stillisstillmoving.com

Lukas Nelson, Charlottesville, VA
photo:  Joanne, of Virginia

http://www.fwdailynews.com
by Dave Kurtz

People tell Lukas Nelson he sounds like his famous father when he sings, and he agrees.

Local fans can judge for themselves when Willie Nelson’s son takes the stage Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the DeKalb Outdoor Theater in Auburn.

The younger Nelson will bring his band, Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real, for a free concert in the theater’s Friday Night Performance Series.

Lukas Nelson says his rock-blues guitar style has been influenced by his father, who plays blues and jazz as well as country music.

Nelson, 21, grew up on his dad’s tour bus, making his first road trip at only 5 weeks old with legendary musicians Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson.

As he grew older, the younger Nelson needed more privacy. He said he would lock himself in his bedroom and imitate his guitar heroes.

“I got into Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jimi Hendrix when I was a young kid,” Lukas Nelson said. “Mike Bloomfield was a big influence — Clapton, the list goes on.

“Giving respect to those influences. I hope to emerge with my own style from that blend,” he said.

During the first two weeks of July, Nelson and his band opened 10 concerts for another of his heroes, B.B. King.

At his shows, Lukas Nelson said, “Sometimes I’ll go on with boots on and a hat. Sometimes I’ll go barefoot and no shirt. There’s a lot of energy, and we try and connect with the crowd, and it’s fun. We have fun.”

The younger Nelson formed his four-man band in January 2009 and has been touring nearly nonstop since then, he said.

“When we formed the band, we promised to be real, and that’s where the name came from,” Nelson said in his official biography. He added that he hopes to still be touring when he reaches his father’s age — now 77.

“I’m happy where we are,” Lukas Nelson said in a telephone interview. “I’ve been able to play with a lot of my heroes and share experiences with them.”

At age 21, he feels privileged to have been on stages with music legends such as Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Derek Trucks.

“We’re making music and making a living and have a nice place to live,” he said. “Whatever comes next is just a bonus.”

 http://www.fwdailynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8482:Willie-Nelson’s-son-bringing-band-to-Auburn&catid=174:features&Itemid=9

Lukas Nelson, Farm Aid 2009, talking with fans, waiting for Neil Young set.

www.royalcityrecord.com
by Janaya Fuller-Evans

Lukas Nelson, son of well-known country singer Willie Nelson, has had no shortage of musical inspiration in his life.

His band, Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real, has been on tour with B.B. King for the past month and has toured with the blues legend off and on for four years.

“If my dad’s Yoda, then B.B. King is Obi-Wan Kenobi,” Nelson says.

The latest tour, which began July 7, has gone well, he adds, with Promise of the Real getting standing ovations on a nightly basis.

The 21-year-old singer, songwriter and guitarist considers King and his bandmates mentors. The two bands have become like family while touring, he says.

Nelson grew up touring with his father on his legendary Honeysuckle Rose bus, along with brother Micah Nelson, who performs percussion and creates art on stage at some Promise of the Real performances.

Nelson is influenced by his father’s music, he says, and listened to it more than any other musician, aside from Bob Dylan.

“I’ve just been able to watch him,” Nelson says, adding he saw his father perform all the time and learned from him. “I watched his stage presence.”

His father taught him to play guitar, and he began performing with him when he was 13 years old.

Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real formed after Nelson’s first band, 40 Points, disbanded in 2007 due to “a conflict of distance.”

Promise of the Real is comprised of drummer Anthony LoGerfo, bassist Corey McCormick and former 40 Points percussionist Tato Melgar, as well as brother Micah.

Nelson is the songwriter for the band. He has written lyrics since he was a child.

Songs come to him fully formed, with everything from the string section to the lyrics, he says.

“I let it come from the source,” Nelson says. “It’s almost like being a testimonial writer in a courthouse.”

Nelson formed the band after quitting college, he says, naming it “Promise of the Real” to distinguish it from other California bands, some of which he felt had a fake, inauthentic sound.

Other musicians Nelson admires include Jack White of the White Stripes, and the Kings of Leon.

Technology is important for staying connected with the band’s fans, he says.

The band has a strong online presence, with Facebook and Twitter accounts, as well as an online store on its website, www.promiseofthereal.com.

“It’s really important for us to keep up with people on Facebook,” Nelson says.

Band members may be starting a blog in the near future, he adds.

The band is working on an album that is almost finished, and Nelson hopes to release it in the fall.

Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real will be playing this year’s Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival.

Taj Mahal, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Serena Ryder and Little Miss Higgins will also play the festival, held on Saturday, Aug. 14 from 12:30 p.m. onwards. The 11th annual Blues and Roots Festival will be held at the newly renovated Deer Lake Park. Tickets can be purchased at www.burnbabybluesfestival.com.

Thanks to Janis from Texas for sending pictures she took at Stubbs, in Austin, on Tuesday night.

Lukas Nelson

Anthony LoGerfo                                               Lukas Nelson

Cory McCormick                                  Tato Melgar

Lukas Nelson & the Promise of the Real will perform at Stubbs in Austin on June 22, 2010.  But that’s not all, they are coming back to Colorado, too, and so many places in between.

To see their tour schedule and find out when they are coming to a town near you:
www.promiseofthereal.com

www.thepromiseofthereal.com

Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real
Fiesta del Sol
June 5, 2010
Solana Beach, CA

by Marcia Manna

SOLANA BEACH — A yellow sun suspended in an azure sky. Rows of white vendor tents against the backdrop of the blue Pacific. Fiesta del Sol will celebrate its 31st anniversary in its usual colorful Solana Beach locale. So, what’s new this year? The all-ages music festival has added a green theme to its picture-perfect setting.

The theme of this year’s event is Moving Off the Grid.

“We have replaced gas generators with biodiesel generators and we use biofuel,” said event chairman Peter Zahn, who also serves as CEO of participating organization Green Chamber of San Diego County. “That will power about 80 percent of the event. The solar trucks have batteries that store energy from solar panels and we are plugging in our power requirements into the trucks. Green initiatives are accessible — it’s a sign of the times.”

A stroll along the Fiesta’s Green Alley will introduce attendees to vendors such as Pour It Forward, a San Diego-based business that makes stylish shower and sink pails to collect and recycle water that would normally be lost down the drain.

Sequoia Solar in Solana Beach will have a booth that boasts its solar design and installation service, and if you stop by the California Quivers table to sample a strawberry or mango ice, you’ll drink from a compostable cup certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute.

But the big draw is, and always has been, the music. The Belly Up Tavern books the Fiesta del Sol talent, drawing from some of its most popular bands. The reggae soul group Aggrolites headline Saturday and the boisterous B-Side Players play Latin rock Sunday night.

One band that embraces the green theme is Lukas Nelson and the Promise of Real, a roots rock group set to perform at 2 p.m. Saturday.

The 21-year-old son of musician and environmental activist Willie Nelson, Lukas has a voice that resembles his dad’s — but with more range and less vibrato. Another similarity is relevant songwriting and a passion for sustainable living.

“All of our family uses biodiesel fuel — I’m driving a biodiesel Jetta,” said Nelson, who is based in Venice Beach. “I feel this should be a top priority. Every day, there is a headline about the oil spill and that’s huge. It can effect the whole ecosystem. We just finished a new album and I wrote a song called ‘America.’ It’s a hard look at what things will be like if we don’t change our perspective.”

Fiesta del Sol stretches across four blocks and in addition to the professional bands that start at about noon both days, there will be children’s activities, llama rides, a beer and wine garden and performances by different community groups, including the Boys and Girls Clubs Youth Arts Academy and Rock Band and Scripps Performance Dance Studio.

“We do have a diverse lineup,” said Belly Up marketing director Beth Bennett. “The festival has a long-standing history and bands and agents recognize it. It’s a groovin’ mellow vibe for a beautiful day outside.”

Lukas Nelson, Farm Aid 2009, in the audience talking with fans, waiting for Neil Young set
www.PromiseoftheReal.com

Shooter Jennings & Hierophant
Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real
Troubadour
Sat, May 22, 2010
Doors open 8:00 pm
$20.00

9081 Santa Monica Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90069
www.troubadour.com

Universal CityWalk®, Southern California’s premier entertainment destination for dining, shopping and attractions, launches a new theme of “Always Unexpected” entertainment and programs with this month’s “StreetFest,” which will feature a kaleidoscopic presentation of the region’s most unusually talented and “unexpected” street performers.

“StreetFest” will feature over 130 dynamic performances on consecutive Sundays from May 16-June 13 (May 16, 23, 30 and June 6, 13) from 3:00-8:00 p.m.

“StreetFest” will culminate on Sunday evenings with a line-up of leading concert performances beginning with the Grammy nominated cajun-zydeco artists, Lisa Haley & The ZydeKats on May 16. Shows throughout the event will feature highly-acclaimed Rockabilly stars Royal Crown Review (May 23), Lukas Nelson & The Promise of the Real, lead by the son of country icon Willie Nelson (May 30), bluesman and bassist from the ’80s band Stray Cats, Lee Rocker (June 6), and the wacky, energetic ’80s new wave cover band The Spazmatics (June 13). Performances begin at 7:00 p.m.

http://kiksmedia.com/universal-studios-hollywood/