Farm Aid 40 Unites Fans In Minneapolis
After overnight thunderstorms, Saturday morning greeted Minnesota with stunning crisp air and sunny skies. A good omen, most definitely. Another fabulous sign, scored a meter a stones throw away for 2 bucks an hour. Love it when a plan comes together.
When entering Huntington Bank Stadium, friendly staff and volunteers were buzzing around. Was about half an hour til doors, so went to the field to catch the press conference. Panel was full of interesting folk, including Neil Young and Willie Nelson. When speaking, Young repeated the refrain of needing people to put their money where their mouth was. Farm Aid is all about showing how when we all come together, we can do unimaginable good. “And I don’t care where it comes from, how dirty they are, whatever they did, it doesn’t matter. I just want the money.”
Opening up the show, Wisdom Indian Dancers giving a short but powerful performance to start the day off right. Their colorful native dress with gentle movements created a solid foundation for how a festival should start. Next up was new to my ears, but wow, was she great. Madeline Edwards has one of those voices that stop you in your tracks. Having not much familiarity with their music, was very captivated. A smaller crowd but still very warmly received.
Before the ol’ snippets about each performer, wanna tell you about the legit food and other forms of fun they had at Farm Aid. My first bite of the day was a wild rice brat, snappy casing and flavorful. As a Minnesotan, needed some sort of tubular meat item. Makes one feel at ease. Plenty of hot food items on the concourse level if the normie Golden Gopher fare wasn’t your bag (aka cheese curds, ice cream, popcorn etc.) I was chatting with a woman in catering, saying all their cold case items were made by their chef and make sure I check them out. Intrigued, around 8 when my tummy rumbled, went and braved the lines. Less now, but it was a tad crazy getting food mid afternoon. One of my only true stormclouds of the day. People loved the food, just hated they had to wait 45 minutes.. Well, anyway. To the cold case! Only about a ten minute wait, not too bad at all. Scored an apple chicken salad sandwich. And by gum that lady was right. Tasted right out of a rich aunt 4th of July pool party. Fluffy break, sweet apples, enough mayo to make sure you know you’re in the Midwest, tender chunks of chicken. Shout out to the chef at Huntington Bank, you are invited to the picnic.
Back to music! On stage after Madeline Edwards was Arkansas born Jesse Wells. He seems like an artist from a bygone era. His voice is softly textured, like his gorgeous luscious hair, and has relaxing presence on stage. Not only can he play guitar, but is a badass harmonica guy.
Eric Burton strolled on to the stage, grabbing his cherry red guitar, and showed us why he can stand strongly solo. Soulful is a good start when describing his style, but it's more classic rock dreaming with a kick of new-age charisma. You can understand why he is the lead for Black Pumas, a electrifying psychedelic rock band.
With a name like Waxahatchee, they have to be good. And yep, they were excellent. Right on temperature tone, great instrumentals. The crowd was digging it pretty hard. The Alabama born band had a fun indie flair to them, so far so good for the line up at Farm Aid. Katie Crutchfield is fabulous. Her voice is velvety and satisfying.
The red head queen herself, Wynonna Judd. She said this year was her 42nd in country music, and she sounds as perfect as day one. Like really. Crystal clear vocals are hard live, to Judd, seemed effortless. Can see why her career has been so illustrious. Her shining red hair caught the sun just right as the clouds opened up, was getting a bit cloudy just before she hit the stage.
Duluth has some talent growing abilities as we Minnesotans know. Trampled By Turtles hit the stage and made everyone a fan that wasn't. A full piece band is a treat, love hearing how all the instruments meld together in a succulent stew when combined correctly. Minnesotans were ignited and delighted by having a local favorite share the limelight for a good cause, receiving them boisterously and cheering the entire time.
Recalling his first interaction with Farm Aid, Steve Earle said he was in love when seeing the inaugural festival (Farm Aid number one) on tv. Old school cool, dripping with finesse, his double set makes sense (playing a bit before and after Nathaniel Rateliff and the Nightsweats.) He played a few tunes before turning it over to Rateliff.
“Stop Factory Farming” emblazoned on his shirt, lead singer Nathaniel Rateliff got the audience jazzed. Injecting some brass band elements for a nice change of pace for the lineup, very groovy and easy to sink into. Some sexy sax was happening, and as a former 5th grad alto saxophone player, must bring that up. Never tried my hand at any instrument for a long period of time, my short middle school year stint with that shiny sax is my full career.
You may know Lukas Nelson and Friends from his talents, fronting the country rock band Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real. He also happens to be Willie Nelson’s own flesh and blood. Son to such a great is a hard shadow to be shaded by, he can command a stage just like his famous father. Of course, couldn’t be Farm Aid without some special guests. West Virginian singer-songwriter Sierra Ferrell joined in on the set!
Wandered up to the front of the stage for Billy Strings. Glad I did, because he was one of my favorites of the entire day. Hailing from Lansing, Michigan, who knew such phenomenal bluegrass stylings would emerge from anywhere but the South. He felt like a character launched out of a 50s elite banjo catalog. He. Can. PLAY. Most assuredly could have listened to a few hours of his masterful work. Need to see him again in a smaller and more intimate setting.
Time for a beer, got in line. A nice gal and her son were behind me so of course I had to chit chat. Going to concerts together is their favorite thing to do, she buys the tickets, he buys the drinks. They were having the best time already, was truly a heartwarming moment. Her smile was from ear to ear and she poked her son lovingly while recalling past shows. Concerts bring so many people together, seeing a mother and adult son in a giggling fit was too cute. She almost was offended when I tried to buy my own beer, swatting my hand away lovingly. I walked away with a icy cold tallboy of Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA as they skipped off smiling to their floor seats.
Kenny Chesney is a biiiiiig name in country music, and one of the most affluent artist to grace the Farm Aid stage for the 40th year. Not allowing any photographers, and also not streamed during the live feed of the show according to one of my friends who messaged me during when he was supposed to be on. Wonder what the snafu was. He seemed to be having a fun time on stage.
Singer-songwriter and Farm Aid board member Margo Price took the stage in a warm honey yellow outfit after being introduced by Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, “Her songs are about dignity. Her songs are about coming back from the hardest of times.” Mentioning Price was a guest artist of the Jimmy Kimmel show the previous week. Current events and politics always bleed into art and music. Farm Aid is of course no different. Ran into Klobuchar later in the elevator lobby as I ran up to get some water from the press box. She seemed in an okay mood, giving me a passive “heh” response when I enthusiastically said “voted for ya” with the classic Buddy Christ point from Dogma. A long day, I am guessing.
Big names and infamous bands are a frequent inclusion of Farm Aid alongside more fledgling groups. Big hitters Dave Mathews and Tim Reynolds were seated on stage, started off their set with “Oh” off of Dave Mathews Band’s Some Devil album. He has so many huge songs, was very pleased to have it not be from the highly used catalog of tunes (everyone loves the Crash album, I get why its a seasoned staple.) My favorite of the seven song set was one that had never been played before at Farm Aid, “Don’t Drink The Water.” Felt fit like a snug glove for the festival.
A voice of a generation, John Mellencamp sauntered on stage and turned up the heat. Growly and sticky, his vocals are the lovely chunky peanut butter on hot toast of music. No one puts John in a corner, that was proven in a Farm Aid interview with CNN as he dropped a few expletives on live tv. Keep the rock and roll in rock and roll. Classic guitar mixed with firey lyrics that stand stoicly against the changing decades. Sometimes things change, but tend to stay the same but in new wrapping paper.
Moody doesn’t begin to cover the feeling before Bob Dylan. A slow mist started to sprinkle the crowd. The weather was a literal 10 out of 10 all day until then, not too bad for Minnesota in the late summer. His backdrop look was very mysterious. The spikey copper spindles of illuminated lines leapt out of a pitch-black stage. Dylan was seated at a piano, lit by a soft yellow light on his face. The crowd was in a stupor from where I was on the floor. Just staring and watching versus the bopping and jiving about with previous bands from the day. Played a small handful of songs, did play a Bo Diddley cover, “I Can Tell.”
A Canadian powerhouse, Neil Young and The Chromehearts came to play. A little longer set than Dylan which was appreciated, the energy got up again. After over 10 hours of music, the crowd needed a jolt to wake them up. Not only playing one of his most recognizable jams, “Rockin’ in the Free World,” but ending on my personal favorite “Old Man.” Really hope they raised a fat stack with this festival for farmers, and they keep it going even if all the OGs can’t attend or perform. No issue with Neil Young, 79 years has not stifled his presence or performance.
Before the big kahuna, Minnesota’s own Governor Tim Walz came out to engage the audience. Still a decent amount of people for being 11:55pm to see Willie Nelson and Family, and that’s when he GOT on stage. How is this guy 92 and still able to stay up past 8pm let alone midnight is beyond me. Good karma? That ‘green’ living he’s so known for? Either way, if you were at Farm Aid you got to see a true living legend. A mind-blowing 15 song set, sprinkling in a few covers amongst his own. Closing the night, all Farm Aid artists besides Bob Dylan joined Willie Nelson on stage for a true jam band movie moment. Highly recommend you look it up on YouTube. Cool to see that many talents come together for a moment that’s taken 40 years.
Not many gripes when it comes to this gal’s experience at Farm Aid 40. Huntington Bank and the University of Minnesota were stellar hosts. All staff and volunteers were friendly and polite, helping people that got turned around with a smile versus scoff. Strangers becoming friends in a few minutes, dancing and having just a grand time being human together. That’s what we need more of in this world.
Photos by Vito Ingerto
