Billy Strings Joins Willie Nelson on BIG 4th of July Picnic Lineup

16 Comments

1. hoptowntiger
   March 26, 2026 @ 7:17 pm

   I initially thought more Outlaw dates would be added in September around Farm Aid, but when I read the press release it purposefully states “a limited run.” There were 30 dates year, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s just the 11 dates this year (or I wouldn’t be surprised if a few dates get added in September). Either way, go see Willie now if you ever plan to.

   I’d love to make the 4th July picnic, but a lot would have to go right in my finances and the world (gas prices and the airlines mess).

   I’ll try to at least hit a couple more regional Outlaws or maybe Farm Aid.

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   • hoptowntiger
     March 26, 2026 @ 7:23 pm

     I wanted to ask, where are the country artists? If this could be the final tours for Willie, you’d think country artists would show up. And is still a stretch as to why Willie is in the rock n roll HOF? These later tours have been stacked with rock artists showing up and not enough country artists.

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     • Kevin Smith
       March 27, 2026 @ 8:32 am

       I think Willie has little to do with artist selection. I’ve noticed that the true country artists that Willie formerly was associated with are nowhere to be found in Willies orbit anymore.
       Whoever’s doing the booking seems to be very interested in pairing “out of the box” and more hipster chic kinda acts with him. Seems to be very intentional. Calling his festival Outlaw is definitely a laugh.

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       • hoptowniger
         March 27, 2026 @ 9:20 am

         I think Willie yields a lot of influence over who is booked on the 4th of July and Outlaw tours. The following were the co-headliners for the 13 Outlaw Tours I attended. Most were close friends of Willie and none were “hipster chic kinda acts” and hardly any were country artists:

         Neil Young (2016)
         Van Morrison 2x (2017, 2018)
         Avett Brothers 3x (2017, 2019, 2022)
         Bonnie Raitt (2019)
         Sturgill Simpson 2x (2021)
         ZZ Top 2x (2022)
         John Fogerty (2023)
         Bob Dylan (2024)

         I think 6 of them are in the Rock N Roll HOF (w/ Willie).

         I was hoping this year for Ella Langley (balance out her Kid Rock festival appearance) or Braxton Keith. Even Lee Ann Womack who performed at the inaugural Outlaw Festival.

         I don’t know if any of the modern country artists are aligned with Willie. That 2000’s era with Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney (who did perform at the last Farm Aid), Lee Ann Womack, Dwight Yoakam was the last to show up for Willie.

         Did Willie outlive his country status? And will he be remembered more as a rock artist with the younger than us generation?

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         • Trigger
           March 27, 2026 @ 10:23 am

           Outlaw Fest is promoted and organized by Blackbird Presents, which is the company that used to do a bunch of country legend tributes that always had Sheryl Crow involved. Blackbird Presents is who is the primary driver behind these events. Another person that has a big say so on lineups is Willie’s wife Annie.

           I agree that these Outlaw Fest lineups aren’t especially country. But this has been going on for a decade now as you point out. They’ve never been old guard country. It is what it is at this point.

           One of the reasons I made the 4th of July Picnic the topline thing I talked about here is because I think it’s a great lineup. Last time Billy Strings played in Austin, he sold out the arena. Now he’s playing in a venue half the size to support Willie.

         • Kevin Smith
           March 27, 2026 @ 10:35 am

           Wilco=Hipster all the way.
           Margo Price= East Nashville Hipster
           Avett Brothers got very cozy with the Alt-Rock world= Hipster edgy
           Stephen Wilson Jr is very good. But agree he’s a rock artist with a country voice of sorts.
           Don Was- Pan Detroit Ensemble- I saw this act at DelFest. Very eclectic and weird. Don Was is a musicians musician , I have respect for him, he’s played with Willie quite a bit but the current band he has seems to be going for a non-descript “Pitchfork cool” kinda uncategorizable thing. Humor me on the description, but Country it is not. Sierra Hull is a fantastic bluegrass artist who plays both traditional and very progressive bluegrass along the lines of Bela Fleck. She’s a solid choice.
           My observation is based on a lot of things I’m noticing with Willie in the last 5 years. The Luck Texas thing has become way indie artist cool. But where are the more industry Country folks he used to play with?
           And yes his Outlaw festival has been heavy on legacy rock acts for some reason. Trig has mentioned that the Luck event bookings are largely coming from his wife.

         • Trigger
           March 27, 2026 @ 11:30 am

           I think we also have to be a little careful who we label as “hipster.”

           You’re average Wilco fan is a 52-year-old guy who lives in Connecticut and has two kids in college. His kids are hipsters, and are listening to Noah Kahan and Evan Honer. To them, Sturgill Simpson is dad rock.

           Margo Price probably still has some hipster elements in her fan base, but she’s aged out of that demo pretty good too. The hipsters are now listening to Willow Avalon and Maggie Antone.

           The average Charley Crockett fan is 42 with a mortgage.

       • hoptowntiger
         March 27, 2026 @ 11:22 am

         The Luck Reunion event has always been loosely tied into SXSW. It books a ton of the indie artists that were already coming into Austin for SXSW. It’s kind of been its own, stand alone event.

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         • Trigger
           March 27, 2026 @ 11:32 am

           Yes, Luck Inc. is a completely separate organization that has ties to Willie since it’s operated on his property. But the idea of the Luck Reunion is to exploit the talent in town. I wish it was more country because I’m a country guy. But I saw Dale Watson there this year.

2. Luckyoldsun
   March 26, 2026 @ 10:46 pm

   Does anybody seriously expect Willie Nelson to make 9 concert appearances in 13 days this August–most of them hundreds of miles away from the previous one?

   I HOPE they’re just pulling our legs. If the people running this tour are actually going to try to get Wille to do that, then I’d say that the Elder Services departments in about six different states need to be ready to send observers and maybe obtain warrants to fully investigate.

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   • Mike Annoys Trigger
     March 27, 2026 @ 3:31 am

     Why? If you spend a third of the time actually looking up how Willie is doing as opposed to trolling you’d see Willie is still incredibly lucid, feels incredibly comfortable on the road, and believes touring is both freedom and helps keep him alive and in shape.

     In 2025 Willie had 53 scheduled shows, and only missed one of them…because a tornado and a flood destroyed the set… musicians half his age dont play that consistently.

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     • Luckyoldsun
       March 27, 2026 @ 12:02 pm

       So Willie is incredibly lucid and comfortable, plays more consistently on stage than musicians in their mid-40s and that he’s fully up for doing 9 concerts in 13 days, four months from now, from Houston to Dallas to Misouri to Michigan to Long Island to upstate New York–(and that he’s likely to appear for all of those shows).

       Got it.

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3. Mike Annoys Trigger
   March 27, 2026 @ 3:33 am

   Sounds like a fun gig. Id much rather do that go to that celebrate America’s 250 then the trashy shenanigans planned for DC this July 4.

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4. E. Hoover
   March 27, 2026 @ 6:10 am

   In 1978 my wife and i attended that years picnic in K.C.at Arrowhead Stadium with Willie Waylon
   Jerry Jeff Jessie Colter and the Grateful Dead for a unbelievable day of music and love that is one of the things i love about Willie he brings all kind of people together to have a good time
   no matter if your a hippie or redneck or what ever to not worry about who is next to you or who is on the stage playing and in these crazy times we need that more then ever i am heading down for the 7/3 show and the 7/4 picnic because Willie will be 93 and you never know what each day brings Willie is the one and only and i love these lineups as he just keeps bring people together for music and love he is a true American Treasure much love to Willie & Family

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5. BP
   March 27, 2026 @ 7:09 am

   In July 1983 I attended one of these festivals at the Meadowlands in NJ and it was an eye opening experience. Led Zeppelin was my favorite band and I mostly listened to the hard rock bands popular at the time. I agreed to go just to be able to hang out with friends during the Summer. The lineup and short reviews. Note, they all got to play approximately 1.5 hours.

   Opener – Emmylou Harris, never heard of her before show, enjoyed the set.

   Next, Merle Haggard, crazy good, the 10+minutes+ version of “think i’ll just stay here and drink” is one of my favorite live experiences.

   Stray cats, i actually hated them, had a smile on my face when they finished. Listened to Brian Setzer often in the 90’s and probably wouldn’t have if not for this show.

   Linda Ronstadt, easily won top performance of the day. Just Wow. Rumor in the crowd was that her backing were members of Little Feat, I was skeptical, but they were tier 1 musicians.

   Waylon, he was terrible, seemed in slow motion. His wife came out to join him and it didn’t help, it was clear her talent level was a step or two below previous performers. Willie came out during his set and it picked up a little and they played their popular duets at this time.

   Willie closed and he was Willie. My main hope was he played Whiskey River, I didn’t realize he opened every show with it.

   Other Notes: Emmylou came out at noon and Willie started at 10pm. It was a long day, especially since it was 95 degrees. Many were leaving throughout Waylon and Willie and many were jumping on the field to get closer (to stand around the field seats).

   It was a great day and opened my mind to other genre’s of music that influenced my listening for many decades.

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   • James Ewell Brown
     March 27, 2026 @ 9:16 am

     That’s a great story man, ty for sharing it.

     Linda and LF were pure gold, boys could play.

     I likewise get jacked to see Waddy behind her, man, we were blessed frfr.

     Reply