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FARM AID 2004SEPTEMBER 18, 2004Featuring: WIllie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dave Matthews and many others.
White River Amphitheater Muckleshoot Reservation Auburn, Washington Text and all photos by Dan Locke
Well it is that time of year again. Farm Aid has come and gone. And this time it was held in Auburn Washington (outside of Seattle Washington). For the first time it was held on an Indian Reservation. At the White River Amphitheater on the Muckleshoot Reservation which was the prefect setting for Farm Aid. Places were the people pay more attention to using local food grower then anywhere else Farm Aid has been held. Seattle is a birthplace of the "organic movement" and being there has given it new meaning. The Seattle show truly gives meaning to the principles behind Farm Aid, as stated by Bob Dylan in a TV interview –– “The idea behind the first Farm Aid was to promote sustainable family farms and fight corporate “factory farms.” Farm Aid has raised $26 million to date. This is because 330 farmers are losing their land every week. Willie Nelson is making a big push to get more support for the "Old Homestead Act" by allowing homesteaders to farm currently unused land to grow corn and soybeans for the production of bio-diesel fuels. Bio-diesel is a liquid fuel that can replace regular diesel fuel. Bio-diesel is made from vegetable oil. And it can run diesel engines. On the island of Maui, Bio-diesel fuel is already available. Regular diesel fuel particulates are carcinogenic (has been known to cause cancer). Using bio-diesel fuel, or a blend of regular diesel and bio-diesel, it can reduce the production of these cancer-causing emissions. So it is healthier. It can also be made from waste vegetable oil (such as used oil from restaurant deep fryers). Since this oil is difficult to dispose of it can be put to a good use. One of the special guests at the press conference was Jesse Jackson. This year's lineup for Farm Aid was not like other years. The event sold out but it didn’t have nearly as many of the superstars as past events. The 2004 lineup included: One Trick Pony, Tegan and Sara, Marc Broussard (who was sick), Blue Merle, Kitty Jerry, Kate Voegele, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Dave Matthews, Jerry Lee Lewis, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Willie Nelson. Being the 19th year of Farm Aid it has become an efficient model on how concerts should be run. There was little waiting time between the acts. The only time issue was the long gap between the press conference and the show. Kate Voegele is a new to the scene. This 17-year-old phenomenon hails from Cleveland, Ohio, where she has been creating a powerful buzz in the music industry. Voegele learned to play guitar just 2 years ago and was one of three finalists out of 1,250 entrants in the MTV-sponsored Pantene Pro-Voice Completion for up and coming female musicians. During the month of July, three finalists were featured on MTV and VH-1 and viewers were asked to vote, with Voegele taking top choice. During her set you could hear a lot of Michelle Branch and Vanessa Carlton in her music style. One Trick Pony is a band I have heard of but had before never seen. This was the second year they have been at Farm Aid and judging from their strong set and the equally strong response from the audience, it was clear to see by this country-rock combo were asked to come back. Lucinda Williams was looking great in her battered straw cowboy hat. Her set included "Drunken Angel" and "Joy" (featuring Steve Earle on guitar). She was slow to start with very little movement, but by the end of her set, she became very energetic as she rolled of her hips n groove to the songs. Steve Earle remained on stage after Lucinda and did the solo thing with a short series of his political songs, which were politely received. Strangely enough, despite the level of talent presents and rocking for the family farmers, it was 68-year-old rock 'n' roll pioneer, Jerry Lee Lewis, who turned in the most powerful performance of the day. The only complaint being that Lewis' set was way short. After just four barrel-house deliveries of short early rock classics –– "Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On", "Great Balls of Fire", "Roll Over Beethoven" and "You Win Again" –– Lewis left the stage leaving those too young to remember his heyday staring with their mouths agape. He may be a senior citizen, but "The Killer" proved that he can still slay them in their seats Neil Young hit the stage by himself and played a several of instruments, running the gamut of guitar, piano, banjo and harmonica. Young's tasty set sampled his career and early and latter day numbers like: "Pocahontas", "Don’t Let it Bring You Down", "Harvest Moon", "Journey Through the Past", "Cowgirl in the Sand", "Human Highway" (with his wife Peggy joining him), "Old King" and "Four Strong Winds." Willie Nelson performed with his band and he was the usual Willie that we see every year. Willie has become a true hero to the working class farmers and is treated with an abundance of reverence. The crusty stage veteran performed very well and included a lot of hits in his closing set, with highlights being –– "Me and Paul", "Whiskey River" and "Beer For My Horses". The 2004 event was another success with Farm Aid achieving its annual goal of raising $1 million to benefit America's family farmers and the amber fields of grain that are such an important part of the fabric, history and color of our great nation. | |||
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During the pre-show press conference Neil Young (one of the event's founders) said, “Buy food grown by family farms and families living in a house; not by a board of directors at the top of a building in Chicago.” 
Farm Aid veteran Dave Matthews walked out next and was very mellow as he performed this year in a lone spotlight sans a band. 
Indiana's John Mellencamp did a nice stripped down version of his show. Playing songs that were more laid back and blue collar-themed like: "In My Time of Dying", "Rain on the Scarecrow", "Little Pink Houses" and "Paper and Ice".