I don’t know where I go when I go away. I meant to take time to tell you all about Farm Aid, which took place in Kansas City this past Saturday. It was a great line-up with a doubled sense of urgency this year with how awful the economy has become. It makes it all the harder for people to hold on to those family farms. The artists appearing were stellar again this year, and the good news is that if you are of a mind to donate - that goes on all year. There are always interesting things to be found on the Farm Aid website too.
Of course, the musician board of directors continue to spearhead the efforts for Farm Aid; John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, and the irrepressible President of the Farm Aid board, Willie Nelson. Today’s song is an homage to him, called “Willie Nelson,” that was originally done by Melbourne, Australia band The Wayfaring Strangers, though it was co-written with Henry Wagons. The video we bring you is a somewhat stripped down version of it that we recorded back in March during the Music Fog Marathon at Threadgill's in Austin. Wagons album, Rumble, Shake & Tumble, hits the street today. Henry Wagons' performance, set against the high energy band he fronts, was described by Justin Townes Earle, as “like Dr. Seuss meets Conway Twitty, a great performer, a good man . . . (he) struts like a Tennessee Walking Horse on PCP.” The guys are coming back to the US in a couple of weeks, you gotta see this band!
-Jessie Scott
