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photo:  Lara Solt

http://popcultureblog.dallasnews.com
by Mario Tarradell

Texas music icon and American treasure Willie Nelson – yes, he deserves all those adjectives – turns 80 on April 29. A milestone, for sure. But in typical Willie fashion, he’s just on the road again. His annual Fourth of July picnic returns to Fort Worth this year and it’s gonna be a full-fledged shindig on the North Forty field adjacent to Billy Bob’s Texas. The last two picnics were somewhat scaled-down installments held inside Billy Bob’s and on the Rodeo Plaza stage.

And now the important part, the lineup: Already confirmed are Willie’s best buddies Leon Russell, Kris Kristofferson, David Allan Coe, Ray Wylie Hubbard and Ray Price. All of them are picnic veterans. Also up for the Fourth of July picnic merriment are Academy Award and Grammy Award winner Ryan Bingham and rising country star Justin Moore. Willie will bring the family, of course, including son Lukas and daughters Paula Nelson and Amy Nelson. Expect more entertainers to be announced in coming weeks.

Famed singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson will also perform at the 2013 Fourth of July picnic in Fort Worth. (Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times/MCT)

The logistics:   Two full stages, one on each end of the North Forty field, provide continuous entertainment. This year there will be a VIP tent and a sky box for better views and to stay cool, naturally.  It will be July in North Texas, after all. Ticket prices are $35-$250. They go on sale March 11 at billybobstexas.com or by calling 817-624-7117.

The history of Willie Nelson’s Fourth of July picnic dates back to 1973 in Dripping Springs, Texas. The hippie movement was in full swing and Willie rounded up pals Kristofferson, Tom T. Hall and the late Waylon Jennings for a festival that brought in 40,000 people. Through the years the picnic has moved around the Lone Star state with fests in Austin, Luckenback, Spicewood and Fort Worth, which is less than an hour from Nelson’s Abbott birthplace.

Once again, Willie Nelson welcomed fans and friends and family, musicians and music lovers to a party in his home state of Texas on the Fourth of July! And can he ever throw a party. We had so much fun.

Willie made us feel so welcome.

Billy Bob’s Texas in the Stockyards of Fort Worth, once again hosted the event. Twelve plus hours of music, on three stages, inside, outside, it was exhausting, even though it was organized and semi-airconditioned.  I never did find one of the stages, the Honkey Tonk stage, even though I did have a map.

Fans were in line early for the opening of the doors to Billy Bob’s.  People ask how do you get those front row spots?  Well, this is how you can get up front, be the first one in the door!  Willie Nelson’s fan club, ‘Club Luck’, sold tickets which permitted fans to enter Billy Bob’s 15 minutes before everyone else — another  good reason to join the fan club.

Here they are enjoying the fruits of their labor…

Randy Roger’s  could fill Billy Bob’s on his own, but on the Fourth of July, he opened up Willie Nelson’s 20102 picnic, with a bang!  Wow, they are good.  They got everyone in a great mood, ready to dance and have a good time. Played some new stuff, too, very exciting.

I spent daytime between helping out at Scooterville, Willie Nelson’s traveling merchandise store, by the Outdoor stage, and slipping into Billy Bob’s air-conditioned theater for the shows inside

Ray Wylie Hubbard always a crowd favorite, entertained with ‘Snake Farm’ and other hits.

Amy Nelson and Cathy Guthrie of Folk Uke entertain on the main stage inside..

Billy Joe Shaver and his band played hit, after hit, after hit.

The Paula Nelson Band! Wow, they just get better and better. Their set featured some new songs from their upcoming album.

Energy just kept rising, with Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real set.

Asleep at the Wheel got everyone into a Texas Swing state of mind.

Ray Price was scheduled to play, but had to back out due to illness. Everyone missed him, but Bill Anderson accepted an invitation to play in his stead. Jamie Johnson joined him for his set.

Jamie Johnson performed right before Willie Nelson and Family. Thanks to Jamie Darling for sharing photos from the Jamie Johnson set.


The bus arrives!

Thanks to Pam Minick and her team and Billy Bob’s for hosting the party.  It was well organized, semi-air-conditioned, and the bands started on time as scheduled, an advantage of having multiple stages, with quick set up they offer.  Everyone started on time, and ended on time — Except Willie Nelson and Family, who started when the wanted, and ended when they wanted, as it should be.

photo: Andrew Shapter

At one point, Willie Nelson invited more family members on stage to join in for a gospel music set, and other artists from the picnic joined in, too.  I checked the time to see that the Fourth of July was long gone, and we were moving into the 5th, so I thought, ‘Finale!’.  The songs ended, the artists hugged, shook hands with Willie and walked away, but the show wasnn’t over, Willie stayed, kept playing and broke into some Hank Williams, and the show went on, until well into the 5th of July.  Finally,  Willie launched into one more rendition of ‘Whiskey River’, and sent us on our way, smiling, exhausted, grateful, satiated, drunk and/or dehydrated,  and looking forward to next year’s, what ll be Willie’s 40th picnic, next year. Mark your calendars!

And the bus leaves….