Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real
For Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, 2011 was a year packed with over 200 high-energy, spirited performances, including such mega-musical events as Farm Aid, Bridge School Benefit, Stagecoach, and Country Throwdown, the chance to spread their unique brand of gritty rock and roll to millions of people via the greatest of the late night shows, Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and the adoption of the name Realers by their growing base of supporters.
But 2011 was also the year, through blood, sweat and trying times, that Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real – which also includes drummer Anthony LoGerfo, percussionist Tato Melgar and bassist Corey McCormick – made good on that promise to keep it real, and to make their way out of the shadow of a famous father and into the hearts and souls of music fans nationwide the way that they wanted to… on their own downhome rock and roll merits.
Lukas clearly remembers the conversation that launched him on the path to playing guitar for a living. Mr. Nelson was 10 or 11 and his father, Willie, was showing him a few things on the guitar. The son asked his father what he’d like for his upcoming birthday, and the answer changed Lukas Nelson’s life.
“He said, ‘I want you to learn how to really play guitar,’ ” Lukas Nelson remembered.
“I just knew I wanted to play, that I loved to play and that’s what I wanted to do with my life, whether I was going to make money at it or not,” Lukas said. “By my own decision, I dropped out of school and lived in my car for a year and busked on the street. I toured in a van when we first started. I didn’t ask my parents for any money financially. I tried to do it on my own, and I’m proud I did it on my own.”
This video is the band’s first appearance on the David Letterman show – Feb, 2012
This is of the band’s 2nd appearance on David Letterman last 4-3-12
Here’s a version of a Dylan tune “Buckets of Rain”.
Here’s a sweet song called “All The Pretty Horses” found on the first album
Here’s Lukas playing solo with a touching song called “Fathers & Mothers”
