Luck Reunion
Luck Ranch, Spicewood, TX, March 15, 2018
Article and Photography by Gino Barasa (except as noted)
Every year during Spring, the city of Austin crawls to a halt during the two week SXSW festival as everyone from Elon Musk to Bill Murray and everyone from California that hasn’t already bought a downtown condo descends on the alt-country capital of Texas.
The real jewel of South-By however, lies just outside of town in the foothills of the Texas hill country at a little place called Luck, Texas.
Now in its seventh year the Luck Reunion is held on Willie Nelson’s private ranch and serves as a reminder that family, good music, and organically sourced cannabis are alive and well.
Willie’s little shindig is without question the most authentic, and easily the coolest, hangout there is. Only a few thousand folks manage to find themselves in the possession of a much-coveted ticket to the event, and they leave with an experience that you just can’t get anywhere else.
Built on what was once the set for Nelson’s movie “Red Headed Stranger”, Luck has been transformed into a throwback town. Once a year Willie invites his old buddies along with the up and comers he appreciates, as well as a few surprise guests, to mingle with the ticket holders. By mingle I literally mean mingle. In-between sets the artists are frequently seen walking the grounds or catching the other shows along with everyone else.
Early in the day the new blood and last-minute additions get the good vibes started.
Local product Alta Mesa, under the covering of the Back to the Source barn, hit the scene hard and early with a powerful blend of West Texas cactus and coyote wail, with a dash of Tom Petty thrown in for good measure. Lead singer Evan Charles and the plaintive power of guitarist Sean Faire’s licks, let everybody know that the new kids had something to add to this mix.
As is the case with any music festival worth its salt, choosing which acts to catch is problematic at best. What’s your best move? Thomas Csorba with his Dylan meets Townes Van Zandt sound on the main stage or the soulful lyrics of Caleb Caudle at the Revival Tent? Catching Aaron Less Tasman tear a hole in it means you’ll have to miss Erika Wennerstrom’s incredible set that included an inspired version of Warren Zevon’s “Lawyers, Guns and Money.” Either way, you can’t lose and you’re sure to win.
Spring in Texas is truly a wonderful time of year as the cool breezes blow down across the hills. At the old Chapel Ray Wylie Hubbard, Kelly Willis, John Doe, Cody Canada and Tyler Childers sat together and took turns reminding the fortunate few who could find a seat on one of the old church pews just how good a single voice ringing out over an acoustic guitar can sound inside an old wooden tabernacle.
Ray Wylie sang a song taken from scripture about creation and damnation. “ I got the idea from a book”, he said. “Didn’t finish it though.”
His second song, somewhat less biblical in nature, was about falling in love with a Goldtop Les Paul and a stripper at the same time.
Kelly Willis lit up the room with a voice sent straight down from heaven and John Doe ripped up the Chapel Lead Belly style while Cody Canada tore a page out of his soul singing his song “1,800 miles from your heart”.
Later, on the Source Stage, Son Little infused their soulful R&B vibrations into the cool air of the ranch and had even this early crowd moving and flowing to their amazing Blue Magic sound.
There are certain moments in time when you are aware that you just witnessed something, that even in the moment, you fully realize you will probably tell your grandkids about. Such a moment happened in the Chapel when Margo Price, backed up by the amazing Band of Heathens, burnt that mother down.
Playing only Dylan and Tom Petty covers Margo and the boys were pouring gasoline on the stage from the start but dropped a box of matches on it when they finished with the Tom Petty classic “Honey Bee”. The energy coming off Price seemed to even catch the Heathens by surprise as they watched her crash through a version that even the Heart Breakers probably never thought possible, ending up in the middle of the church pews. Every window of the Chapel was equally packed with gawking onlookers by the time Margo and the boys finished the song, safely back on stage.
On a day filled with incredibly talented singers and songwriters, Margo Price stole the show with this single performance. I’ve never seen anything like it and I don’t think anyone else has since Janis Joplin left the building. Everyone in the church left, no doubt with the realization that they had just witnessed something special.
At its core, the Luck Reunion is about family. The generationally talented presence of the Nelson family, from Willie to Lukas, to “Little Sister” and Micah, can be felt and heard throughout the day. When Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real took the main stage you quickly realized that the family torch was safe. Lukas has quickly emerged as a guitar god in his own right and when Margo Price joined him, it was yet another highlight of a day filled with them.
Younger brother Micah with his band Particle Kid was a revelation. With the most musically sonic-forward sound of the day, hints of dare I say Kurt Cobain’s early guitar sound, rang out with an honest and powerful ring. The Nelson family’s musical hold on Texas seems to be in the best of hands.
Of course, the headliner on a day of headliners is Willie Nelson himself.
At last, taking the main stage long after the Texas sun had faded off into the hills, Willie gave a crowd that had been taking in new sounds from important new voices all day, a taste of the familiar. Ripping into “Whiskey River” and “Good Hearted Woman” with the family on stage with him, including Ray Benson, the entire gathering pushed forward and sang along.
Perhaps giving a nod to the future, Willie sat back and watched with delight as oldest son Lukas ripped into a sizzling version of Texas Flood that left the crowd roaring in approval. Surely even Stevie Ray took notice.
As the day drew to it’s close, everyone from Margo Price to John Doe and Nathaniel Rateliff ended up on stage, as Willie lead them all in a gospel mash-up of “Will the Circle be Unbroken” and “I saw the Light”. When the crowd thought it couldn’t get any better the world famous New Orleans Preservation Hall Band joined them on stage and took it all heavenward, adding the perfect authentic gospel spice.
As the show closed, Willie waved goodbye to the crowds and headed off to his bus as Lukas and Micah kept the party on the stage going.
It only seemed right.
LUCK REUNION PHOTO GALLERY
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About the Author and Photographer
Gino is grateful he grew up poor so that he could never afford to leave the state of Texas.
Known in Austin for his love of shooting the ever-changing Austin landscape, his true love is found in the Texas Hill Country and the endless vistas of the great wide open spaces of West Texas.
Gino feels his strength is in trying to understand the story that every setting is telling and finding a way to let that story ring true in the images he captures.