Photo Credit: Chris Marden

On Dec. 23, the man who needs no introduction, Willie Nelson, took the stage at Maui Arts & Cultural Center in Kahului, Hawaii, for a pre-holiday concert. The one-off event was fittingly a family affair for the longtime resident of the island, who brought out his sons Lukas and Micah Nelson during the night’s performance to assist with choice numbers, including “Texas Flood, “Halfway to Heaven” and more. Also included was Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready, who helped on “Just Breathe,” a song initially penned by Eddie Vedder. Watch below.

Nelson began his Valley Isle gig with a number plucked from his 1973 LP, the self-titled Shotgun Willie, on “Whiskey River,” which flowed into a medley of “Funny How Time Slips Away,” “Crazy” and “Night Life.” After the show’s monumental start, the musician delivered “I Never Cared for You” before bringing out his son, Lukas, who assisted on a cover of Stevie Ray Vaughn’s “Texas Flood.” Next, Lukas Nelson swapped positions with his sibling, Micah, who stepped out and assisted with a take on “Halfway to Heaven.”

The main act dug into fan favorites “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” and “On The Road Again.” “Always on My Mind” came before an appearance by  Lily Meola, who helped with Nelson’s original, “The Sound of Your Memories.” As the frame continued, Nelson dug into Waylon Jennings’ “Good Hearted Woman,” before welcoming McCready. With his guest on stage, Nelson and company proceeded with a take on Pearl Jam’s “Just Breathe.” Next, McCready was replaced by Micah, who helped his father with “Everything Is Bullshit.” 

The country legend continued with tunes from across his illustrious repertoire, running through “I’ll Love You Till The Day I Die,” “Write Your Own Songs,” and “Pretty Paper,” a song cut with Nelson’s previous guest, Meola. A handful of numbers followed and came before the last piece of the night, the Christmas classic “Jingle Bells,” which capped off the island performance. 

After the Dec. 23 concert, Nelson will return to the stage in late February for a two-night stand at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre in St. Augustine, Fla., on Feb. 24 and 26. To learn more, visit the artist’s official website.  

Watch a fan-shot video of Nelson and McCready’s Maui team up below.

Willie Nelson 

Maui Arts & Cultural Center– Kahului, Hawaii

Dec. 23, 2022 

Set: Whiskey River, Medley: Funny How Time Slips Away > Crazy > Night Life, I Never Cared for You, Texas Flood*, Halfway to Heaven+, Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys, Angel, On The Road Again, Always On My Mind, The Sound of Your Memories+, Good Hearted Woman, Just Breathe^, Everything Is Bullshit+, Love You Till The Day I Die, Roll Me Up, Write Your Own Songs, Pretty Paper, Gospels, Hard to be Humble, Jingle Bells 

Notes:

* With Lukas Nelson 

+ With Micah Nelson 

% With Lily Meola 

^ With Mike McCready