photos: Erik Jordan
http://www.ocreloaded.com
by: Erika Howe
You can change every nay-saying notion you had about Country Music, Septuagenarians and Famous musician’s progeny in just one concert. In no place more apropos than the House of Blues in Anaheim, that is exactly what the iconic Willie Nelson and his electrifying son Lukas did – made believers of us all.
I have had Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real’s 5 song CD playing in my car since I first saw them at the NAMM show a year ago and was blown away by the level of talent coming from this unassuming and magnetic 21 year old. Earlier this month, the band debuted their self-titled full-length album fusing Rock, Blues and Country with unforgettable lyrics and a band so tight, seeing them live will sharpie your musical soul.
Barefoot and raw, Lukas with the familiar wail of his father, belted out “Four Letter Word” which they performed just days ago on the Jay Leno Show. Country as we knew it, just got kicked up a notch. The bluesy and sexy base riff of “Toppers” settled on the audience as they looked at one another and realized -this band is good! The lyrics of “Don’t Lose Your Mind” befriended everyone, and his take on Neil Young’s “L.A.” had the crowd shouting – ‘Don’t You Wish That You Could Be Here Too!’ Killer drums and a scorching guitar solo on “Start to Go” left our bodies no choice but to ROCK, leading into the most evocative rendition of “Hoochie Coochie Man”, left women and men alike with their mouths open and hungry for more.
And that was just the opener…
Willie Nelson took the stage while the house lights were still up…
If that don’t just say it all. He opened with “Whiskey River” and delivered the buzz everyone was hoping for. With his sister Bobbie on the piano, son Micah painting on stage and Lukas playing by his side, he used ‘Trigger’ to rat-a-tat-tat hit after hit. “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys,” “Crazy,” and “On the Road Again,” all lit up the crowd as he pointed out to them with a you-know-this-one acknowledgement. But it was the plaintive ballads “Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain,” “Always On My Mind,” and “Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground” that brought the heart of this timeless music right up in our throats.
He closed with a jammin’ gospel “I Saw The Light” and graciously maneuvered his 77 year old legs to the front of the stage to throw out his legendary bandana and sign autographs for adoring fans. This family of artists is less about a genre and more about the kind of music that becomes Legend.