Farm Aid is back for, amazingly, its 25th year. Initially inspired by an off-the-cuff comment Bob Dylan made at Live Aid, Willie Nelson’s annual benefit goes down October 2nd in Milwaukee and boasts a heartland-tastic lineup. Farm Aid board members and annual headliners Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, and Dave Matthews are back, of course, but joining them will be Kenny Chesney, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, Norah Jones, Jason Mraz, Band of Horses, the BoDeans, Amos Lee, and Robert Francis.
Chesney, Mraz, and Tweedy (with Wilco) have all played the fest before, but the rest are newcomers. That said, all seem to fit the do-good ethos of Farm Aid, the theme of which this year is “Growing Hope for America.”
Though the Farm Aid web page describes this as the “full lineup,” years past have seen many more performers, so don’t be surprised if additional bands are added as the date nears.
Tickets go on sale Saturday, August 14th at 9am at the Milwaukee Brewers box office (414-902-4000) or www.tickets.com. Prices range from $39.50 to $97.50, excluding service charges. Parking is $20 in advance or $25 the day of the concert. The concert will be telecast live on DirecTV.
The full lineup is below. Stay on top of the latest Farm Aid news at Festival Outlook.
Farm Aid 2010 Lineup
Willie Nelson
Neil Young
John Mellencamp
Dave Matthews
Kenny Chesney
Norah Jones
Jason Mraz
Jeff Tweedy
Band of Horses
The BoDeans
Amos Lee
Robert Francis