Lukas Nelson, son of country artist Willie Nelson, played at The Sylvee Oct. 25. He was on tour playing hits from his new debut album “American Romance,” a touching reflection on America and the time he’s spent on the road.
The concert was packed — almost all of the second floor seats were occupied. The audience was lively and excited, with many people donning their best flannels, cowboy boots and spurs in spirit of the show. The show fittingly began with the smooth, passionate acoustics of the song “American Romance.”
The show’s opener, The Band Loula, was a highlight. The indie country band from Georgia lit a fire under the audience, immediately bringing up the crowd energy. “Who Gets To Heaven (Nobody Knows)” was a hilarious single that had the audience in a fit. If you like cheeky lyricism with booming vocals, they’re worth stalking on Spotify.
Nelson plays a mix of genres, with influences from country, rock and Americana. He swapped between electric and acoustic guitars throughout the show, playing up every guitar he swapped and dancing across stage alongside his bandmates with each of them. When he was singing “Ain’t Done,” he switched instruments mid-performance, thundering through the second half of the song on electric guitar.
“Born Runnin’ Outta Time” was a song off of his new album and a big highlight of the set. The song is about Nelson struggling to grapple with his ambition and the appreciation he feels for everything he has. The jaunty, catchy vocals caught on quickly and were chanted back by the audience. It was that classic, foot-tapping kind of Americana that worked beautifully on acoustic.
Yet the most memorable performance of the show came during “Find Yourself” off Nelson’s 2017 album “Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real.” During the end of each riff, Lukas Nelson, his bandmates and The Band Loula all dropped to their knees in unison.
Nelson is an invigorating performer who kept the audience on their feet, clapping along throughout the show. If you’re a fan of southern rock or artists like Chris Stapleton and Stephen Wilson Jr., you’ll no doubt want to catch him live.
