Pikes Peak
Great news for us Colorado Willie Nelson fans!
The World Events Center in Colorado Springs announced that Willie Nelson and Family, along with son Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real will perform there on Monday, April 19, 2010.
For ticket information: http://www.worldarena.com/
The Triple Door
216 Union Street
Seattle, WA 98101
Tickets 206.838.4333
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
$15.00
7:30 all ages
“So many times, a song is already there. You just need to chisel at it, like a block of wood, and uncover what the universe has already given you,” says Lukas Nelson, songwriter, musician, son of Willie and frontman of the Promise of the Real. “I’ll say something in my head, or out loud and I’ll think, ‘this could be a song.’ Then I’ll just start writing around the idea.”
Growing up on tour, playing percussion onstage from the age of 5 and being an essential part of the Nelson Family Traveling Circus gave Lukas a love for a constantly fluctuating lifestyle. But it all started in the closet, at age 11.
“Something about music captured me; I knew it was what I wanted to do, right off the bat. I’d lock myself in my closet and play Dylan, the Beatles, Jimi, Stevie Ray, over and over on the guitar,” he recalls. “I knew I wanted to be a performer, like my heroes before me”.
Singing and songwriting were a little later in blooming. “I sang when I was really little, before everything else, but I always thought I sounded like a girl and I stopped for a long time. Then in college I started again; I was bored with school and I’d grab my acoustic guitar and go troubadour style, learning songs that people wanted to hear and putting together 2-hour sets,” shares Lukas.
“Listening to and being around my dad all those years, his style of singing is most natural to me, so I suppose I subconsciously model my style after his,” he continues. “But I try to blend my sound with Neil Young, Dylan, Aaron Neville, Ray Charles, as well,” continues Lukas: “really, anyone who’s a master at what they do, is an influence on me.”
Being Willie Nelson’s son makes him proud and while it’s always eyebrow-raising, his last name is more of an auspicious beginning than an end in and of itself. “BB King once said, ‘A legendary person is someone who stands the test of time.’ My dad is a musical genius, and a legendary person. I’m proud of him and how he’s dealt with life in the best way possible. He is certainly a part of who I am; but I am also a musician and I write my own songs and after you know I’m Willie Nelson’s son, it matters what I bring to the table,” he reflects.
Promise of the Real features Lukas on lead guitar and lead vocals, Anthony Logerfo on drums, backing vocals and occasional shirt-lifting; Merlyn Kelly plays bass guitar on the band’s EP, while JP Maramba has since joined the band onstage. Promise of the Real leans towards blues, a little folk and good old rock and roll. “I have no idea how to label it,” says Lukas; “but we come to it with a rock and roll attitude!”
www.montanakaimin.com
by Justin Franz
Lukas Nelson is on one long tour.
“It’s going to go for the rest of my life,” Nelson said.
Nelson has already been on the road for six months with his new band, Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real, and will play to the Top Hat in downtown Missoula on Friday, March 12.
While the band is new, 21-year-old Nelson isn’t new to music; he is the son of iconic country singer Willie Nelson, who, at 76 years old, continues to tour and record.
“I grew up in a musical family,” Nelson said. “But I got my interest when I heard Jimi Hendrix for the first time. He inspired me to play.”
But he doesn’t take all the credit.
“Musically, I’ve had a lot of help of people on the road of life,” he said.
Still, Nelson was terrified of singing in front of a crowd, even though he often saw his father do it. His fear didn’t subside until he was 10 years old and had a dream he was on stage before a crowd of millions; suddenly, his fear of performing before a crowd disappeared.
“Ever since that dream, I’ve never been afraid to be on stage,” he said.
His band, which was formed a year ago, has toured extensively, and has gigged at more than just bars and lounges, he said. Over the last year, they’ve opened for Dave Matthews Band, B.B. King and, of course, his dad’s group.
“It’s unheard of for a new band to grow up like this,” he said, adding that he doesn’t see it stopping any time soon.
“I see us going really fast and I want to work to see us go far,” he said.
But it may not have happened this way if Nelson hadn’t left Loyola Marymount University in southern California, where he was studying music just two years ago.
“I just wasn’t feeling it anymore,” he said. “I just stopped going to class. For me personally, what I have learned on the road is 10, 20, 30, maybe 100 times more important. I needed to get out of there.”
And it turned out to be a good decision, as he soon joined up with the musicians that would form Promise of the Real, including Anthony LoGerfo on drums, Tato Melgar with percussion and J.P. Maramba on bass.
This combination, Nelson said, has lead to great success on tour and he feels that the road is a place they will be for years to come.
“We try and rock the house everywhere we’re at,” he said.
Becca Seliskar, director of UM Productions, which is putting on the show, hopes for the same response from the crowd.
“I think Missoulians are going to love him,” she said. “He is new to our scene, but his sound is very much something Missoula can appreciate.”
And it’s not just because of his pedigree.
“Although Lukas is Willie’s son, his music appeals to a broad audience,” she said. “He has a sound that folks who love jam bands, rock, blues and yes, Willie, will enjoy.”
Nelson agreed and said while he doesn’t try to copy what his father did, the influence is there, especially in the vocals, which many believe sound similar to the elder Nelson.
But he is quick to add that what inspires him most about his father isn’t the music.
“He’s inspired me, he’s a good, humble man,” he said. “He’s humble, peaceful and relaxed — he’s been able to stay who he is.”
Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real will play at the Top Hat on Friday, March 12. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the 21-plus show starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $7 at the door.
Thanks so much to David von Roehm, of Luck Films, for sharing this video his crew took of Willie Nelson and Family, featuring Lukas Nelson, at the “Christmas at the Corner” concert. December 16th, 2009 – Carl’s Corner, TX.
“It’s Floodin’ Down in Texas” – Willie Nelson/Lukas Nelson from Luck Films on Vimeo.
Tickets are on sale for Willie Nelson’s Fourth of July Picnic at the Back Yard, in Bee Cave, Texas. The show is general admission, and tickets are on sale now at www.gettix.net, and you can get the link at the www.thebackyard.net .
These artists have all been mentioned as performers at this year’s concert:
Willie Nelson and Family
Kris Kristofferson
Jamey Johnson
Johnny Bush
Paula Nelson
Amy Nelson, Cathy Guthrie – Folk Uke
Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real with Micah Nelson
Billy Joe Shaver
Billy Bob Thornton and the BoxMasters
Geezinslaws
David Allen Coe
www.indianastatesman.com
by Reggie Edwards
People packed the Verve Wednesday night as Lukas Nelson, son of country music star Willie Nelson, and the Promise of the Real returned to Terre Haute for the first time since October.
“He loves playing here,” Verve owner Connie Wrin said. “They are on the road all the time and this place and a place in Colorado are their favorite places to play.”
Wrin said Nelson brings in a crowd much larger than the average Wednesday night.
“Wednesdays are usually slow, but Lukas brings in a great crowd,” she said.
Nelson was scheduled to play two shows–one Wednesday and another Thursday.
“Last time he played one show, but he came back the next night and jammed with the band that was playing all night,” Wrin said.
Caleb Taylor, a Terre Haute resident, attended when Nelson played in October and jumped at the chance to see Nelson play again.
“I came last time, and my friends told me Lukas Nelson was back again, so I came tonight,” he said.
Taylor said he could not decide whether Nelson’s performance Wednesday was better than the show in October.
“You cannot compare tonight’s performance to last time,” he said. “It is two completely different experiences, and they are both great.”
Nelson played two sets Wednesday night, which included songs from each of his albums as well as covers of many popular songs, including “Get Back” and “A Day in the Life” by The Beatles and “Down By the River” by Neil Young.
During breaks between sets, Nelson said he has been traveling and playing music without much of a break since he last visited Terre Haute.
“We play about 15 to 20 shows a month,” he said. “We plan on flying down to Austin, Texas to record in the studio with T-Bone Burnett right after this.”
T-Bone Burnett is a record producer who has won multiple Grammys and has worked with Robert Plant, Elvis Costello, Counting Crows, Roy Orbison, among other artists.
Nelson said life on the road varies from day to day.
“We get up, sometimes at 4 p.m., and just hang out and socialize,” he said. “Sometimes we drink, depending on what we are doing.”
Tato Melgar, Promise of the Real’s percussionist said he usually gets up earlier, compared to the others.
Nelson said the number of shows they play each day often depends on their moods.
“Sometimes we play at one bar, then stop at the next one and have a few drinks,” he said. “It depends on how we feel. If the band is a little lax, sometimes I’ll get up and play with them.”
Nelson, whose show consists of a variety of rock ‘n’ roll, blues and country, said it is difficult to describe his musical style.
“That’s a tough one, but I’d say it is rock ‘n’ roll,” he said.
After his second set, as things were winding down, Nelson talked with the crowd, taking pictures and signing autographs for fans.
“This time was just as fun as the last,” he said.
photo by Earl Neikirk
www2.tricities.com
by: Joe Tennis
Willie Nelson launched a stellar show with “Whiskey River” at Bristol’s Viking Hall Civic Center on Tuesday.
And it was clear this native Texan knew the crowd had come to let their hair down – if not, like him, tie it up in a bandana.
After playing “Still is Still Moving to Me,” Nelson played a more recent hit, “Beer for My Horses.” And, for a bit, it might have sounded like he would stick to a strict set of drinking songs.
But the voice behind “Night Life” (also made famous by B.B. King) and “Crazy” (made immortal by Patsy Cline) did not stop with putting on a party.
Nelson actually hit his peak, musically, with renditions of gospel standards “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” “I’ll Fly Away” and “Amazing Grace.” And that mix came thanks to his backing band, including his sister – pianist Bobbie Lee Nelson – and the backup vocals of Ron Blackwood and the Blackwood Quartet.
Picture little flash and no glam.
Willie Nelson, 76, rolled through blues and country tunes, singing “It’s Flooding Down in Texas,” as if Viking Hall’s 2,200-person crowd had assembled inside a giant Tennessee honky-tonk.
One standout on stage: Lukas Nelson.
A son of the living legend, Lukas Nelson, 21, played electric guitar fluidly, sounding like a southern rock master – Allen Collins or Stevie Ray Vaughan or even Eric Clapton.
Leading a four-piece combo, Lukas opened Tuesday’s show performing a mix of electric and acoustic tunes, mostly bent on the blues. Lukas, like his father, strummed the strings on his guitar so passionately that it seemed one would break.
Vocally, the younger Nelson sounds faintly like his father. Yet it’s clear that his guitar makes the most magic.
In turn, Bristol’s mostly middle-aged crowd went as wild for one of Lukas Nelson’s soaring guitar solos as they did for Willie Nelson’s soothing, inspired vocals.
Throughout the night, Willie Nelson did not stick to original arrangements. He seemed to play songs – even his standard “Always On My Mind” – just as he felt them, not a note-for-note recitation of records.
Still, nothing strayed too far.
Soulful renditions of “Mama, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” and “Help Me Make It Through the Night” provided crowd-pleasing moments.
Another winner was “On the Road Again,” a 1980 hit made famous – again – by the 1994 movie “Forrest Gump.” Nelson put this ditty at mid-set, and played it like a party anthem.
The crowd clapped.
Nelson hollered, “Like a band of gypsies, we go down the highway.”
And a good time was had by all.
Thanks to Willie Nelson fan Julia for sending along her pictures from the Willie Nelson & Family Show in Myrtle Beach, SC.
“I just saw Willie Nelson at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, SC. What an awesome show! I haven’t seen him yet that he didn’t give one hell of a performance.
Lukas Nelson opened – my can he play the guitar. Just before the show started I zoomed through the crowd and was lucky to have Mickey Raphael come to the edge of the stage and sign the photograph of himself I had brought (can you hear my heart throbbing?).”
– Julia
www.redandblack.com
by Ashley Strickland
At 20, singer-songwriter Lukas Nelson has already opened for B.B. King. Bob Dylan invited him onstage to play and Neil Young, a known curmudgeon sparing with compliments, told Nelson he enjoyed his show.
Oh, and Nelson will be opening for outlaw legend Willie Nelson this Thursday at The Classic Center. But that isn’t a big deal, considering Lukas has been playing with his famous father since he was 13 years old.
Most would assume that, given his upbringing around legends in the music industry, Lukas Nelson could ride the road to fame simply on his last name and connections.
That, however, is the last thing Nelson wants. He would rather pave his own way and build an independent reputation from his father’s music.
Nelson grew up in Austin, Texas, around people who were very real and down to earth, he said.
But when he got older, Nelson found himself in L.A. among what he calls “fake people.”
“You can see who they are behind who they say they are,” Nelson said. “They wear these masks, and it’s very prevalent in the music industry. In Austin, everyone is trying to be themselves instead of someone else; I just decided to be me.”
This is why Nelson calls his band Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real.
After playing in several bands, including guitar in his father’s band for 7 years, Nelson decided to quit school a year ago and start his own band, no strings attached.
He began with his best friend, drummer Anthony LoGerfo, and his brother, Micah Nelson.
While the band has since evolved, including experimenting with bass players and his brother remaining in school, the sound remains the same.
Of course, Nelson’s sound couldn’t help but be influenced by his father’s music growing up and maintains a close relationship with him.
“He’s the one I listen to most,” Nelson admits. “He just has so much music out there. He’s just a really inspiring guy.”
Like old times, after Nelson finishes his set, he will walk back onstage and sit in with his father’s band.
“I grew up on the road, so I feel comfortable here,” Nelson said.
Willie Nelson’s band has also grown comfortable with son Lukas sitting in during shows on the road.
They like to say they knew him before he was born.
“He grew up with us and he’s a good kid,” Mickey Raphael, Willie Nelson’s harmonica player, said. “He brings a whole other dynamic to the band. A young Steve White, definitely.”
Raphael has been a part of the Nelson family since 1973, when he first joined Willie Nelson’s band.
“We seem to have it all together as a band right now, and it may be the best we’ve ever been,” Raphael said. “Grandparents have been playing his music to younger generations, so they come. Willie does what he does. He’s just out there playing his songs.”
Raphael has worked closely with Lukas Nelson over the years and watched him grow as a musician.
“He has a unique style, a diamond in the rough who is maturing as a player,” Raphael said. “You learn to play with others and you have to learn how to read the room. For his age, he’s already learned that being in a band is not all about ‘me.’”
Now it is all about family.
Famed producer T-Bone Burnett will work with Willie, Lukas and Micah Nelson on a family record, also due out this spring.
A spitting image of his father in younger days with a similar nasal quality to his voice, Lukas Nelson has the unique ability to play alongside his father while making his own sound with Promise of the Real.
Raphael has witnessed both, but nothing compares to when father and son come together on stage.
“Selfishly, the musical connection is pretty amazing to watch,” Raphael said.
Click here to stream Willie Nelson’s “Sittin’ on Top of the World”
Thanks to Willie Nelson fan Ned Mudd, from Alabama, for sending along these great photos he took last Tuesday night at the Huntsville, Alabama Willie Nelson and Family:
“Hi, y’all – got a few shots last night in Huntsville, Alabama, of Willie and Family — another great show.
“This photo of Lukas is interesting in that the hat he is wearing, tossed on stage by a fan, is a replica of the one made famous by Alabama’s legendary football coach – Paul “Bear” Bryant.”– Ned Mudd
Thanks, Ned.
Willie Nelson fans are so generous.
P.Grossman took this photograph of Cathy Guthrie, Amy Nelson and Lukas Nelson at Carl’s Corner, Texas on December 9, 2009 (for Ningun Films www.ningunfilms.com ).
Cathie and Amy, of singing group Folk Uke, were getting ready to perform at the Whiskey River Saloon, and Amy’s brother Lukas came by to say hello, before he joined his father and brother on stage in the Willie’s Place Theater next door.
You’ve heard it’s been snowing in Texas? Well, take a look at those snow covered mountains; there’s your proof.
Hi Linda,
You are so wise to be inspired by Willie. I just found him this last year, and have been lucky to have seen him in concert 4 times already, most recently in Knoxville, Nashville and Maui this New Year’s Eve.
I gave Willie a puka shell necklace in Nashville to remind him to come back to Maui, and apparently it worked!
Concert tidbits: Alanis Morrissette sang a duet with Willie, “To all the Girls/Boys I’ve loved before.”
Willie counted down to the New Year from 60 seconds, but got the crowd confused when he said several numbers twice and skipped a few.
Lukas continued to perform after his father left and came back for an encore (“Hana Hou” or “One more time” in Hawaiian.)
