LUKAS NELSON & PROMISE OF THE REAL – ROYALE BOSTON
By Rick Fleck
Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real play in a sold out Royale Boston with Ben Chapman for immediate support.
I really enjoy going to shows at the Royale Boston in the theater district of the city. It's a great venue, friendly staff, great sound, fantastic lineups of local, national and international acts and, most importantly, plenty of bars. Arriving at the 1,200+ capacity club about half an hour before the screening, I was surprised to find it nearly full. What kind of die-hard fans fill a venue half an hour before the stage starts?
Apparently country fans are the answer. I was there 23/11/23 for Lucas Nelson + POTR, with support act, Ben Chapman. Looking forward to seeing Nelson, an artist I've been waiting to see live for years, blew me away. But first on the bill was Fayette, GA by way of Nashville, TN singer/songwriter Ben Chapman. And I was more than ready to see what she was going to bring to Royale.
Chapman took the stage to hearty applause and, admittedly not very familiar with it, I was surprised to see that he was going to do a solo set with just his trusty acoustic guitar. Opening with the song 'Downbeat', Chapman immediately took us to some real, gritty places that your typical 'pop' country singers aren't likely to take you to. It was a great choice for an opening song, and it was just me, but was there a little CSNY vibe I heard sneaking in there?
What followed was a generous 8-song set that transitioned from 6-string flaying rockers to quieter, more introspective numbers including 'Baby Don't Cry', 'Almost Home' and a song with clearly deep personal meaning to the Chapmans, 'Georgia I'm dreaming.” Some of the quieter songs had you standing and leaning forward on tiptoe, trying to make sure you didn't miss a word.
Rick Fleck photos
Chapman has a real, folksy, friendly personality that makes you feel like he's invited you to sit on his front porch for a beer while he plays you some songs. At times, though, the cavernous room felt a bit large for his personal style. I'd love to see him play in a small club where I'm sure he'll own the room.
Chapman's set also included a spirited cover of the Grateful Dead's “Friend of the Devil” that had the crowd singing and dancing along. I think I smelled some patchouli too. Or maybe this was just a flashback. The show ended with “Ont Know Better”, clearly a crowd favorite. For his “first time in Boston”, he made quite an impression and I'm sure he'll be warmly welcomed the next time he's in town.
Lucas Nelson came on stage with a full band of musicians including Logan Metz on keyboards, Corey McCormick on bass, Anthony Logerfo on drums and Tato Melgar on percussion. It's obvious these guys have been playing together for quite some time as the band was tight and top notch. They quickly found a groove that fit like an old, worn pair of cowboy boots.
The show's opener, “Completely Different Stars,” set a different tone for the evening moving forward. “Entirely Different Stars” was a little crazy, post-modern Sturgill Simpson, with a tasty solo from Nelson. This is the kind of song I would expect towards the end of the night. But no matter where it landed on set, it put a big smile on my face. “Every Time I Drink” was a casino riverboat style clock of a song that had the whole room jumping and swaying like we were paddling down the Mississippi.
All night long, in his honor, Nelson little noted that he was the son of living country music legend Willie Nelson. But I was struck, as the show went on, how many times I found myself reminded of Waylon Jennings. one of Willie's mates from The Highwaymen. There is definitely a healthy dose of outlaw country Nelsonand it comes at just the right time.
Before I go on, I have to say that, “Wow!” I had no idea what a fantastic guitar player Lucas Nelson is. It's my ignorance. I thought the other guitarist would get the leads and solos, but Luke he was up there playing like he was channeling some 80's rock guitar icon. One solo that really stood out was an extended solo on the song '4 Letter'. I have to admit, I love a good heavy metal show as much as any genre, and I was thrilled to stand back and watch him strut his stuff.
His playing, the songs and the entire band were met with thunderous applause throughout the night. They weren't just random fans here to see the current, touring, artist of the month pass through town. They were Lucas Nelson fans there specifically to see him.
At some point in the middle of the show, the rest of the band left the stage to make way for a solo set by Nelson. During this part of the show, the single “Just Outside of Austin”, emerged as the highlight of the night for me. Having been lucky enough to live in Austin, “The Live Music Capital of the World”, I don't know that I've ever heard another song that captured the spirit of the city quite like this one. This was the song that also brought père Willie's influence into the room with us, so to speak.
Ever since I first heard it on one streaming service or another, “Turn Off the News and Build a Garden” has been a passion of mine. Lucas Nelson + POTR song. Seeing it live was a thrill and brought back stories of the Austin Armadillo World Headquarters and the hippie-country music sound that is so uniquely Austin SoCo.
Other highlights included Nelson's stint at the piano (yes, a real piano they should be taking across the country!) and the crowd pleasing “Alcohallelujah.” He was then joined by UK guitar prodigy Toby Lee Nelson on stage for an incredible version of Willie Nelson's hit 'Night Life', giving it the A-level treatment it deserves. I'd love to see Lee drop by the city on a tour of his own. There was also a really fun excursion with “Find Yourself” which brought us back to the original Chapman and his version of “Friend of the Devil”.
The band returned for their encore with a gospel like “Set Me Down On a Cloud”, which made me want to stand on a chair and “testify”. This was followed by the show's closer and the barroom rocker, “Something Real,” which sent us into the cold Boston night on a subtly elevated note. Lucas Nelsona self-made, rising country music star of many stripes came to Boston and cast his lot.
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