Macon, Georgia can our hearts handle this one? Get ’em ready, because it’s happening: Willie Nelson & Family are coming to the Atrium Health Amphitheater on Sunday, April 13th.
These are arguably some of the most special shows the country icon has ever played, because what is more precious than watching the legend roll through the hits and deep cuts with his kids and closest friends who’ve supported him throughout his enduring and illustrious career?
The “Red Headed Stranger” is no stranger to the road, despite many health setbacks that have sidelined him over the last few years. Sure, Willie’s getting on up there in age, he’ll admit that himself. But he’s the type of road warrior that might take a lickin’, but keeps right on tickin’. He knows his passion, he knows his purpose, and he knows his joy… and don’t be fooled, his fans are a big part of that.
For as long as he’s been in the music game, Nelson has weathered and won nearly every era and season of modern music. He’s the type of rare enigma that possesses an almost otherworldly gift as an artist hidden in the body of your humble, Texas next-door neighbor, one whose weekend pickin’ and grinnin’ “barn parties” may occasionally get too loud, but is always ready with an apology and a last-minute invitation to join. He is constantly evolving, yet unchanging. He bears a magnetic reach that surpasses any genre or musical palette out there, of which he is a master of many. He boasts no specific religion, no technical political party affiliation, and yet you know exactly where he stands in the world.
To know that Nelson exists in the world is to automatically love him because Willie in every sense is love.
And that catalog of songs… so many songs that have defined generation after generation and completely obliterated the notion that commercially-viable artists must “stay in their lane” and abide by the “status quo.”
Nelson not only defied such notions, he proved the establishment wrong time and time again and even gave them a cheeky, light-hearted middle finger for good measure.
It is his unparalleled musicianship and his ability to create such an impactful community around that music that makes this particular type of Willie show such a powerful and magical moment for Maconites and all who travel far and wide to see this show.
Yes, you will see the myth and the legend, but more importantly, you will also see the man: the father, the friend, and the founder of a community of music lovers who want to relive the songs of their life with the ones who also truly “get it.”
At the time of the announcement, special guests for the Macon stop have not yet been revealed or confirmed at all, but we’ll stay hopeful. Nelson never disappoints when it comes to recruiting heavy-hitter friends for this particular tour. Special guests in the past have included everyone from Bob Dylan to Robert Plant & Alison Krauss to John Mellencamp, Chris Stapleton, Asleep at the Wheel, Robert Earl Keen, Billy Strings, Randall King, Grace Potter, Sheryl Crow and so many more.
It is safe to bet on appearances from Willie’s sons Lukas and Micah Nelson as well as longtime members of “The Family” Mickey Raphael, Billy English, Kevin Smith, and Waylon Payne (son of Jody Payne and country star Sammi Smith).
Tickets for the April 13th tour stop go on sale on Friday, January 17th at 10 AM EST and will be available at Ticketmaster.com or the Macon Coliseum Box Office on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Reserved seating tickets start at $59.50 and general admission lawn tickets are $39.50. Taxes and other fees apply.