.png)
Farm Aid Concert: Before the Headliners, Tremendous Talent
Photo Essay Includes Jesse Welles, Lukas Nelson, Sierra Ferrell
As Local Food Forum has reported, the evening portion of the 11-1/2 hour concert at the Farm Aid Festival — held on September 26 in Virginia Beach, Virginia — was filled with performances by Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellecamp, who founded the non-profit organization in 1985, and the more recent additions to the musician-driven Board: Dave Matthews, Margo Price and Nathaniel Rateliff.
But as is always the case at this annual event, the stage was filled all afternoon with performers who are tremendous talents in their own right.
Here are recaps of three of the artists.
JESSE WELLES
Though Arkansas native Jesse Welles is just 33 years old, he was already a seasoned rock musician when he turned his attention in 2024 to writing protest songs that have drawn him comparison to Bob Dylan in the 1960s. His on-point, pungent lyrics — often satirical, sometimes gut-wrenching — have drawn him a big following.
Welles is a strongly anti-Trump progressive and his songs leave no doubt about those leanings. Take Nerd Reich — a reference to right-wing technology industry barons — one of the more recent songs that he played in his third consecutive Farm Aid concert appearance.
I was standing on a ledge contemplating the ocean
In a boat in the Strait of Hormuz
If we ain't got a mission
And we still ain't winning
Can't you at least get the boys some food?
When they nuke Iran and Jesus don't come back
And your son's still gay and there's no cheap gas
When the vengeance of nations finally comes to port
Will you be bitching about men playing women's sports?
[Chorus]
I get weary
I get nervous
They hired a clown
We get the whole damn circus
Lord, I get tired
I feel uptight
Turn your back for a second
It's the Nerd Reich
Most of his set was made up of his original songs, though he and his band did a powerful cover of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' anthemic I Won't Back Down.
Jesse Welles is currently on tour, with an already sold-out stop at Chicago's Salt Shed on October 17.
LUKAS NELSON
At 37, Lukas Nelson is the second-youngest son of music (and Farm Aid) icon Willie Nelson. Coming to music almost naturally, Lukas at age 19 started his long-running. band Promise of the Real, which toured and cut albums with Farm Aid's co-founder Neil Young. His other credits include writing several songs for the soundtrack of the film remake of A Star is Born starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga.
Lukas, a major star in his own right, applies his powerful voice to rock and blues lyrics as well as country, his soulful performances etched on his face in several of these photos. He has also refined a pitch-perfect impersonation of this father's voice that can give goosebumps to fans of the 93-year-old legend.
During the concert's finale, Willie Nelson was flanked by Lukas and Willie's youngest son Micah, a former member of Promise of the Real who now tours with Neil Young as part of his Chrome Hearts band.
SIERRA FERRELL
Sierra Ferrell's beautiful and powerful voice, versatility and stage presence have made the Charleston, West Virginia native a fast-rising star.
As described on the Jazzapedia website:
Sierra Ferrell is an American singer-songwriter celebrated for her distinctive blend of Americana, bluegrass, and alt-country. Born in Charleston, West Virginia, Ferrell was raised by a single mother in a low-income household... Ferrell’s music is characterized by her haunting, genre-blurring vocals and a sound that draws from vintage country, folk, jazz, and swing. Her rise from street performer to acclaimed recording artist has made her a standout figure in contemporary Americana, with critics and fans alike praising her authenticity and the emotional depth of her work.
Comments