That Time I Went To a Party on Willie Nelson's Ranch - Photos

March 27, 2014 • 659 Comments

This time two weeks ago during the SXSW Music Festival I was avoiding cacti while driving my bicycle around Willie Nelson's ranch about 30 miles outside of Austin, TX. My destination was a hilltop overlooking the town of Luck, TX - built in 1986 on the ranch for the filming of "Red Headed Stranger," a western starring Nelson as a minister - grappling with the task of fighting the devil on his own ground. Home to Willie Nelson's third annual Heartbreaker Banquet, the day-long social gathering and music fest is "attended by an elite, hand selected group of taste-makers in film fashion, music, and entertainment." I had them fooled.

An alumnus of the inaugural party, Father John Misty described the event as "obviously fucking amazing" and I'd have to agree. As you dive into the history of the normally fictional town, you'll find that the script originally had Luck, TX burning to the ground. But during filming, Willie developed a fondness for it and used his powers to make a change in the story to save the town. He then named it Luck.

Shovels and Rope (Charleston, SC)