It’s one of the most frenetic and talent-rich events all year, resulting in one of the most sought-after tickets in music. It’s Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion, and it happens on the Thursday of Austin’s greater SXSW gathering.
What started as a very exclusive gathering has become a world-class event with international interest due to the names that play and attend the event during Austin’s greater SXSW festivities. This was especially true in 2024.
When Kermit The Frog took the stage to sing “Rainbow Connection” with Willie Nelson to start off Willie’s set, it checked off a bucket list moment for the folks in Luck they never knew they had.
It was already unprecedented that Tyler Childers would even play an event as small as Luck to begin with. To see him perform in the tiny Luck, TX church (fire marshal capacity: 49) really is a sight to see.
Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion will once again be happening at Willie’s ranch just outside of Austin during the greater SXSW shindig, and it’s got a lineup super stacked with talent, including Tyler Childers.
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…
Over the last eleven years, one of the major events worth seeking out as a refuge from the madness is Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion held at his ranch just west of town … if you’re lucky enough to be able to get in. Held on the Thursday of SXSW every year (which puts it on March 16th in 2023).
It was one of those moments only music can make, and it happened in Luck, TX. The “Beyond The Stars” duet with Tami Neilson and Willie Nelson ultimately was the talk of the Luck Reunion, and the talk of SXSW.
By the time Willie Nelson lit into “On The Road Again,” he was in top form and didn’t want to stop. He ended up going beyond the time originally allotted for his set, of course finishing with a Gospel medley where numerous other performers.
You won’t be seeing Willie Nelson in many indoor venues moving forward in 2022. Announced on Monday (2-14), Willie Nelson has cancelled all but a few indoor shows, and Willie’s camp has also let it be known that he will only be playing outdoor shows.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in restricted crowd size and travel, but a strong contingent of Austin, TX musical talent will be coming together for a socially-distanced Billy Joe Shaver tribute concert on Sunday, November 22nd at the city’s Long Center in an outdoor event.
This year the Luck Reunion had an incredible lineup. But like everything else, it has been cancelled due to the Coronavirus. Nonetheless, they will be celebrating Thursday (3-19) with a live streaming event showcasing many of the artists originally scheduled to perform, and a few surprises.
This is bound to create a problem in the already-crowded festival and touring space. Even before Coronavirus, we saw many festivals cancelling or postponing 2020 plans due to the inability to secure talent or due to competing festivals moving into their markets. Now you will have spring festivals competing with fall ones.
The amount of cancellations tied to the Coronavius outbreak can be dizzying to keep up with, even within the confines of independent country and roots. But a few important cancellations are worthy of note, including two dates on the Sturgill Simpson / Tyler Childers tour, and the Mike & The Moonpies Europe tour.
SXSW has not just been canceled for 2020 due to concerns over the Coronavirus. The declaration by the City of Austin of a “local disaster” on March 6th has put the entire organization on the brink, and looking at an uncertain future. SXSW was forced to slash 1/3rd of their full-time workforce.
What started out to be a small and intimate alternative to Austin’s sprawling SXSW gathering every March, and that was only known initially through invite or word of mouth, has now become arguably the most important and exclusive gatherings in all of American roots music every year.
The original concept of South By Southwest was not to be a funnel for corporate brand recognition through music, or as a springboard for superstars to increase their street cred on social media. It was a place for artists and industry to come together in the discovery process so worthy talent could find support for their music.
The biggest takeaway from SXSW 2017 will be that for the first time since the very inception of the idea over 30 years ago, the annual music gathering experienced a palpable draw down in attendance and industry participation to a degree that it fundamentally changed many of the dynamics and rigors one must endure to attend.
There are so many unofficial parties, we could list 200 here and still leave some out. But in an effort to curate the noses of those Saving Country Music-oriented readers in the right direction, here is a smattering of recommended showcases presented in a similar fashion to SXSW itself, meaning a blobish mess.
Starting around 2011 or so, if you hung around and talked to up-and-coming country and roots bands attending SXSW, you’d hear whispers about an invite-only event out at Willie Nelson’s ghost town outside of Austin called Luck, TX. Luck was originally constructed as part of the set of the movie The Red Headed Stranger released in 1986—a companion to Willie Nelson’s legendary album.