This year we are bringing the Picnic to you. Tune in on July 4th at 3:30 PM Central Time for a full day of music, throwback Picnic moments, and great food.
Since 1973, the picnic has showcased some of the most iconic stars and up-and-comers in the country music scene and this year is no exception. Luck is dedicated to reviving the Picnic’s raucous legacy; telling the story of the iconic 47-year-old event through the eyes of the characters who thrived through wild times. You name it…it happened at the Picnic.
Sing, eat, and drink along with us as we celebrate one of Texas’ most legendary events. This unique 2020 Picnic will feature a series of performances from some of Texas’ greatest; a cook-along segment with Chef Scott Roberts of Salt Lick BBQ featuring special guest Ray Benson; and a special 90-minute concert film-style finale with one-of-a-kind performances and interviews with Picnic legends.
Grab your tickets today and join us on a brand-new iteration of this legendary event. Tickets include on demand access to the live stream content through July 11th.
BETWEEN SETS:
Luck will host unique interviews and a virtual town hall from our friends at SiriusXM Willie’s Roadhouse surrounding Willie’s new album “First Rose of Spring” .
We have also joined forces with BMI to spotlight artists making a distinctive mark on music. The program will feature performances from Texas-based Gina Chavez, Kalu James, Monte Warden, Parker McCollum, and Trey Privott (Los Coast), and Nashville’s The War and Treaty.
COME FOR THE MUSIC…BUT ALSO, COME FOR THE FOOD.
For a special edition of Luck’s series Prime Cuts, we asked our friend Chef Scott Roberts from Salt Lick (fun fact: Salt Lick served at the very 1st picnic in Dripping Springs) to share some of his tips from the pit and host a BBQ cook-along. He invited his buddy Ray Benson from Asleep at the Wheel to come out and cook with him and play us a few tunes as well. Our live cook-along event will feature exciting chefs, mixologist Jessica Sanders showing you our official Buffalo Trace Picnic cocktail , and more.
Complete your backyard BBQ with curated food and beverage delivery packages from Assembly Kitchen Founder and Comedor Chef Phillip Speer, Austin Food and Wine Alliance grant recipients and Sourced Craft Cocktails.
VISIT THE MERCH STORE
Pretend you were there. Commemorate the Nowhere, TX 4th of July Picnic with a custom poster and t-shirt.
Willie Nelson & Family performed at a private concert fundraiser, and Chef’s Table Dinner, the night before the all-day Luck Reunion concerts on March 16th. The all day event was held on Willie Nelson’s family ranch, in Luck, Texas, outside Austin, in a country western town built originally as a movie set.
We’re back with round three of our live, cook-along series, Prime Cuts. This week’s musical guest is Texas songwriting legend, Robert Earl Keen, joining host Chef Mason Hereford of New Orleans’s Turkey and the Wolf. Each week our host chef, guest chef, and mixologist present make-at-home recipes, offering the opportunity for viewers to tune in with questions throughout the program. We’ve got recipe cards for the week’s menu featuring ingredients that can be found at home or can be added to your shopping list for your next necessary grocery visit.
Last Thursday, in lieu of the postponed Luck Reunion, we hosted “Til Futher Notice”; an online streaming experience featuring performances by Willie Nelson, Paul Simon, Lucinda Williams, Jewel, and many more.
Thanks to your overwhelming support and donations we garnered millions of views and raised more than $200,000 to be given to participating artists, the charity of their choice, or to a fellow artist in need.
Lucky you…we will present the final ‘Til Further Notice’ watch party tomorrow, Tuesday, March 24th for those who couldn’t catch the original stream – or just want to watch a second time around. This is your chance to relive (or catch for the first time) some of the evening’s most touching and wild moments – from Willie & the boys tuning in from their living room; to Woody Harrelson joining Paul Simon and Edie Brickell for an unprecedented performance; Orlando Palacios of Worth & Worth’s much discussed mad hatter routine; and much more…all presented by Asleep At The Wheel’s Ray Benson from his temporary quarantine location of Austin’s Legendary Arlyn Studios.
Tune in to luckreunion.com/tilfurthernotice, www.twitch.tv/luckreunion, and https://www.facebook.com/lucktexasreunion at any time between 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM CENTRAL TIME During tomorrow’s stream fans can still opt to contribute via a digital tip jar that will be readily available throughout the broadcast. Tip donations raised will be divided equally, and transparently, among all performers. Should an artist wish to donate their share to a charity of their choice, or to a fellow artist in need, they will be able to do so.
If you’d rather show your support and PASS THE BOOT with Venmo, you either scan the code, search for @Luck-Reunion on the app, or click the image below to go to our Venmo page on your phone. Make sure you write PASS THE BOOT in the “What’s it for?” section so we can apply your contribution to the ‘Til Further Notice tally. Big thanks to Tecovas for supporting our PASS THE BOOT tip jar! HELP SUPPORT OUR FELLOW LUCK FAMILY MEMBERS BY DONATING Thank you for helping us support our valued creative community in this trying time. And stay tuned for more virtual experiences from Luck Presents! We’ve got some more things up our sleeve… Luck is grateful to the sponsors below who keep our artists and attendees healthy, happy, and hydrated…from a distance.
The eighth annual Luck Reunion was supposed to draw around 4,000 people to Willie Nelson’s Texas ranch this week, with a lineup that included Nelson, Lucinda Williams, John Prine, Margo Price, Nathaniel Rateliff, and more. Those plans, of course, went out the window due to COVID-19.
Instead of canceling altogether, the small Luck Team — headed up by founders Matt Bizer and Ellee Fletcher — decided to get creative, reviving the festival as a livestream concert, with performers broadcasting from their homes for charity. The result was more impactful than any traditional festival could have been. With Asleep at the Wheel’s Ray Benson hosting from Austin’s Arlyn Studios, artists checked in from around the world: Tami Neilson belted a fiery set from a record store in New Zealand; Paul Simon, Edie Brickell, and their daughter Lulu harmonized the Everly Brothers’ “Dream” with Woody Harrelson in Hawaii. The format was endearingly loose — the perfect reminder that we are all in this together.
Artists performed from their homes, with minimal production. Williams played a sparse, electrifying set from her home, under a painting of Jesus with an electric guitar. It was unclear if she knew she was being filmed between songs, but her banter with her band — likening the coronavirus to roaches (“There’s an old saying back home in Louisiana: You can live in a mansion or a shack, you’re still going to have roaches”) — felt like the beginnings of a song. Margo Price and husband Jeremy Ivey tried out some gorgeous new songs at their home piano, with a baby monitor close by. (They gave a window into their family dynamic; after Ivey made some dad jokes, Price rolled her eyes. “He hasn’t even had any weed,” she said.) Price also shouted out Fiona Prine, who was originally supposed to be at Luck with husband John, but is now at home in Nashville recovering from the virus. Tre Burt fingerpicked a powerful set of ballads despite a grainy camera connection. Nikki Lane apologized to viewers that she hadn’t turned in the music video she’d put together for the broadcast in time, and then filmed it playing from her computer with her iPhone. It didn’t matter; it was still great.
How did they pull it off? “We set up a mini TV studio, pulled together by friends,” founder Bizer explains. “Essentially, I screened people that called in on their Skypes, etc., and then pushed them over to an engineer with multiple feeds, and he switched between them all. Sort of a tiny team effort.” Bizer had a call with Paul Simon the day before, who needed to pre-tape his performance due to a shaky internet connection. (“They were all so sweet,” Bizer says.) That was when Simon decided to invite his neighbor Harrelson over at the last minute. “He was like, ‘I’m gonna go next door and invite Woody,’” Bizer says.
“Catastrophes seem to favor us,” says Fletcher, recalling a vicious storm that threatened the festival a few years ago. “We thought the crazy storm year of Luck in 2016 ended up being the most memorable and special of them all, but weirdly the year of no Luck is pretty up there for us. It was just really special to see our team rallying around this superfast idea, our fans coming to the plate to donate to artists, and our creative community coming together to just try to create a bright spot in this weird-ass time.”
Some artists called in for surprise performances. Neil Young performed a gorgeous fireside version of 1974’s “Vampire Blues,” one of the few times he’s performed it acoustically. But the highlight was Willie, Lukas, and Micah Nelson. Sitting in the Texas living room where they grew up playing music together, they launched into Willie’s main live opener, “Whiskey River.” WiIlie’s voice was strong, and he looked thrilled to be at work again. (“Dad would never have [taken time off], and we would have never had this time if we had not been forced to,” Lukas told RS.)
“Stay safe and stay sober,” Willie told his viewers before cracking up. Next, his sons played their own originals: Micah played “Everything Is Bullshit”; and Lukas played his moving ballads, “Set Me Down on a Cloud” and “Just Outside of Austin.” (“That’s a good song,” his father told him.) Lukas wrapped with “Turn Off the News (and Build a Garden),” which includes the line: “I just want to love you while I can/All these other thoughts have me confused/I don’t need to try and understand/Maybe I’ll get up, turn off the news.”
“Watching the broadcast go so well last night really gave me hope that the musical world will be able to be a major healing force and remind us not to lose our humanity during this time,” says Lukas. “As soon as this is over and it’s safe, I’m going to run out and hug friends, kiss them, and be more grateful for the physical act of love than I ever have. I hope to see many pictures like the famous kiss at the end of World War II.”
The Luck Reunion is still available to stream on Twitch. Venmo donations went to the artists and their favorite charities; at press time, they raised more than $190,000.
Micah Nelson, Paul Cauthen, Margo Price & Jeremy Ivey, Randy Houser, David Ramirez, Tre Burt, Ian Ferguson, Devon Gilfillian, Early James, Sunny War and Ida Mae are also aboard for Til Further Notice with more to be announced. Luck Reunion was originally slated to take place at Willie Nelson’s famed Luck Ranch in Luck, Texas on Thursday, March 19 but was canceled due to the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak.
Those performing for Till Further Notice, which is expected to span four hours, will play call-in sets filmed at their own homes by the artists themselves. “Everyone in our community is gutted. We are gutted. We couldn’t just sit around on Thursday when our event was supposed to take place, knowing that other producers and artists in our industry are also isolated and out of work. This is our effort to bring back a bit of the Luck spirit, and to try to raise money for the people and charities we care about so deeply,” said Matt Bizer, co-founder of Luck Productions in a statement.
While the live stream will be free, viewers are encouraged to contribute via a digital tip jar. “Tip donations raised will be divided equally, and transparently, among all performers. Should an artist wish to donate their share to a charity of their choice, or to a fellow artist in need, they will be able to do so,” notes a press release.
We are devastated to announce that today we were notified by Travis County officials that Luck Reunion 2020 must be rescheduled. We agree with the decision and stand with the county in taking all precautions to protect your health and safety first.
We plan to introduce additional programming and are in the process of deciding how to best proceed. We will honor any tickets purchased this year for what we anticipate will be a fantastic 2021 Luck Reunion.
This is a blow to our business, workers, community of artists, sponsors, and most all you, our loyal friends and fans.
We will pick up the pieces together and continue to support local businesses in our shared commitment to good music and art.
For ticketholders looking for further information on deferring tickets please contact support@amplitix.com
Thank you for all your support and understanding. We’re not done yet.
Travis County officials confirm the music event Luck Reunion at Willie Nelson’s Luck Texas Ranch is on. The festival will go on, even though Austin’s SXSW music and tech festival have been cancelled, the first time since it started 34 years ago.
The county reevaluated the event’s permit request, and felt it met the county’s new terms.
Hi Linda, thanks for checking in! Official statement from Luck is below:
We’re lucked if we do, lucked if we don’t.
We are working diligently with Travis County officials regarding Luck Reunion 2020. We are still in conversation with officials and plan to share more information next week. The safety of our fans and community is of the utmost importance to us. Please be patient with us as we work through this unique challenge.
Lucinda Williams, Orville Peck, Margo Price and and perennial Luck headliner Willie Nelson are all set to perform at the daylong festival held on Nelson’s Luck Ranch outside of Austin.
Slated for March 19th, the Luck Reunion brings together left-of-center artists who are both preserving and progressing American music. Luck is also defined by frequent collaboration and a sense of intimacy, especially for the lucky few who pack the ranch’s “Chapel Stage.” This year, the Haden Triplets, Sierra Ferrell, Early James, S.G. Goodman, the Still Tide, Shooks, Ian Ferguson, Jeremie Albino, and Jonathan Wilson are all slated to perform in the chapel.
Nelson will close the event on the World Headquarters Stage, which features a daylong lineup of Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Shooter Jennings, Particle Kid, Angel Olsen, Parquet Courts, Paul Cauthen, and Devon Gilfillian.
Lucinda Williams, Orville Peck, Amanda Shires, Colter Wall, the Black Lips, Ian Noe, Terry Allen, the Mastersons, Katie Pruitt, and Margo Price & Friends featuring Jeremy Ivey are also scheduled to play the other stages scattered across the property.
As in years past, the Luck Reunion takes place during the SXSW Music Festival, which runs March 16th through 22nd in Austin.
Luck Reunion 2020 Lineup:
World Headquarters Stage Devon Gilfillian Paul Cauthen Parquet Courts Angel Olsen Particle Kid Shooter Jennings Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real Willie Nelson and Family
Revival Tent
Mariachi Las Coronelas
Black Lips
Night Moves
Palm Palm
Neal Francis
Ian Noe
Terry Allen and Panhandle Mystery Band
Orville Peck
Legacies Stage Tre Burt Amanda Shires Colter Wall Delta Spirit Lucinda Williams
Chapel Stage
Jonathan Wilson
Jeremie Albino
Ian Ferguson
Sierra Ferrell
Early James
Haden Triplets
S.G. Goodman
The Still Tide
Shooks
Tito’s Saloon Roadhouse Stage
The Mastersons
Katie Pruitt
Chuck Prophet
David Ramirez
Margo Price & Friends ft. Jeremy Ivey
Teddy and The Rough Riders
