Friday night at the saw two young blues-rock musicians working hard to earn their own spotlights, out of the shadows of their famous fathers. Headliner — son of country music icon Willie Nelson — shared the stage with Revoltaire, fronted by Ruby Stewart, daughter of Rod Stewart. The lithe Stewart prowled the stage with powerful, smoky vocals and a classic rock ferocity.
Lukas Nelson and his band, Promise of the Real, took the incense-perfumed stage and powered through a strong, long set of roots rock originals and country/rock classics. At times, Nelson eerily channels his dad’s signature country croon; if you close your eyes you might even be fooled. The largely female, enthusiastic crowd kept their eyes open, because Nelson’s energetic stage presence is a treat. He’s an affable performer with an infectious grin, and his guitar solos are often punctuated with leaps — the kid catches some serious air.
Maybe I was unfairly influenced by the incense, but I couldn’t help thinking that Nelson looked more at home at the gritty Larimer Lounge than he sounded. His rocking persona, his leaping and his truly solid guitar skills are more engaging than his “world-class rock” style songwriting. The girls in the first several rows singing along to every word clearly disagreed with me. Ultimately though, I was still won over by Nelson’s earnest commitment to putting on a great show, which even included a convincing guitar solo played with his teeth. Along with inheriting a powerful resemblance to his dad’s voice, he seems to share the work ethic of his continuously touring 78-year dad.
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Amy McGrath is a Denver-based writer and regular contributor to Reverb.
Michael McGrath is a Denver area photographer. His work is available at . Visit .
