Austin Sound

Willie Nelson: legendary and beloved singer, songwriter, pothead, crackpot conspiracy advocate, and now videographer! Seems Willie’s been getting stoned and playing with his iMovie software, figuring all those youtube kids are onto something. He made this video for “Shoeshine Man” all by himself, and it’s pretty damned hilarious. This must be what they’re always doing on Willie’s tour bus. (The first rule of being on Willie’s tour bus is you don’t talk about being on Willie’s tour bus!) This also gets us pretty excited for his show tonight up in Round Rock at the Dell Diamond. We hope he designed the video backdrop for his set! Watch out Animal Collective - Willie figured if you were going to home in on his demographic by sampling the Grateful Dead, he is going to go after your Molly-riddled demographic where it hurts! Willie will be hitting home plate around 6:30 tonight, with Dylan headlining and John “Don’t Call Me Cougar!” Mellencamp in the middle, apparently still trying to work his way back into relevancy with a coveted spot at Farm Aid, or something. Check out the video below:

Willie Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel will release their awesome, Jerry Wexler-prompted album on February 3, just before launching out on an East Coast tour that’s sure to be a romp. We posted up the tracklist and cover several days ago, and now they have released an mp3 to add to the anticipation as well. The album is a rollicking good time, evidenced by “Hesitation Blues” available for download below. Willie and the Wheel also finally announced a Texas date, which will be happening at Willie’s Place up in Carl’s Corner on February 24. If that’s a bit too far to refill your tank with bio-diesel, they also have a special ACL taping planned for February 23. It will be the show’s 35 Anniversary Special, appropriate since Willie played the first episode oh so many years ago. They know that tickets will be impossible to get for the taping, so they are auctioning off a pair to benefit the Americana Music Association. As of right now, bidding is only up to $180! A steal!

In more wide world of Willie news, Phosphorescent’s Matthew Houk has released a taste of his upcoming Willie Nelson tribute album, which will be released on February 3 on Dead Oceans, the same day, in fact, that Willie and the Wheel is released. Aptly titled To Willie, Phosporescent’s offering manages some wonderfully unexpected renderings of Willie’s songs, evidenced here by Houk’s weary and poignant take on Willie and Merle Haggard’s “Reasons to Quit.” Poor Haggard was unfortunately recently given a reason to quit when he had to undergo surgery for lung cancer. The Hag is reportedly recovering quite well, but craving his pipe.

We’re mighty excited about this album. Willie Nelson has teamed up with Asleep at the Wheel to record on album of western swing classics. What’s more, the songs were all personally selected by the late, great Jerry Wexler! We unfortunately don’t have an mp3 to share, but check out the album art and the tracklist below. Plus, check out the talent they have also contributing!

Willie Nelson usually gets so many tributes to him that we don’t bother keeping track, but when we saw this one, our ears perked up with interest. Pitchfork recently reported that odd indie darling Matthew Houk, better known as Phosphorescent, will release the aptly titled To Willie on Austin-based Dead Oceans in February, and is planning another tribute to the Red Headed Stranger as well. Scope the eclectic tracklist below.

It seems a week can’t go by that there’s not something to report on Willie Nelson. The latest is that Willie has been tapped to finish the Backyard’s closing season on October 26th as the venue shuts down in hopes of finding a more secluded atmosphere. The show, billed as Willie Nelson and “very special guests” (ah, but then isn’t it always?), is being dubbed “The Final Celebration,” and Willie and crew will likely send the place up in smoke. Of course, it would be much cooler if Willie showed up for either of Snoop Dogg’s dates coming up on August 2 and 3 at the Backyard.

Tickets for The Final Celebration go onsale this Saturday, July 19, at 10:00am through GetTix.net and by phone at 1-866-443-8849. You can also pick them up at Waterloo. The first 400 ticket buyers get to take advantage of the “early bird” price of $60, or you can splurge for the “Golden Circle” ticket at $350. We have no idea what kind of perks the Golden Circle might include, but for that price there better be free munchies.

To commemorate the closing of the Backyard, here’s a classic video of Willie performing “Who Will Buy My Memories” on Hee Haw! after the jump.

It appears Willie has somehow found the time to pen a new a novel, or at least co-author one with fellow Texan and musician Mike Blakely. Called A Tale Out of Luck, the novel is due in September and according to Blakely’s website, designed to be adapted into a movie with Willie in the starring role. Well that’s pretty exciting, we reckon, except all the reviews that we’ve come across say the thing is God-awful. At least Willie will have something else to sell at his new truckstop. Hell, who are we kidding, we gonna buy it anyway, even if ain’t exactly Lonesome Dove.

Official synopsis of the novel after the jump:

Next week, Willie Nelson opens up his new combination music theater/bio-diesel truck stop up at Carl’s Corner just north of Waco. It’s gonna be like a drive-thru Branson, Missouri, except for Redneck hippies instead of their parents!

The place gets it’s official grand opening on July 3, and Willie has assembled a stellar lineup to break the joint in. Among those performing the all day event are Willie, Merle Haggard, and Ray Price, who together transform into the miasmic country force called “the Last of the Breed,” as well as onery outlaws David Allan Coe and Ray Wylie Hubbard. As if that weren’t enough though, the Statesman is reporting that the July 3 show will be FREE!

4/29/08
As nearly everyone must know by now, today is Willie Nelson’s 75th birthday, and Texas’ biggest star is still blazing strong (ahem). Just to prove it, Willie spent the holiest of all head days, 4-20, in Amsterdam performing a show which included a surprise cameo from Snoop Dogg. The two sang together on Nelson’s “Superman,” and Snoop, always prepared for any occasion, appears fully tricked out in country garb - well, maybe if cowboys wore fist sized racks of gold and diamonds on their hands.

We tracked down some good video of the performance below: