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Lukas Nelson on working hard and staying humble


Published
5 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw Partners

Nelson to co-headline concert with Robert Earl Keen at MSU Aug. 10
By Sarah Gianelli EBS Senior Editor
Like Robert Earl Keen, Lukas Nelson and his band Promise of the Real are on a tour that never seems to end. “It’s just constant,” Nelson said during a July 23 interview with EBS. “For 10 years now … I’m always traveling [and] if I have any time when I’m not playing shows, I’m working on a movie project or recording [in Austin, Texas, or Los Angeles]. But for Nelson, the lifestyle fits.
EBS caught up with the musician while he was in the Hamptons in between a string of shows on the East Coast.
Explore Big Sky: What kind of conditions do you find most conducive to making music?
Lukas Nelson: I really like being on the road traveling—there’s a lot of time to write when we’re driving down the road.
EBS: The Aug. 10 Wildlands Festival in Bozeman is a celebration of Montana’s wild and open spaces, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit three nonprofits that work to protect them. What is your favorite wild and open space?
L.N.: Montana is a great wild and open space, that’s for sure. Big Sky is one of my favorite places. Alta and Jackson, [Wyoming]; Canada—there’s a lot of great space out there that I love.
EBS: What role do you think music plays in effecting social change?
L.N.: I think music can really inspire people, even in very subtle ways, and when people are inspired they make changes in their lives and in other people’s lives. Because music has the power to inspire, it also has the power to create change.
EBS.: What do you hope your music inspires in listeners?


Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real consists of Nelson on guitar and vocals, percussionist Tato Melgar, drummer Anthony LoGerfo, Corey McCormick on bass and vocals, Jesse Siebenberg on steel guitars, Farfisa organ, and vocals; and pianist Alberto Bof.
EBS: Between Hollywood projects with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, touring with Neil Young, and a slew of high-profile press, critics are saying that 2018 is your year. Do you feel like you and your band Promise of the Real have crested some tipping point? If so, what do you attribute it to?
L.N.: I think that you just keep working hard and practicing. The main issue is just not being afraid of putting in as much effort as an Olympian puts into practicing their sport. As long as you do that, I think everything turns out OK—you may not be super famous but you’ll be able to make a living.
EBS: How do you keep your promise to “the real” in the face of rock ‘n’ roll fame?
L.N.: It’s nice to have your band name as “Promise of the Real” because it reminds you to do just that—stay real, keep your integrity, and try not to bow down to the pressures the industry might bring to you.
EBS: In a recent interview with Robert Earl Keen, he told EBS that one of most memorable moments of his career was sharing a stage with your father, his hero, Willie Nelson. How does it feel to hear those words and to be soon sharing a stage with the man who said them?
L.N.: I have a lot of respect for Robert Earl Keen, and I feel grateful that he has those feelings toward me and my family. I look forward to playing with him.
EBS: You have been performing regularly in Big Sky for more than half a decade, and now, in Bozeman. Is there something you look forward to, or something special about playing in Montana specifically?
L.N.: It’s a great community of people. Everybody is really into live music and the outdoors which I appreciate. We seem to connect and I’m looking forward to coming out.
EBS: If you had to distill it down, what words do you strive to live by?
L.N.: Stay humble and breathe.
Wildlands Festival, featuring Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real and Robert Earl Keen will take place on Aug. 10 at Montana State University’s Romney Oval. Visit wildlandsfetival.com for tickets and more information.
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.


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Warren Miller Performing Arts Center 45465 Gallatin Rd 7:30pm | Free Each year the Arts Council of Big Sky brings a culturally rich artist to Big Sky for a multi-day
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45465 Gallatin Rd
Each year the Arts Council of Big Sky brings a culturally rich artist to Big Sky for a multi-day residence in collaboration with the Big Sky School District. During their time at school, the artist works with a partner teacher to deliver two days of workshops that aim to help students build a deeper, authentic understanding of diverse cultures through the arts.
The Arts Council of Big Sky is honored to announce this year’s Artist in Residence World Champion Hoop Dancer, Jasmine Pickner Bell, or Cunku Was’te Win’ meaning “Good Road Woman” in Dakota. A member of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe (also known as Hunkpati Oyate), Jasmine is the first woman to hold the hoop dancing Champion title, performing in her brother’s place after his death in a tragic car accident. Originally a male-dominated dance, Jasmine restores the masculine/feminine balance within the sacred circle. While the hoop dance is traditional amongst many tribes in the US and Canada, each tribe has its own origin story. The Lakota and Dakota people’s story is about being born from the Black Hills as a sacred healing dance.
The hoop dance has been described as “the renewal of the collective human spirit.” It is a dance of healing, connectedness, and prayer. Even though Jasmine is in constant spinning motion while she dances, she never finds herself dizzy because she is aligned with a higher purpose. As she’s passing each hoop through her body, she says, “Your prayers are being connected and lifted up. You’re not only telling a story through the designs of the hoop dance, but you’re also praying and healing the people who are in need at that time.”
Each of Jasmine’s designs has special meaning and significance. Some designs she creates from a dream or vision on a long drive. Others are family heirlooms, passed down with each generation. Each dance begins with one hoop, which represents yourself. Then, the dancer connects as many hoops as they can dance with or that completes the message they are aiming to share. This performance will be made in collaboration with 9th and 10th graders in Kate Riley and Jeremy Harder’s classes.
Education is central to Jasmine’s mission. From teaching kids and ensuring native traditions are not lost in today’s society, to bringing her audience on stage with her after her performances, she loves to share the hoop dance with everyone. As Jasmine says, “When you get done hoop dancing with me, you’re going to feel better. You’re going to go home and have a story to tell. You’re going to be able to share that story with your friends and family. And that’s what it’s about for me, and why I include the audience. Let’s connect together and really have that opportunity to share our hoops and leave here with a smile on our face.”
For Jasmine, the hoop dance goes beyond performance. It’s a way of life. Her hoops act as a metaphor to keep going when life gets tough. “Sometimes a hoop might fall and a design may fall apart. But you pick up those hoops, you keep going, and you keep dancing. No matter what, as hard as life gets, you’re going to still be able to jump through that hoop.”
We are so grateful for Jasmine sharing her gift with us here in Big Sky. This is not just a showcase or performance, but a way of life that is a healing dance. When Jasmine dances, she is also praying for those in need, dancing for those who cannot dance. Her dance incorporates her story, while thinking of everyone who needs prayers. Please join us in connecting and uplifting spirits in need.
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Trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Waypoint in Town Center. Participation is free, food and beverages available.
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