Willie Nelson’s iconic 4th of July Picnic to air as concert film

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Willie Nelson’s annual 4th of July Picnic will air as epic hybrid concert film. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

This year, Luck Productions is bringing Willie Nelson’s annual 4th of July Picnic to the people: part Picnics past, part what is to come and all in the spirit of the Picnic’s storied history. On Saturday July 4 starting at 3:30pm Central, fans will be able to enjoy interviews with characters from the Picnic’s past and see new, live performances from their favorite Luck Family artists. (Luck Productions, 2020)

Luck Productions was set to host the 47th annual event, welcoming the Picnic back to its hill country home, and while friends and family will not be crowding into Willie’s Luck, TX, ranch this summer, the man himself will be performing alongside his band from his nearby recording facility, Pedernales Studios. In addition to Willie, performers will include the likes of Sheryl Crow, Ziggy Marley, Margo Price, Steve Earle and Kurt Vile. Tickets for digital admission are $35 ahead of the event and $45 day-of-show are available online.

This July 4th, the Picnic will kick off with a Prime Cuts episode with Chef Scott Roberts of Salt Lick BBQ and special guest Ray Benson, followed by live-streamed performances from Luck’s Saloon and Chapel stages before leading into a 90-minute concert film segment. The film will feature remote performances from Picnic artists, an all-star house band curated by The Texas Gentlemen’s Beau Bedford, featuring Charlie Sexton, John Michael Schoepf, and Josh Blue, and interviews and Picnic memories stitched in throughout. Additionally, SiriusXM’s Willie’s Roadhouse will broadcast the 90 minute stream to subscribers.

Tickets to the event grant access to highly curated food and beverage delivery packages from Assembly Kitchen, Austin Food and Wine Alliance grant recipients, and Sourced Craft Cocktails. One dollar from each ticket sold will support The Luck Reunion Fund, managed by the Austin Community Foundation, directly benefiting five designated organizations. Budweiser, Michelob Ultra, and Karbach Love Street will also be matching donations. Beneficiaries for this event include All Together ATX, Six Square, Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, SIMS Foundation, and Central Texas Foodbank.

Performances will include Willie Nelson & Family , Asleep At The Wheel, Charley Crockett, Devon Gilfillian, John Doe, Johnny Bush, Kinky Friedman, Kurt Vile, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Lyle Lovett, Margo Price, Matthew Houck (Phosphorescent), The McCrary Sisters, Particle Kid, Randy Rogers & Wade Bowen, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Robert Earl Keen, Shakey Graves, Sheryl Crow, Steve Earle, The Peterson Brothers, Vincent Neil Emerson and Ziggy Marley.

“Our goal with the 2020 Picnic is to bring it back to what it was—in the only way we can during these times. We were set to host this year’s event at Luck, to welcome the Picnic back to its hill country home. The Picnic is really one of a kind, it has always been scrappy. Cars on fire. Mass arrests. You name it…it happened at the Picnic.” – Ellee Fletcher Durniak, co-founder of Luck Productions

 

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