It’s not just physical resemblances that bind and reveal family ties. My little brother got married last May in a lovely ceremony at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, and though we look alike, more than a few people I’d never met before knew I was my brother’s brother just by hearing my voice. Our patterns of speech, our phrasing, where our words rise and fall—they can all be pretty similar. Could people do the same for Lukas Nelson, even if he had a different last name? Probably.
Lukas is country legend Willie Nelson’s son and he, too, sings heartfelt and delicate country tunes. Final consonants get focus; vowels are reedy and emphatically sung. When not performing in his dad’s band, Lukas, who recently turned 24 years old, fronts his own group called Promise of the Real, based out of the sunny feel-good locales of Hawaii and California. Wasted is the band’s newest release, and though it pulls on a little swamp-rock, some boogie woogie and some blues, this is country music through and through. (Lukas also handles guitar duty on most of the tracks from his 79-year-old dad’s 2012 album, Heroes.)
When Willie and company swing through Athens to play the Georgia Theatre, show up early to catch the opening band—Lukas, Anthony LoGerfo, Tato Melgar and Corey McCormick—and then watch as Lukas straps back on a guitar with the headlining act. The young guy with the mustache and goatee may favor Willie, but maybe you’ll be further back in the crowd, and it won’t be so easy to tell. Just wait to hear his backing vocals. You’ll know.
Like what you just read? Support Flagpole by making a donation today. Every dollar you give helps fund our ongoing mission to provide Athens with quality, independent journalism.
