WAIMEA — Multi-talented vocalist, songwriter, lead guitarist and co-producer for Promise of the Real, front-man Lukas Nelson will perform a solo concert to benefit the Kahilu Theatre at 7 p.m. Dec. 8.
Lukas Nelson knows all about legacies. He’s been hard at work carving his own for most of his young but extremely eventful life — a life which led to the musical inspiration behind the movie, “A Star is Born.”
Balancing his work as the front man of Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real — an emergent and vital force in American music — with his regular gig as Neil Young’s band leader and lead guitarist. And, of course, he’s experienced the never-ending road alongside his father in Willie Nelson &Family. Blended together, in song after song, on stage after stage, Lukas has sharpened the edges of his singular sound, one that nods to his influences while also pushing forward into uncharted territory.
That original sound, straddling rock and roll, country, soul, folk and R&B, reaches a new high-water mark with his latest album Turn Off The News (Build A Garden), which shines a light on Lukas’ timeless songwriting and the group’s undeniable chemistry.
For 10 years running, Lukas Nelson &Promise of the Real played an average of 250 shows all over the world while also serving as Neil Young’s go-to support ensemble. In the past year alone, the quickly rising quintet turned in star-making performances at major festivals including Stagecoach, Newport Folk Festival, New Orleans Jazz Fest and dozens of shows as part of Willie’s traveling Outlaw Music Festival.
Lukas has gain even more notoriety with his high-profile collaboration with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper on 2018’s blockbuster film and soundtrack, “A Star is Born.” Lukas not only co-wrote and co-produced much of the film’s multi-platinum, Oscar-winning soundtrack, he also worked closely with Cooper in crafting Jackson Maine’s musical persona.
In a classic case of art imitating life, Nelson, along with his real-life cohorts in Promise of the Real appear in the movie too, performing as Cooper’s (Jackson Maine’s) backing band just as they’ve performed with Young for years. Lukas, Gaga and Cooper recently won the BAFTA Award for Film Music, just one of the many accolades bestowed on the acclaimed project since its release.
Lukas says his music is about “how you can live your life with your heart leading the way.”
He began listening to his heart in his childhood home of Maui and, as a creative kid, writing his first song at 11 years old — sharpening his guitar chops with eight to 10 hours of daily practice. As a singer/songwriter, he’s learned to roll his unique experiences into a catalog of original music that is spiritual, dynamic and endlessly absorbing.
Tickets are $65/$35 and can be purchased at kahilutheatre.org, 885-6868 or at the Kahilu Theatre Box Office, 67-1186 Lindsey Road in Waimea.