Nelson takes the field?

Nelson leads the lineup Saturday when “Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America,” the national benefit concert to help family farmers, comes to Miller Park. This is the first time the event has been held at a major league baseball park and the first time it’s been in Wisconsin.

Entertainment icons Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews will star, but the daylong event also features state food vendors and information booths on farming in the 21st century. Organizers expect 34,000 people to attend.

How to see it all? Here are tips:

Tickets: available at tickets.com/index.html”>tickets.com, the Miller Park box office and (414) 902-4000. Tickets are $37.50 to $97.50. Parking is $25 day of show, $20 in advance through the Brewers box office.

Getting there: Take your usual route to the stadium, says Jason Hartlund, vice president of Brewers Enterprises. He suggests car-pooling if possible. Bus riders on the Milwaukee County Transit System can take Routes 10 and 18, which will be running regular Saturday service, says Jacqueline Janz, system spokeswoman.

When to arrive: Doors open at noon Saturday; music starts at 1 p.m. Organizers expect the show to run until 11 p.m. Parking lots open at 11 a.m., and tailgating will be permitted. There will be no stadium re-entry once you leave.

Seating: The stage is in center field below the scoreboard; there are 7,500 seats on the field. The rest will be traditional game seating, but bleachers behind the outfield will be closed off because they’re behind the stage, Hartlund says.

The music: Tavis Smiley will host the event, which will feature 11 acts in addition to Nelson, Young, Mellencamp and Matthews (see accompanying story). Farm Aid spokeswoman Jennifer Fahy says the performance schedule for the acts will not be revealed until the day of the show.

However, there’s good news for the star-hungry. Says Fahy: “The artists will collaborate with each other, and there will be a lot of playing together. Willie jumps on the stage all day long.”

The message: The Homegrown Village will let visitors purchase food to eat on-site, meet local farmers and learn how organic farming techniques create healthier foods for everyone. Exhibitors will include everything from Milwaukee’s Growing Power aquaponics fish pools to beekeeper demonstrations. The Homegrown Village will be located just outside the stadium, with continuous access through a concourse exit.

What to bring/leave at home: Cameras and video recorders are allowed as long as they are intended for personal use only. Monopods and tripods are not permitted. Also not allowed: alcohol, bags larger than 16 by 16 by 8 inches, cans, hard-sided coolers, glass containers, laser pointers, noise makers or weapons.

How to contribute: Farm Aid is asking all concert-goers to bring a nonperishable food item to donate to the Hunger Task Force.

Online auction: The Farm Aid online auction begins at 7 p.m. Friday and runs until Oct. 11 at http://3.ly/farmaid. Items include an original 1985 Farm Aid ticket signed by Willie Nelson and a one-of-a-kind Martin Guitar 25th Anniversary Farm Aid edition, signed by Nelson, Young, Mellencamp and Matthews.

Watch at home: Farm Aid will be telecast live in HD on DirecTV’s The 101 Network beginning at 5 p.m. Saturday. The concert also will run live online at www.farmaid.org.

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

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Paula Nelson & the Guilty Pleasures at the Phoenix Saloon, in New Braunfels (10/2/2010) — with live internet broadcast

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

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‘Little City,’ the new album from Paula Nelson and her band the Guilty Pleasures continues to get rave reviews from everyone who hears it.  (You can get your copy at  CDBaby.)   The band is still celebrating it’s release, and on October 2, 2010, they will perform at the Phoenix Saloon, in New Braunfels, Texas.  Please come to this show if you can; it’s going to be so much fun.   If you can’t make it to the Phoenix — you are lucky, because the concert will be broadcast live over the  internet.   The show is also being filmed for future release on DVD.

For information on getting tickets to the concert, visit The Phoenix’s website at www.thephoenixsaloon.com/.

I will post news about the live broadcast at this site, and also info will be posted soon at
www.PaulaNelsonBand.com.

Paula Nelson and the Guilty Pleasures’ new album, featuring the beautiful duet with her father and her brother Lukas, is available on cd at CDBaby.  This is a GREAT album; don’t miss out.

Farm Aid 2010, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (10/2/2010)

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

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I got to take this picture  at Farm Aid, in Mansfield, Mass (2008)

MILWAUKEE, Sept. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — As Farm Aid gears up for its 25th anniversary concert, Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America, on Saturday, October 2 at Miller Park, Milwaukee-area farmers, businesses and non-profit organizations are putting their mark on the historic event. Farm Aid is teaming up with the Eat Well Guide to encourage concertgoers to seek out farm-fresh food at restaurants, grocery stores, farmers markets and other venues throughout Wisconsin. At the concert, Farm Aid is partnering with organizations to help achieve zero waste goals; to inform concertgoers about the work family farmers do to protect our economy, our environment and our health in the HOMEGROWN Village; and to bring family farm-sourced ingredients to HOMEGROWN Concessions.

Information about local flavor at Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America:

  • Farm Aid’s HOMEGROWN Village will feature hands-on activities that give concertgoers a chance to meet farmers, get their hands dirty, and learn about the ways family farmers are enriching our soil, protecting our water, and growing green energy in addition to bringing us good food. From beekeeping and composting to preserving and seed saving, concertgoers can learn more about the roots of their food.
  • Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America will feature food with local or organic, family farm-sourced ingredients at concessions. The Farm Aid concert is the biggest family farm restaurant in Milwaukee and it’s open for one day only! HOMEGROWN Concessions include burgers, veggie burgers, pizza, hot dogs, veggie dogs, jalapeno corndogs, bratwursts and sausages, cheese curds and French fries. HOMEGROWN Concessions will also feature BBQ ham steaks, pork chops, and pulled pork sandwiches from Patchwork Family Farms, and a farmers market where concertgoers can buy fresh, local fruit and baked goods. For a preview of Farm Aid’s HOMEGROWN concessions, media are invited to attend the “Taste of Farm Aid” event on October 1 from 4:30 – 9:00 a.m.
  • Farm Aid has partnered with the sustainability advocacy organization Eat Well Guide to create a special edition Farm Aid 25 Eat Well Guide to direct concertgoers to farm-fresh food throughout Wisconsin. The special guide is a free resource and includes listings of restaurants, grocery stores, farmers markets and other venues where you can find locally grown and sustainable food options while in Milwaukee. In addition, those road-tripping to the concert can use the innovative Eat Well En Route mapping tool for good food options along the route to Miller Park. Concertgoers can print the guide or download it to a mobile device at www.eatwellguide.org/farmaid25.
  • Farm Aid is partnering with Milwaukee businesses to help achieve zero waste goals at Miller Park. With the help of Oconomowoc-based White Oak Farm, all compostable waste at the concert will be turned into Purple Cow Organics Activated Compost with Micro Life. This scientifically formulated, tested, and certified premium compost can be purchased in Wisconsin at over 35 different retail locations and will soon be available nationwide. Volunteers from Milwaukee Community Compost Network, a project of Victory Garden Initiative, will be working hand in hand with White Oak Farm at FarmAid 25: Growing Hope for America    

    to help concertgoers differentiate between landfill-bound trash and recyclables like plastics and compostables like food residuals and certified compostable foodservice-ware.  

  • Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America volunteers and production staff will be transported to Miller Park in the nation’s largest plug-in electric hybrid school bus fleet. A plug-in electric hybrid school bus combines an electric motor powered by rechargeable batteries that are charged by renewable electrical energy harvested from the sun through photovoltaic panels with an internal combustion engine that runs on biodiesel.
  • Farm Aid is calling on concertgoers to bring non-perishable food items with them to the concert for a food drive that will benefit Milwaukee’s Hunger Task Force. The Hunger Task Force will be at Miller Park on October 2 collecting food that will be delivered free of charge to area food banks in the local Milwaukee community. Suggested donation items include canned fruits and vegetables, cereal, hearty cold weather meals like stew and soup, and peanut butter. Learn more about the Hunger Task Force at www.hungertaskforce.org.

Additional Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America details for concertgoers and fans at home:

  • Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America will feature performances by Farm Aid president and founder Willie Nelson and board members John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews, as well as Kenny Chesney, Norah Jones, Jason Mraz, Jeff Tweedy, Band of Horses, Amos Lee, Robert Francis, BoDeans, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Randy Rogers Band and The Blackwood Quartet. Doors for the event will open at 12:00 p.m. CDT.
  • For fans at home, DIRECTV will exclusively broadcast Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America live and in HD on The 101 Network beginning at 5:00 pm CDT. DIRECTV has pledged to match all of its customer donations made between September 1 and October 31, 2010, up to $50,000.
  • Willie Nelson’s SIRIUS XM music channel, Willie’s Place (SIRIUS channel 64 and XM channel 13), will broadcast Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America live from Miller Park on October 2 beginning at 1 p.m. CDT. In addition to the entire live concert, Willie’s Place listeners will hear backstage interviews and behind-the-scenes coverage hosted by SIRIUS XM’s Dallas Wayne.
  • Farm Aid has partnered with Auction Cause to bring fans the unique opportunity to own a piece of Farm Aid history. Fans can bid on incredible items from the Farm Aid vault, including one-of-a-kind autographed guitars. The auction will begin on Friday, October 1 at 9:00 CDT and run through Monday, October 11, at http://3.ly/farmaid.

Join the Farm Aid conversation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FarmAid. For more information about Farm Aid, visit www.farmaid.org

Farm Aid Concert

Willie Nelson and Family at Santa Barbara Bowl (9/23/2010)

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

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www.independent.com
by Charles Donelan

Willie Nelson’s “Whiskey River” has been flowing through the Santa Barbara Bowl on a nearly annual basis for years now, and Nelson and his band began their set with it last Thursday night. A big cheer went up into the night air with it, almost as if the last Nelson concert had never ended and the next one would soon begin. He may be even older and more beat-up than his ragged Martin guitar (lovingly dubbed “Trigger”), but Nelson’s voice remains smooth and powerful, the perfect analogue to the brown liquor that he hymns about so frequently, only without the hangover. He sang “Funny How Time Slips Away” and decorated it with a sublime guitar solo, then plunged from there into two of his most revered classics, “Crazy” and “Nightlife.”

In a red bandana, one of many that he wore before tossing them to the crowd, Nelson used his first substantial break to introduce the band: standup drummer Paul English, bass player Bee Spears, Nelson’s sister Bobbie on piano, English’s younger brother, Billy, on percussion, and harmonica man Mickey Raphael. From there it was a cavalcade of memories, as Nelson worked through the most familiar numbers in his songbook, tracing his roots with two by Hank Williams, acknowledging his peers with a shout-out and a cover for Waylon Jennings, and finally going all the way back to his own breakthrough album, Red Headed Stranger, for a slow and dreamy version of “Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain.”

Perhaps the night’s most poignant moment came on a relatively recent song that was written as a personal joke. “Superman” dates from Nelson’s treatment for exhaustion, circa 2007, and makes light of the star’s penchant for believing that he can do anything for as long as he wants. It provoked a great deal of good-natured laughter from the sympathetic crowd, many of whom are confronting aging with the same mixed feelings the artist portrays so well. A rousing “I Saw the Light” gave Nelson one last shot at tearing off a memorable guitar solo and he took it, easily delivering another of his jazzy riffs.

Willie Nelson & Family

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

Photo thanks to Lana Nelson, www.WillieNelson.com.


Wente Vinyards, Livermore, CA

Mickey Raphael and Ryan Bingham, at the Greek (9/24/2010)

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

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Photo:  Lane Smith

www.theboot.com
by Erin Duvall

Willie Nelson and Ryan Bingham drew a packed house to their show under the stars at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre last week. Ryan led the no-frills set with selections from his latest release ‘Junky Star’ as well as his ‘Mescalito’ album and the ‘Crazy Heart’ soundtrack.

 “I’ve been listening to Willie Nelson since before I could probably walk,” Ryan tells The Boot with a laugh. “Being on tour with him is something I never thought would be possible. Watching him play live from backstage every night is pretty cool.”

A few songs in, Ryan and his band, the Dead Horses, were joined by Willie’s band member Mickey Raphael, who played the harmonica for the rest of their set. “About the second show of the tour, we were hanging out with Mickey and playing around during soundcheck,” Ryan explains. “After that, he started joining us every night.”

While the Oscar-winning tune, ‘The Weary Kind,’ garnered much applause, it was ‘Southside of Heaven’ that really got the crowd cheering. Ryan followed it up by thanking them for “putting up with our sh– for a little bit.”

Willie kept things simple when he took the stage — a Texas flag hanging behind the band being the only visible decor. Joined by his sister Bobbie Lee Nelson, and sons Micah and Lukas, Willie gave each their share of the spotlight. Lukas, who performs regularly in L.A., even took center stage for Stevie Ray Vaughan’s ‘Texas Flood.’

The concert can best be described as an hour-and-a-half medley of all the songs fans have come to love from this icon. ‘Crazy’ led into ‘Angel Flying Too Close To the Ground,’ and was followed by ‘On The Road Again,’ and ‘Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain.” The 77-year-old singer-songwriter covered all his hits and even borrowed a few classics such as ‘I’ll Fly Away’ and ‘Hey, Good Lookin’.’

Fan interaction was definitely not lacking as they sang back the words to Toby Keith’s ‘Beer For My Horses’ and Willie’s own ‘Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys,’ and couples took to dancing in the aisles during ‘Always on My Mind.’ Willie got some laughs while performing the comedic ‘Superman,’ which he followed up by telling the audience, “Right after I wrote that song, I wrote this one.” Then he launched into the appropriately titled, ‘You Don’t Think I’m Funny Anymore.’

Several famous faces were spotted in the crowd, including actor Brian Baumgartner, better known as Kevin Malone from ‘The Office.’ Willie’s next show is Saturday, October 2 in Milwaukee, Wis. Get a full list of tour dates here. Ryan and the Dead Horses can be seen next in Dallas, Texas, on October 7.

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And still another great photo from Lane.  Thank you!