Farm Aid is a benefit concert first held in 1985 by Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Neil Young to raise money for US family farmers. The single day event has been held annually more or less every year since. With a few exceptions, Nelson, Mellencamp, and Young have headlined the festival each year. In the mid-90’s Dave Matthews, either with his bandmates or with Tim Reynolds, became a Farm Aid regular as well. Dave now sits on the Board of Directors with the three founders. The undercard for the festival varies from year to year. It takes place on a single stage with each artists playing an abbreviated set with only a few minutes between artists. In their audience banter, many artists note the importance of family farming and how it relates to their own lives.
A sunny afternoon on Northerly Island marked the 30th anniversary of the festival (though only the 29th iteration since there was no event in 1988 or 1991). In total, I was treated to a total of 83 songs (less than a buck a song) by ten artists. Included among this was 16 covers plus 14 songs from the artists other bands/line ups (though half of that were Dave Matthews Band songs). Many of the covers were of songs by country stars of previous generations, like Woody Gutherie and George Strait.
We arrived a couple hours after the event started, so the lawn was already a bit crowded. Not so crowded that it was difficult to move around, but it took a bit of effort for the two of us to find a place to sit that met my criteria. I wasn’t too concerned with being close, but I wanted a decent view of a screen and most importantly to be optimal distance from a set of speaker. I also would have preferred to stand in the grass instead of the plastic matting that covered many areas of the field. Unfortunately that last aspect wasn’t destined to be. It didn’t help that a lot of the grassy areas were out of bounds, having turned to mud from rain the previous days. As far as the music was concerned, we arrived the perfect time, just a bit before the first act of the day that we wanted to see was taking the stage, Old Crow Medicine Show. I have seen them before, first when they guested with Mumford & Sons at Bonnaroo 2010, then the following year at the same festival when they played alongside Mumford & Sons on the Which Stage. They were enjoyable, but the day was still ramping up.
Old Crow Medicine Show Setlist:
Brushy Mountain Conjugal Trailer
Alabama High-Test
Take 'em Away
I Hear Them All / This Land Is Your Land [Woody Guthrie cover]
City of New Orleans [Steve Goodman cover]
Wagon Wheel
8 Dogs, 8 Banjos
Next up was country artist Jamey Johnson, who debuted a new song and threw in a couple good
covers. Willie Nelson protégée Lily Meola also joined him on stage for a song; she would make a few other appearances throughout the day. Unfortunately, his style of softer country folk suffered a bit from an audience that really wasn’t all that interested in him. He seemed to fail to really captivate the audience as some later acts of the day would. It was my first time seeing him, and I thought that he was definitely someone worth keeping an eye on. I would also love to catch him on smaller stage.
Jamey Johnson Setlist:
Willie Got Me Stoned and Stole All My Money
Write Your Own Songs [Willie Nelson cover]
In Color
We Go Good in Bad Weather
That Lonesome Song
Wild and Blue [John Anderson cover]
Can't Cash My Checks
Give It Away [George Strait cover]
This Land Is Your Land [Woody Guthrie cover]
Immediately following was country singer songwriter Kacey Musgraves, a personal favorite of mine and someone whose star I hope will continue to rise. I suspect that in the coming years, she might earn a later spot at the festival. Though I’ve seen her before, I was glad to get to hear a couple of her biggest hits again. She seemed to hold the audience a bit more, but perhaps that was my personal bias and the fact that the young ladies next to us were very excited to see Musgraves.
Kacey Musgraves Setlist:
High Time
Pageant Material
This Town
Dime Store Cowgirl
Blowin' Smoke
Merry Go 'Round
Follow Your Arrow
These Boots Are Made for Walkin' [Lee Hazlewood cover]
I wished Kacey would have had a bit more time, but the show had to continue for surf folk artist Jack Johnson. He also debuted a new song, “Willie Got Me Stoned and Stole All My Money,” and was the only artist of the day who didn’t do a cover or song from some other iteration of one of his musical projects. Jack is just always fun, laid back music. He might be the most relaxed man on earth. I had seen him twice before, first at Virgin Fest in 2008, then a few years ago at Bonnaroo when he agreed to take over for Mumford & Sons headlining set when they were forced to bail on the festival at the last minute due to bassist Ted Dwane needing surgery to remove a blot clot from his brain.
Jack Johnson Setlist:
Taylor
Sitting, Waiting, Wishing
If I Had Eyes
Bubble Toes / Not Fade Away
Banana Pancakes
Wasting Time
Flake
Willie Got Me Stoned and Stole All My Money
Following Jack Johnson’s mellow set, R&B diva Mavis Staples kicked it back up a notch with some soulful ballads. Though she may be getting old, she still certainly has a powerful set up pipes. Mavis began her career with her family’s band, The Staple Singers, consisting of patriarch “Pops” Staples and his children, before going on as a solo artist. Her style and voice are similar to Aretha Franklin, but even though they’re part of the same generation of singers, Mavis never achieved success on par with the Queen of Soul. Nonetheless, she’s a legend in her own right.
Mavis Staples Setlist:
If You're Ready (Come Go With Me) [The Staple Singers song]
Slippery People [Talking Heads cover]
Can You Get to That [Funkadelic cover]
You Are Not Alone
Freedom Highway [The Staple Singers song]
I'll Take You There [The Staple Singers song]
The sun was finally setting as Imagine Dragons began their set. I’m a casual fan of theirs, but ended up really enjoying their set. More than any other artist that day, I was surprised by how much I ended up liking it. As far as I was concerned, I think they really benefited from a short set. They have yet to cultivate a deep catalogue of songs that I would have wanted to hear, so having them play just a nine song set gave them a chance to cycle through all their best songs and maintain my interest throughout.
Imagine Dragons Setlist:
It's Time
Shots
I Won't Back Down [Tom Petty cover]
I'm So Sorry
Gold
Demons
On Top of the World
Roots
Radioactive
Now on the other hand, I could have heard Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds play all night long. It was fully dark by the time the pair took the stage, which is fitting because I have never seen Dave Matthews perform while the sun is up. However, though I’ve seen the pair play before, never before was it without the rest of the band. The set consisted of all Dave Matthews Band songs, except for “So Damn Lucky” which was released on
Some Devil (2008), Dave’s debut solo album. However, the band frequently plays that song during their shows. Unsurprisingly, Dave Matthews never fails to please, and I was doing some serious wiggling and singing throughout the set. I really wish I was there with someone who properly appreciated his music, as Lindsey mostly just stared at me laughing and shaking her head. As I have seen Dave Matthews Band ten times before, I had heard each of the songs in tonight’s set on previous occasions at least twice before.
Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds Setlist
What Would You Say
Satellite
The Space Between
So Damn Lucky
#41
Cornbread
Crush
Though I was happy to hear sets from the Farm Aid founders, I have to admit that following great sets from Imagine Dragons and Dave & Tim, the rest of the evening was a bit anticlimactic. I’m not a huge Mellencamp fan, so I was mostly excited to see him for posterity and out of respect for his long career. While I was disappointed that that he didn’t play “Jack & Diane,” he did play a few other songs that I knew and liked.
John Mellencamp Setlist
Lawless Times
Small Town
Stones in My Passway [Robert Johnson cover]
Check It Out
Rain on the Scarecrow [with I Need a Lover intro]
Paper in Fire
Crumblin' Down
Authority Song
Pink Houses
On the other hand, Neil Young is by far my favorite of the Farm Aid founders. By my count, this would be my fourth time seeing Neil Young, but each time was with a different line up and iteration of his music. The first pair of times were his old bands, Crazy Horse and Buffalo Springfield. I also saw his solo act just last year. For his Farm Aid set, he would be supported by Promise of the Real, normally fronted by Willie Nelson’s son Lukas and known as Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real. Young collaborated with Promise of the Real on his most recent album,
The Monsanto Years (2015). The entire album is more or less dedicated to condemning agribusiness, particularly Monsanto. I really like the album, even if I find Young’s choice of topic a bit alarmist and hypocritical. Nonetheless, the concept album certainly does fit in well with Farm Aid’s stated goals. Lukas is still part of the band, just without separate billing. Micah Nelson, another son of Willie, is also a member of the band. Normally his role within Promise of the Real is artwork, including painting on stage like the folks from Cloud Cult. Though I don’t think he had brought his paint and brush this evening.
In addition to songs from
The Monsanto Years, Young played a pair of rarities, including the Neil Young song “Alabama” which he had not played since November 12, 1977 and the Neil Young & Crazy Horse song “Western Hero” which had not been played since January 14, 1995. It was also the live debut of the song “I Won't Quit.” With Young, I more or less knew what to expect, but was really impressed with lead guitarist Lukas Nelson. He’s a better guitarist than his father, though he has yet to have any of his own big hits which is what really matters is a musician wants to become famous to the general public.
Neil Young + Promise of the Real Setlist
Workin’ Man
A Rock Star Bucks a Coffee Shop
Big Box
Alabama [Neil Young song]
Western Hero [Neil Young & Crazy Horse cover]
I Won't Quit
Love and Only Love [Neil Young & Crazy Horse song]
The honor of closing down the festival was reserved for country legend Willie Nelson. Of course in this case, a lot of the audience had left by the time he took the stage. By the end of his set, the lawn was mostly empty. Again, I’m not a huge Willie Nelson fan but have a whole lot of respect for who he is and what he’s accomplished in his career. So I was certainly happy to cross him off the bucket list. He played a few iconic songs and was joined by his son Lukas, Lily Meola, and the Blackwood Quartet (who had joined a couple artists that day). He closed the day with a cover of the Hank Williams song “I Saw the Light.”
Willie Nelson Setlist:
Whiskey River
Still Is Still Moving to Me
Beer for My Horses [Toby Keith cover]
Good Hearted Woman [Waylon Jennings cover]
Funny How Time Slips Away
Crazy
Night Life
Texas Flood [Larry Davis cover]
Will You Remember Mine
Will the Circle Be Unbroken? [traditional]
It's All Going to Pot [Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard song]
Family Bible
Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die
I Saw the Light [Hank Williams cover]
The Old 97's are an alternative country band from Dallas. Though they’ve been around since the early 90s, I hadn’t heard of them until recently. However, I listened to a few albums and liked what I heard. Many of the band’s songs harken back to their Texas roots, though they could also be called a hometown band, having released albums on the Chicago-based Bloodshot Records label on and off since their early years.
Wasted
