How Lukas Nelson and POTR walk a musical tightrope into The Blue Note

"Sticks and Stones," the latest record from Lukas Nelson and POTR, clutches 11 p.m. Saturday in one hand, 11 a.m. Sunday in the other.

That collision is heard early, and most clearly, on the album's second song; "Alcohallelujah" revolves around one of the great titles in recent memory. Nelson, who supplies every stacked harmony, forms his own group of backslidden, back-row choirboys floating their Sunday praises on whiskey breath.

The marriage of gospel music and inglorious lyrics fits Nelson's personality; he labeled that kind of union "a big cosmic joke" in a recent interview. And indeed, the song pokes good-natured fun in all directions: at believers too wrapped in their dogma, at those quick to sing the chorus without catching the underlying sadness.

"Alcohallelujah" was Nelson's attempt to write a song in the vein of Bruce Springsteen's all-too-easily misunderstood "Born in the USA," he said.

"People will sing the chorus and they don’t listen to the lyrics," he said. "I wanted to write a song like that — it was an anthem of something that really spoke about the dangers of that thing. It’s not really an anthem, but people might sing it as an anthem."

Nelson, of course the son of living legend Willie Nelson, situates his work at an ongoing series of forks in the road. Between country and rock, between a good time and hard-earned wisdom. He and his band will bring that balance into Columbia, hoping to extend each side of the weekend with a Monday-night show at The Blue Note.

Keeping musical Promises

Nelson and POTR, also known as Promise of the Real, remain a prolific force on the roots music scene; the band has released eight albums since its breakthrough in 2010 — "Sticks and Stones" is its third since 2020.

Records represent snapshot images of the person Nelson was in that moment, and he relates to them as such, he said. Songwriting is the truest way he knows to document his own existence.

"I write songs instead of journaling, basically," Nelson said. "Because I find that it’s an easier way to figure out what’s going on in my life. It’s a little more entertaining, and I think it’s more compelling than just writing what I did every day."

During the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nelson found himself with ample time to write. The initial material which spilled forth is some of the most reflective he has ever touched, he said with clear gratitude.

As the promise of stages and audiences opened up, he began to write with a "honkytonk" vibe in mind, stringing together chords and choruses to move people up and onto their feet.

Both sides of that creativity are heard on "Sticks and Stones," even as the record leans toward the latter.

The title track opens the album with a barroom stomp and tickled ivories. Soon after, "Every Time I Drink" is the ultimate juke joint jam while "More Than Friends," a collaboration with Lainey Wilson, fuses the soul of an 1980s country ballad with 2023 production value. And "Lying" is Nelson's version of Paul Simon's "American Tune":

"The other night I dreamed that I was dying / Woke up in a sweat and though I knew it wasn't true / I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish that I was lying here with you," he sings over softly picked guitar strings.

Nelson turns in a remarkable vocal performance across the album, his singing sometimes free and fleeting, sometimes stooping low into a romantic baritone. On penultimate track "All Four Winds," he achieves a remarkable sense of drama, a high lonesome that reverberates long after the notes die away.

Later cuts like "Icarus" and "Overpass" offer second- and third-hand lessons gleaned with time and colorful company. On the former, Nelson fits maternal poetry over a classic country groove: "My mama said, everybody thinks they're wiser than Icarus / Flirting with the big old sun, go and find someone."

The latter features this memorable proverb: "Always keep a light in your pocket / You never know when you'll need a fire under your ass."

Despite his ear for everyday education, Nelson doesn't want to be treated like some sort of spiritual teacher. He's watched listeners project that role upon his dad, the artist-audience relationship taking a sideways turn, he said.

Rather, he hopes his music faithfully shares where he's been and what he's seen, freeing its hearers to feel good and be empowered, he said.

Nelson and POTR play The Blue Note at 8 p.m. Monday; Talia Keys shares the bill. Tickets are $25 to $45. Visit https://thebluenote.com/ for more details.

Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731. He's on Twitter @aarikdanielsen.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Lukas Nelson, POTR balance reflection, honky tonk vibes