2019 Luck Reunion Recap [Spicewood, TX] - 3/14/2019
The very intimate Chapel Stage at Luck Reunion 2019 (Photo by Mauricio Castro / @themauricio)
More than 30 miles west of Austin, TX, a laid-back party was afoot on Willie Nelson’s ranch. For the eighth year in a row, Willie Nelson opened up his ranch to a few thousand attendees for one day of rock, blues, folk, and Americana for one day across six stages. A far cry from the craziness of downtown Austin, where SXSW was simultaneous taking place, people were in positive and laid-back spirits as they wandered the grounds in search of some musical discoveries or old favorites (like Willie Nelson and family). Of course, to go, you need to have the luck of the draw and be randomly selected - to keep the crowds manageable, only a fraction of applicants get to attend.
Highlights? There were a lot of them. Yola might hail from Bristol, England, but she could easily have been mistaken her for a long-held American treasure the way she commands the stage with breathtaking vocals and captivating melodies. Nathaniel Rateliff played solo on acoustic guitar to an intimate Chapel stage - which can’t hold more than 50-100 people, so many were left looking through the windows. Mavis Staples curated a stage of her own, which culminated with her own performance with friends like Yola, Brandy Zdan, and Mountain Man (all of whom performed earlier on that stage). Low Cut Connie won the Revival Tent over with an unrelenting performance led by pianist and singer Adam Weiner, who blessed the crowd (and photographers) with piano jumps, close embraces with the crowd, and even some shirt-ripping.
With perfect weather and perfectly-lifted spirits, the Luck Reunion is a much-needed respite from the always-on insanity of SXSW. For everyone else, it’s simply a well-curated festival with must-see acts from early afternoon to night. Oh, and free drinks all day. Put it all together, and you can understand why this festival is one of the most in-demand musical events of the year.
Mavis Staples at Luck Reunion 2019 (Photo by Mauricio Castro / @themauricio)
Luck Reunion 2019 Lineup:
World Headquarters Stage
Willie Nelson & Family
Steve Earle & The Dukes
Shakey Graves
Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real
The Marcus King Band
Matthew Logan Vasquez
Illuminati Hotties
Particle Kid
Paula Nelson & Jesse Dayton
Sources Stage
Mavis Staples
Mountain Man
Courtney Marie Andrews
Haley Heynderickx
Angie McMahon
Yola
Sunny War
Brandy Zdan
Revival Tent
Hayes Carll
Strand Of Oaks
Langhorne Slim & The Law
Low Cut Connie
The Nude Party
Quaker City Nighthawks
Thomas Csorba
E.B. The Younger
Logan Ledger
Chapel Stage
Nathaniel Rateliff
Cedric Burnside
Nicole Atkins & Jim Sclavunos
The Cactus Blossoms
Dylan LeBlanc
J.S. Ondra
Billy Strings
Lola Kirke
Waylon Payne
