2023 Luck Reunion Features Legendary Performances, Logistical Issues

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Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion remains one of the most premier and exclusive events in the country and roots space every year, and a much healthier option to braving a day at SXSW in Austin, TX, which Luck acts as an alternative to. But even though the 2023 installment will be remembered for plenty of fond reasons—and most notably some excellent musical performances—logistical issues rose up to be a significant concern for attendees, and not just in ways that were inconveniencing, but in ways that impinged on your ability to take in all the great talent the event showcased.
The Luck Reunion isn’t exclusively a country and roots event. Indie rock titans Spoon were one of the big acts, and soulful acts such as Devon Gilfillian and The Heavy Heavy also performed. But one of the cool themes of the 2023 Luck Reunion was honoring a host of Texas music legends. This included Lubbock’s Terry Allen, who at 79 years of age took the stage with the all-star Panhandle Mystery Band that included Charlie Sexton. Legendary Flatlander Jimmie Dale Gilmore also performed with the West Texas Exiles, and Michael Martin Murphey played the Luck Reunion for the second year in a row.

One of the early sets that many were raving about was a tribute to the Texas Tornados fronted by Shawn Sahm, who is the son of the late Texas legend Doug Sahm. It wasn’t just the songs of Doug Sahm that went on to define his career and Texas music, it was the energy and vibe he brought to them. Shawn Sahm understands this better than anyone, and translates the Doug Sahm vibe so perfectly in the role of filling his father’s big shoes.

One of the sets that will define the 2023 Luck Reunion was the tribute to Leon Russell orchestrated by producers, songwriters, and piano players Beau Bedford and Robert Ellis. The tribute was already on fire when Margo Price showed up to sing a song, and later it exploded when Sierra Ferrell sang lead on “With a Little Help From My Friends,” which Leon Russell performed on with Joe Cocker. If no other moment during the 2023 Luck Reunion was etched as a permanent memory in the brains of attendees, this one most certainly was.
Speaking of Sierra Ferrell and Margo Price, both put on excellent sets on the main stage, with Sierra covering Willie’s “Seven Spanish Angels,” and Margo’s performance being exceptional for a number of reasons. Price was not originally on the lineup. She was added due to the event having to be moved from Thursday (3-16) to Friday (3-17) because of weather. Margo Price played with The Band of Heathens as her backing band on about 24 hours notice. They didn’t just pull it off, it was an incredible set on music, with Margo grinning from ear to ear with a bigger sound behind her than what she’s used to. It wasn’t like the Band of Heathens weren’t busy at the time either. They released their brand new album Simple Things on the same day.

But even as exceptional as these sets were, perhaps the best overall performance of the entire day was turned in by The War and Treaty. On the heels of their new album Lover’s Game, they slayed on the Barn Stage right before Spoon came out, showcasing their soulful and Gospel-tinged version of country and Americana to a super appreciative crowd. They may not fit perfectly in the “country” space sonically, but as anyone who has seen them perform live will attest, country music should be more than happy to have The War and Treaty within the fold.

Another standout of the event was the Black Opry Revue, which featured performers Aaron Vance, Sug Daniels, Nikki Morgan, and Nicky Diamonds. These “in the round” performances without a band can sometimes be exposing to artists, and tedious for audiences. That was not the case here at all. All four performers could hold their own with just a voice and guitar (or ukulele for Sug), showcasing excellent songs, and excellent voices that sold you on this feature of the festival.
Saving Country Music has been touting Aaron Vance since 2016, and hopefully he is finally starting to find his breakout moment.

But as great as all the acts were that you could easily see on the open-air stages, the performers who played on the smaller stages in Willie’s Chapel, in the Saloon, and on the Barn Stage had such limited capacity, it was difficult to impossible to take them in. It’s always been an issue at Luck that the Chapel Stage only caters to a small group of folks who brave the line for two hours to see their favorite performer, but in a more intimate space that makes for more memorable moments for those who get a seat.
This year the Saloon Stage also became a situation where you had to plan two or three hours ahead to get a spot to see one artist. At one point, I counted 450 people in line to get into a space maybe 150 could fit in. The line snaked all the way down the little town of Luck Willie built as the backdrop for the Red Headed Stranger movie released in 1986.
Where on previous years the “Barn Stage” was open air and allowed people to congregate all around it, this year it was walled off in a white tent that immediately filled up. If you arrived five minutes late to the show, you were forced to stand outside, and listen as best you could. Even just taking down the canvas walls of the tent would have made for a wider experience for all.

This was just the beginning of the logistical concerns. Too few food vendors meant waiting 45 minutes to an hour for food. Then by 6:00 p.m., the food vendors starting running out, creating a run on the other vendors who had anything left. I stood in line for 45 minutes for one food vendor before they ran out, jumped into another line, then they ran out as well. Eating dinner ultimately became a two-hour excursion.
Everything was a line at the Luck Reunion in 2023. It was a 30 minute wait for drinks, a 50 minute wait for merch, an hour-plus for food, two to three hours for a spot in the Chapel or Saloon. All this added up to more time standing as opposed to taking in the shows, and this doesn’t speak to trying to get to Luck and park.
I arrived at the satellite parking lot well before the start of the event, and a long line was already cued in the 40-degree weather, with no sign of any actual shuttle bus in sight. When one did arrive, it was one of those short transit buses that fits 15-20 folks if you’re lucky.
1 1/2 hours later, I finally arrived at Luck, having walked the last quarter mile since the snarl at the front gate was as so bad, this was the fastest way. This meant I missed William Prince, Jaime Wyatt, and Bella White, along with anyone else who played before 1:10 pm, which also happened to be a big chunk of the acts I wanted to see, and needed to be seen as the up-and-comers.
Other acts like Rattlesnake Milk, Katie Pruitt, Tami Neilson, and Drayton Farley that were priorities to see just couldn’t be managed since they were playing in The Chapel and The Saloon. You would miss out on other important acts if you took the time to stand in line to see them.
Willie Nelson came out to cap off the evening, and despite yet another year of age, turning 90 in April, and rather frigid temperatures in the 40s, he put on as good of a Luck headliner set as he has in years. He was joined by son Micah, as well as Ray Benson on stage. William Prince and others later joined Willie on stage for one of those career moments only the Luck Reunion can facilitate.

Producing live events is never easy, and having to move from Thursday to Friday must have made it even harder for Luck this year. But over a decade into doing this event, unforced errors like overselling tickets like happened again this year, not having enough food vendors, not having shuttle busses, and further limiting the capacity of stages as opposed to expanding them all could have been avoided or planned for preemptively.
The Luck Reunion loves to pride itself in being inclusive and forward thinking, including this year featuring discussions on food sovereignty, the role of artists in advancing social justice, as well as environmental stewardship and climate solutions. But while worrying about the problems other may be creating, they’re not taking care of the problems that are within their control. During multiple sets, the power went out for extended 10-minute intervals, eating once again into the opportunity for fans to take in music.
The simple fact is that the Luck site is just not set up well to host large events. The property must be accessed through an old limestone gate that only fits one vehicle at a time, and leads to a one-way road. Even with shuttles and satellite parking, with the way massive shuttle busses, artists tour busses, and other support and staff vehicles need to access the site, it’s unfeasible to continue with that current configuration. The front gate needs to be expanded, and a two-way road constructed into Luck. Then they either need to limit the event’s capacity, or expand the grounds and add additional food vendors so that after so many years of running out of food, it doesn’t happen yet again.
The Luck Reunion has become too important and prestigious for SXSW goers to allow these incessant problems to fester, and it ultimately looks bad on the Luck organization as their flagship event, since it discourages folks from coming to other events in Luck, TX. Any festival that had similar issues to the 2023 Luck Reunion would have been lambasted on social media. Since some people are used to the shit show that is SXSW, perhaps they think it’s acceptable. But with how difficult and expensive it is to get tickets and parking, it’s not acceptable. Luck is supposed to be the more sustainable, more organized example for other festivals to pattern themselves around.
The music and memories from the 2023 Luck Reunion will endure. But hopefully the problems don’t.
All photos Kyle “Trigger” Coroneos
March 19, 2023 @ 7:11 pm
1. Missing Jaime Wyatt would be a major bummer. She’s a superduperstar-in-waiting.
2. Did Willis Alan Ramsey perform? I thought I saw his name on a list a while ago.
3. Another Sahm son, Shandon Sahm, who lives in Amsterdam, comes back to Texas just about every year (or at he seems to have done so recently) to do a “Sahm Plays Sahm” tour, and has released two excellent albums of his dad’s songs.
March 19, 2023 @ 10:08 pm
I’ve seen Jaime Wyatt perform numerous times before. It’s still would have been cool to see her and snap some photos. I was most disappointed in missing William Prince who has an album coming out soon and who’s song is #1 on the Top 25 Playlist at the moment. I’ve seen him perform in-the-round, but never a full performance.
Willis Alan Ramsey did play and I saw him out of the corner of my eye at one point. He played in The Chapel as well.
March 19, 2023 @ 7:42 pm
I don’t have the patience. So, I really appreciate your review and pictures. The Leon Russell tribute would have been a priority of mine. With that said, Ferrell’s screech from your Instagram post has my ears ringing (I don’t get it).
I have to revisit Aaron Vance and The War and Treaty this week.
You laid out why Luck should be the industry torch bearer, but hasn’t every Willie Nelson event since Dripping Springs (where people actually died) been a feat of endurance? I’ve been to many over sold, under supplied Farm Aids and one extreme survival of the fittest 4th of July Picnic. I won’t do anything outside of Outlaw Fest or a solo show anymore, because I don’t have the patience and I get hangry.
I’m glad you persevered and shared the experience.
March 19, 2023 @ 10:17 pm
I understand that Sierra Ferrell’s “screech” isn’t for everyone. In some respects it’s one of those “you had to be there’ moments. If you look at the two other singer on stage with her and how they look at each other as to say, “Holy shit, that bitch just went for it and NAILED it,” that’s pretty much how everyone else felt when it happened.
Yes, Willie events have always been notorious for being logistical nightmares. But the Luck organization is supposed to be a different animal that puts together highly-curated events for a distinguishing audience. In fact some of their programming at other events has gotten very bourgeois. I go to many festivals, big, small, exclusive, utilitarian. The only time I’ve seen lines like that and a breakdown in logistics was at Under The Big Sky 2021. And they caught holy hell for it, as they should.
March 20, 2023 @ 4:40 am
This was my first time at Luck and I had VIP tickets. The lines and wait times in VIP were longer than the outside areas. Just for the logistical issues I won’t be back.
I will agree with you though, the War and Treaty set was worth it. That was an incredible performance and was one of the best shows I’ve seen in years.
March 20, 2023 @ 7:27 am
Yes, that was my experience as well. When you can’t even do the VIP section right, you have a very big problem, because important folks paid a lot of money for that privilege. There was a long line for the bathrooms, drinks, food, all of it. And it wasn’t like it was overcrowded in VIP, they just needed more stuff. There should have been two portable restrooms, not one. But the end of the day, it was very, very bad in them. The GA bathrooms were a better option.
March 20, 2023 @ 5:40 am
You did get some good pics, Trigger.
I wouldn’t stand in line that long to get into heaven.
March 20, 2023 @ 6:57 am
Hey Trigger, could you do a review of Shania Twain’s new Spotify singles? I think it sounds much better than her last two albums because of the more crude/acoustic vibe it has. Even her voice not being that good, it sounds much better than with all those weird effects that have been used in her latest productions. I think that is the type of production that matches with a mature woman with country influence. Sorry for my english.
March 20, 2023 @ 7:28 am
I will check them out. I still need to review her latest album. Lots of reviews to write, so little time.
March 20, 2023 @ 8:28 am
I saw Jaime Wyatt and Sierra Ferrell a few days before the Luck Reunion up in Dallas and it was a hell of a show. I thought Jaime was good, but Sierra absolutely blew the roof off the place. My wife and I turned to each other after she was done and immediately started predicting that she’s about to have a Sturgill-esque explosion of popularity. She’s a great singer, a charismatic performer, she’s fashionable, she seems to be utilising social media well, etc. And most importantly, she brings a lot of people who normally wouldn’t be into country music into the scene. At the Dallas show, I saw old men wearing Wranglers and cowboy hats, standing right next to 20 year old girls wearing excessive glitter and feathers and they were all enjoying themselves.
March 20, 2023 @ 9:19 am
I think with her current tour, Sierra Ferrell is cementing herself as a true top-tier headliner level artist in independent country/roots. It’s happening. She’s selling out theaters all over the place, putting on stellar shows, and creating tremendous buzz. I expect her to be headlining festivals next summer, especially if she releases a new album and it’s any good.
March 20, 2023 @ 10:33 am
Pretty excited to be able to see her in July in Door County, only 8 tickets left!
March 20, 2023 @ 8:32 am
Nikki Morgan is a freaking killer. Go see her.
March 20, 2023 @ 9:17 am
She was shouting out her Carolina roots during the set.
March 21, 2023 @ 11:03 am
Man, I had no idea she had any kind of recognition whatsoever, I’ve just seen her twice on some old Greensboro hippie’s farm porch playing to like fifty people. It’s so cool to see her pop up on this website, and at a big important festival. Appreciate what you do Trigger!
March 21, 2023 @ 12:37 pm
That is the idea behind the Black Opry Revue is to give these unknown artists a forum. She didn’t perform her own set or anything. It was an in-the-round presentation with three other artists. But she definitely stood out, as did the other three. I would go on to say that she did better than some other performers at SXSW that did have their own time slots. I also saw her the next day at another event and we talked briefly. Hopefully her exposure at SXSW helps her.
March 21, 2023 @ 2:02 pm
Got it. I hope so too!
March 20, 2023 @ 3:43 pm
One logistical issue that was not mentioned was the multiple power outages at the Revival tent stage. During the Doug Sahm tribute the power died during Mendocino and later during the Sir Woman/Wild Child set it died again in the middle of a song. In both cases it took about 10 minutes to come back up. Since the sets were only scheduled for 40 to 60 minutes that was really limiting
Fwiw the picture labeled “Doug Sahm and Texas Tornados” is actually Shawn Sahm and Matt Hubbard.
It was fun but probably the last year we go
March 20, 2023 @ 3:53 pm
Thanks for the heads up on the Shawn Sahm caption. I had Doug on the brain I guess.
I did mention the power outages though. In the 2nd paragraph below the photo of Willie with Ray Benson, “During multiple sets, the power went out for extended 10-minute intervals, eating once again into the opportunity for fans to take in music.”
My understanding is there were multiple power outages on both the Revival and Barn stages. The only one I personally witnessed was during the Shawn Sahm set.
March 20, 2023 @ 5:29 pm
I know they aren’t Country so maybe you didn’t see them but I’m curious how The Heavy Heavy were live? I randomly stumbled onto them a few weeks ago and absolutely love their album.
March 20, 2023 @ 10:43 pm
Only saw a couple of songs from them, but what I saw was really great. Good energy. Good harmonies.
March 20, 2023 @ 7:06 pm
Sounds like Luck has been austified.
March 20, 2023 @ 7:51 pm
Been to every Heartbreaker/Luck year before this one (the day switch killed my plans), and it’s always been a ramshackle, hanging by a thread event. I really think the biggest problem is they used to actually limit capacity, and they seem to have let that fall away as they’ve added a few stages and eating/drinking areas…. Thanks for the recap. Hate to have missed it!
March 21, 2023 @ 7:54 pm
Sad to hear of all the un addressed problems for this wonderful gathering. Hopefully, actions for access will be taken to ensure a much better festival! I have not attended, yet. Hope to one year. The artists performing sound fantastic!!
March 22, 2023 @ 9:12 am
Howdy y’all,
don’t normally chime into threads, but want to call out here that everyone’s concerns are taken into account at Luck. This year’s event faced a lot of added challenges due to a date pivot and the loss of multiple vendors and support in the transition. Definitely hear you. We appreciate everyone’s concerns and are always working to improve the experience. While we cannot fix this year’s issues we look to make strides in 2023-2024 experience, transportation and parking especially. Luck has outgrown being a “secret event” and we are struggling to cap an ever-growing audience on our little land-locked footprint. We want to stay true to our mission and if that means selling less tickets and continuing to learn the limitations of the space we will continue to adjust. While we are an 11 year going tradition, we had some real curve balls 2019-2023 and we are truly a boot-strapped organization working to preserve a model and space that doesn’t come easy. It takes all of us working together as a community to learn from our challenges and evolve.
Here’s to keeping things real. Thank’s to everyone who hangs in there with us.
March 22, 2023 @ 10:45 am
Thank y’all for the reply and doing what you do!
March 24, 2023 @ 8:31 pm
Waaaa waaa waaaa, what a baby ass whiney review
March 27, 2023 @ 11:41 am
Not really. People typically pay good money for these experiences and outrageous costs for food/drinks on site. It makes me avoid them altogether when organizers don’t have the competencies to plan for them and pull them off effectively for a pleasant experience – one driving a repeated return to the event. We had horrible experience with one of the primary food vendors (food prepared hours late, cold, ran out of food) at Luck at a past event and it boggles my mind they still get these contracts just because they’re friends. It truly tarnishes others brands to continue to consort with complacent mediocrity, but whatever. Not everyone gets the business of it. I guess there will always be ignorant customers available to take advantage of due to demand.