Farm Aid will celebrate its 35th anniversary September 26th with a virtual festival featuring performances by board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews alongside Jack Johnson, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile and Boz Scaggs. The show will be available on Farm Aid’s YouTube channel, AXS TV and Fans.com.
Other artists on the bill for Farm 2020 on the Road include Black Pumas, Chris Stapleton, Edie Brickell with Charlie Sexton, Jamey Johnson, Jon Batiste, Kelsey Waldon, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Margo Price, Nathaniel Rateliff, Particle Kid, the Record Company, Valerie June, and the War and Treaty.
“This pandemic and so many other challenges have revealed how essential family farmers and ranchers are to the future of our planet,” Willie Nelson said in a statement. “Farm Aid 2020 is going to give the whole country a chance to learn about the important work of farmers and how they’re contributing to our well-being, beyond bringing us good food.”
The original Farm Aid was held on September 22nd, 1985 in Champaign, Illinois. It’s been held every year since 1992, making it one of the longest-running charity events in music history. Over the years, everyone from Guns N’ Roses to the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan and Hootie and the Blowfish have played on the Farm Aid stage. The most recent event took place on September 21st, 2019 at the Alpine Music Valley Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin.
“Since we started in 1985, Farm Aid has kept its finger on the pulse of farm country and deployed funds and resources to help farm families confront the challenges they face,” Farm Aid Executive Director Carolyn Mugar said in a statement. “It’s clear that this is a critical moment for farmers and ranchers. We risk losing their important contributions to our communities and our families if we do not adequately respond as a country.”
From Rolling Stone US
