Promise of the Real

Post-holiday homecoming: Lukas Nelson breathes life into his own rock 'n' rolldreams

It’s been nearly a year since the release of Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real’s self-titled CD. Since then, the band has been touring and entertaining crowds across the country with its blend of blues, rock, Americana and country—and they'll (finally!) be back in Austin for a show at Antone’s the day after Thanksgiving.

I caught up with Nelson by phone as he was heading to Malibu. He says he (and the band) has been very busy this year, spending part of it on the Country Throwdown Tour along with Dad Willie, Jamey Johnson, Randy Houser and a few others. Nelson says the road is second nature to him. “I like moving around. I grew up doing that and I guess it’s been etched into my life,” he says.

The band also made a few late night talk show appearances, including on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and the Late Show with David Letterman. They will return to late night TV in December, appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live on December 7.

Nelson’s baby at the moment is the band’s next CD, which has already been recorded. He says he hopes it will be out early in the New Year. I asked him how it is different from the band’s last CD. “I think it shows a progression of the band. We’ve gotten better since then but we’ll have to let people decide how it feels.”

It’s easy to see that Lukas Nelson has an eclectic barn of musical influences. He’s known for his mastery of slick blues guitar, and has been known to play behind his back or with his teeth. If you have ever seen him perform, you know he leaves everything he’s got on that stage: it’s so honest. That honesty is the inspiration for the name of the band, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real. He and his band mates always want to keep it real and want the audience to see they are performing because they love it.

Nelson says if people have never seen his band perform live, they can expect to see rowdy rock. The band will be getting rowdy in Austin on Friday November 25 at their gig at Antone’s. Nelson, who grew up in the Austin area, says playing at home is always unique. “It feels different cause it’s where I’m from. It’s nice when people come out and see me. The reception in Austin is nice. When you play in your home town you really want people to come see you.”

Nelson is working hard to make a name for himself. He says having a famous father doesn’t make his success a given. “It’s just a journey. It really doesn’t matter about that. It just matters what I bring to the table. You can have every opportunity brought to you but if you don’t take advantage and don’t work hard, it really doesn’t matter.”

During the ups and downs of his journey, Nelson says he always keeps in mind the best advice his father ever gave him. “My dad said to keep breathing. That the best thing you can do if you are going through anything tough is to focus on your breath.”

Besides his dad, this up and coming rock ‘n’ roller has shared a stage with the likes of John Fogerty, Bob Dylan and BB King. He was excited to get the chance to play with Neil Young at this year’s Farm Aid. “Having Neil Young take an interest in our music is one of the coolest things to ever happen to us,” Nelson says.

One of Nelson’s dreams is to play Wembley Stadium or Carnegie Hall some day. In the mean time, he’s enjoying entertaining his growing fan-base, while keeping it real. “I just want to keep being able to play music and make a living at it. There is not much I want that I don’t already have. I feel pretty free to do what I want to do and that’s very fulfilling.”

Holidays Are Here

Ben Stiller-led holiday film Nutcrackers is more sweet than magical

Ben Stiller, Atlas Janson, Homer Janson, and Ulysses Janson in Nutcrackers

Photo courtesy of Nutcracker Productions LLC/Hulu

Ben Stiller, Atlas Janson, Homer Janson, and Ulysses Janson in Nutcrackers.

A holiday-themed comedy seems like just what the doctor ordered right now, and the new Hulu film Nutcrackers steps up with a little mayhem, heartfelt sentiment, and a nod to traditions. But it doesn't add up to a memorable experience.

The film stars Ben Stiller as Mike, a high-powered Chicago architect with little time for anybody but himself whose sister and brother-in-law are recently deceased. He is supposedly there to place his four nephews - Justice (Homer Janson), Simon (Arlo Janson), Steve (Ulysses Janson), and Samuel (Atlas Janson) - into foster care. But social worker Gretchen (Linda Cardellini) informs Mike that the foster family has fallen through, and he needs to act as guardian until she can find someone else.

Whether they’re still reeling from their parents’ deaths or are just wild in general, the kids prove to be more than a handful for Mike, who always has one eye on the door, hoping to get back to his own life as soon as possible. But the longer he’s forced to stay, the more the kids grow on him, especially when he learns that at least two of them were students at their mom’s dance studio, giving him an idea to stage a version of a certain holiday classic.

Directed by David Gordon Green and written by Leland Douglas, the film would seem to have all the elements that make a holiday film memorable, but the vibe is off right from the start. First of all, the audience is thrown right into the mix along with Mike, with barely any introduction to the main characters. As their backstories are mostly missing, it’s difficult to feel anything - good or bad - about Mike or the kids, and so they just kind of co-exist for the first act of the film.

Green and Douglas can also never decide what kind of people they want the kids to be. The film starts with a scene of them sneaking into an amusement park and causing havoc, and subsequent scenes make it seem like they’re supposed to be hellions. But when the filmmakers start going back-and-forth between them wrecking things and being responsible, down-to-earth kids, the plot thread gets confusing and less interesting.

It’s also perplexing why they would cast Stiller, who’s been known to play straight-laced characters who go off the rails on many occasions, and then not let him do what he does best. Even when confronted with some of the kids’ worst behavior, Mike keeps his reactions in check, which may be good for a real-life uncle, but makes for a less-than-entertaining holiday family film.

Stiller still lives up to his star-billing at times, but the arc of his character is not that inspiring, even when a slight romance starts to bloom between Mike and Gretchen. The Janson brothers, who are making their collective film debut, are fun at times, but their lack of experience shows in their unpolished performances. Cardellini is a nice presence, but she’s not given enough to do to make a big impact.

Nutcrackers is an inoffensive movie in that it’s not so terrible that there’s no way to actually finish it. But there’s little in its story, characters, or attempt to be a holiday movie that can be recommended as a fun family watch, so it’s likely to fade away into streamer oblivion.

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Nutcrackers is now streaming on Hulu.

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