Billboard reports that Willie Nelson (the Texas Yoda) is hauling his do-gooding music festival to New York’s Randall’s Island.
Unlike Willie holding his 4th of July picnic outside the Lone Star (heresy!) Farm Aid has moved around since it’s birth 22 years ago, but having it on Randall’s Island is nice since it’s a subway ride away!
From Billboard: Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp joined New York mayor Michael Bloomberg and a host of local farmers today (June 11) amid the Union Square Green Market to announce a Sept. 9 date for the annual Farm Aid benefit at Randall’s Island. As usual, the artists will be joined by fellow Farm Aid board members Neil Young and Dave Matthews at the event.
“This will be the first Farm Aid that provides 100% homegrown food at the concert,” Mellencamp said proudly. Acknowledging the organic market just a few hundred feet away, Nelson said, “This is a great example of what can be done in the big cities.”
Farm Aid, which is now in its 22nd year, will dovetail with a new biofuel initiative in New York. Beginning next summer, 30% of the city’s heating oil purchases will be required to contain 5% biofuel, with a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030. Â
There was a time in the early-seventies when the first cousins of rock and country music laid together and beget a sleazy offspring that was best exemplified by early 70’s Faces and then followed Ronnie Wood when he took the swaggering sound to The Rolling Stones. It was then officially castrated later in the decade by the Eagles.