Willie Nelson and his fellow Farm Aid organizers are finally bringing their annual fundraiser/promotional concert to the Upper Midwest dairyland, and it could be a big one. The 25th anniversary event will be staged in Milwaukee on Oct. 2. Location and other details will be announced in a press conference Monday at 11 a.m. via www.FarmAid.org. Along with Nelson's co-founding partners John Mellencamp and Neil Young, Farm Aid now counts Dave Matthews as a board member and annual performer. Other recent participants include Kenny Chesney, Jason Mraz, Wilco, Steve Earle and the Pretenders. Since 1985 -- when a comment about family farms by Bob Dylan at the Live Aid concert prompted Nelson to take fast (but steadfast) action -- the Farm team has raised more than $37 million to support independent farmers and tout organic foods.
We're guessing the concert will take place at either the Marcus Amphitheater (and Summerfest grounds) or, if the lineup is big enough, perhaps the Brewers' Miller Park. The timing of Farm Aid 25 might explain why Willie had to postpone a string of other gigs in early October, including his Mystic Lake shows once again (now on for Oct. 29-30).
For an up-close glimpse of Willie in his wilder, ne'er-do-well days, there's a great little concert movie from his 1974 Fourth of July Picnic that local film fest/curators Sound Unseen will screen next Wednesday night at Trylon Microcinema. Click here to read my mini-review of it.
