Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion gives glimpse of 1970s Liberty Hill festival

BY RACHEL MADISON STAFF WRITER

SPICEWOOD -- As a newcomer to Liberty Hill, one of the first things you probably learned about your new town is that one time, back in the mid-1970s, Willie Nelson hosted his third annual Fourth of July picnic in a field just west of downtown.

And you’ve probably heard that the allday music festival brought in tens of thousands of people from around the country, and by the next day, naked and intoxicated people were found lying all over the place. Ah, to be alive in the 1970s.

Since I didn’t get the privilege to experience one of our town’s biggest claims to fame, I decided it was only fitting to represent Liberty Hill in Spicewood at Nelson’s annual Luck Reunion, which is another all-day music festival he hosts at his own ranch every March.

The Liberty Hill Independent received a personal invitation to the 12-hour event. Throughout the day, more than 35 different musical artists took various stages in Nelson’s fictional town of Luck, Texas, which was built on his Spicewood ranch as a movie set for his 1980s film “Red Headed Stranger.”

Everyone I talked to had their own personal story about Nelson. One man in line at the food trucks remembered going to the “middle of nowhere” for Nelson’s Liberty Hill Fourth of July picnic. Another woman outside the saloon talked about how Nelson performed close enough to her house as a child that she could hear his music, but her mother wouldn’t let her go outside. As the day continued, I couldn’t wait to add my own Nelson story to the list.

Iconic Texas bands, like Spoon and Band of Heathens, were just a couple of the headliners at the festival, keeping the crowds entertained throughout the day while a variety of curated beverages and culinary creations kept everyone energized until Nelson entered the stage just after 10 p.m.

Waiting for Nelson to begin his set was an experience in itself—people from all walks of life were lined like sardines in front of the stage, anticipating his appearance. When Nelson ambled quietly onto the stage, the crowd erupted as he grabbed his guitar, sat down on a stool and started to sing the lyrics to “Whiskey River.”

Nelson may be approaching 90 years of age, but he’s still got swagger. He wore his signature braids and red bandanna as his youngest son, Micah Nelson, accompanied him on guitar. Nelson talked about how great it was to be back on stage in between performing his laundry list of hit songs, and even played 20 minutes longer than was planned.

As I rode the shuttle out of his ranch after a 12-hour day of music, drinks, food and some of the best people watching around, I thought about the similarities the day must have had to Nelson’s Liberty Hill picnic in 1975. Although the Luck Reunion was probably much more organized and far more tame, I think I caught a glimpse of what must have transpired.