Sources: Mavis Staples at Luck Reunion 2019

“What comes from the heart, reaches the heart.” - Mavis Staples

With the help of our friends and longtime sponsor, Mountain Valley Spring Water, we were able to dedicate a day’s worth of music to the legendary Mavis Staples this year at Luck Reunion. Mavis headlined our Sources Stage, closing out the night after a stacked lineup of powerhouse acts. Each artist on the Sources Stage played one of Mavis’s own solo songs or a Staples Singers classic during their own set in honor of the iconic singer’s upcoming 80th birthday. Arguably the culmination of the entire day came at the end of Mavis’s set when Courtney Marie Andrews, Yola, Mountain Man, Sunny War, Angie McMahon, Nicole Atkins, Jade Jackson, Haley Heynderickx, and Brandy Zdan joined Mavis on stage to sing “The Weight”, capping off the evening with a moment of community, admiration, and unbridled joy. Join us in discovering what some of these acts had to say about Mavis’s influence in their careers and her own advice for the next generation. Watch above for more.

Sources: Potluck 2019 Benefitting Farm Aid Hosted by the Austin Food and Wine Alliance

Our annual Potluck Dinner makes for an incredible kick-off to Luck Reunion each year with lush, locally-sourced food from Texas-based chefs and intimate performances from some of our most treasured Luck Family Artists. The Potluck Dinner Hosted by the Austin Food and Wine Alliance Benefitting Farm Aid upped the ante this year with a roster of six female chefs from the Austin and surrounding areas. Anita Jaisinghani of Pondicheri (Houston, New York), Bonnie Wright of Olamaie (Austin), Misti Norris of Petra and the Beast (Dallas), Jessica Sanders of drink.well (Austin), Kristen Kish of Arlo Grey (Austin), and Anne Ng of Bakery Lorraine (Austin, San Antonio) joined PotLuck host chef and longtime Luck collaborator Ben Runkle, of Austin's Salt and Time, to collaborate on an innovative multi-course menu. We were honored to host not only these acclaimed chefs, but also local farmers from the community like Carol Ann Sayle of Boggy Creek Farms, to an evening of food, drink, and music by Ben Dickey and the Godfather of Luck himself, Willie Nelson. Follow along as we travel back to the source with the help of our longtime sponsor Mountain Valley Water to get an inside look at this year’s Potluck Dinner. Watch above for more.

Sources: Kam Franklin & Joanna's Backyard

As a part of our Sources series with Mountain Valley Spring Water, Kam Franklin found a new source of inspiration in a solo trip and a new destination. Read Franklin’s own words on Joanna’s Backyard below.

When I worked my full time job, I spent a lot of time daydreaming about vacations. I’d sometimes go as far as filling up a shopping cart with flights, hotels, resort stays, etc. but I’d never purchase it. The timing was always off. The money was always wrong, and I would always find a million other things that “had” to be done instead of relaxing. At one point, I had somehow convinced myself that I hated relaxing. Mainly because I thought that it meant that something in my life wouldn’t get done if I took a break. Thankfully, the universe had other plans for me.

A few years ago, I had to learn how to stop living my life for other people. I am a recovering people pleaser, and the way people thought about me used to consume me. From my art to my body, I lived to cater to others. That is, until I realized how much I was draining, neglecting, and aging myself to keep that shit up.

At first, telling people no, drove them and me crazy. I hated the feeling that came with letting people down, but regaining control of my life and my time gave me the opportunity to seek out the adventures that actually mattered to me.

Around that time, I started working on a song called, “Do Whatever”, with my band, The Suffers. Here’s the first verse:

“Full on disclosure
I’m not here for exposure
I came to have a good time
So let me shine
It ain’t gotta be a weekend
To find that joy that you’re seeking
So treat yourself to something more and you’ll be fine”

This song is a reminder to live my life everyday unapologetically. While I quickly figured out how to explore this professionally, personally, I was still a wreck. After every tour, I would come home to the same empty house, drink at the same bars around my hometown of Houston, TX, and pretty much repeat this routine. I found myself getting more and more sedentary, and while my professional career was thriving, my personal life was sad.

Summer 2018 took a huge toll on me emotionally and professionally. I parted ways with my longtime management, I cut off a lot people that I felt were contributing to my sadness, and I slowly started taking the steps to seek my own personal joy. I knew that I was going to be on the road until December 30th, so I started researching places  to bring in 2019. After reading up on tons of places and flights, I decided on Barbados.

One night, I found a cheap red-eye flight that would get me there on the afternoon of December 31st. After a while, I  took a deep breath, and clicked “purchase”. Over the next few months, I would tell everyone, not to brag, but because I needed to convince myself not to back out from going. The recovering people pleaser within me knew that if I told people I was going, I would have to go. I only knew one person that lived down there, but they were going to be gone on their own holiday by the time I arrived, so I was on my own.

I knew that I wanted to immerse myself in as much of the local culture as possible, so I opted to share a home with someone on Airbnb. There was only one review for Joanna’s house (my host), and it was in French, which I don’t speak. However, the one photo that stood out to me had a clear view of the crystal clear ocean in her backyard. The price was right, and even though I couldn’t see much else in the photos, I took a chance and made a reservation to stay with her.

After a long, two month tour, opening for Thievery Corporation, the day had finally come to fly out. To say that I was nervous is an understatement. I almost missed my flight because I was late to the airport, but minus all of the delays, I finally made it. When I arrived to Joanna’s house, she met me with open arms, snacks, tea, and rum. Her energy was so warm and welcoming. After she showed me to my room, she walked me to the back patio, and there it was. In my backyard for the next 9 days, the brightest, bluest ocean water I’ve ever seen. We were in St. James, Barbados. It’s a tiny neighborhood on the island that is filled with locals, quiet beaches, and gorgeous homes. You’re right on the water, so there’s a constant breeze everywhere you go.

I swam everyday. Every single day. My phone only worked when I was on the house WiFi, but since I rarely at the house, I was able to take in everything around me without the constant distraction that is the internet. Every time I swam, I felt lighter. I walked everywhere, rode on packed buses, asked tons of people for directions, took a ride on a sunset catamaran tour, danced to soca and reggae music every night until I couldn’t feel my legs, sipped way too much rum, flirted with everyone I met, and I spent as much time in the sun as possible. What was the end result? Joy. Pure joy.

Every morning that I was greeted by the ocean in Joanna’s backyard, I thanked God for the moment. I was so grateful for the opportunity to see something so beautiful in what felt like my own private oasis.

On my final day there, I couldn’t stop crying. Not because I was sad to leave, but because I knew that Barbados had brought back to life. The ocean healed me. The locals reminded me how beautiful I am without makeup. The fresh Marlin and Roti everyday lead to me losing weight without even trying. It’s amazing what happens to your body with fast food is nowhere to be found. I don’t know if my future vacations will be as lovely as this one, but I look forward to finding new ways to to fall in love with nature, people, food, and myself.

Catch Kam on the road with her band The Suffers and watch their latest music video below:

Check out more on The Suffers, here:

Website: www.thesuffers.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/thesuffers

Twitter: www.twitter.com/thesuffers

Instagram: www.instagram.com/thesuffers

YouTube: www.youtube.com/TheSuffersTX

SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/thesuffers

Sources: Caleb Caudle & Hanging Rock State Park

As a part of our Sources series with Mountain Valley Spring Water, Caleb Caudle went back to a continuous source of inspiration for his life and music in his home state of North Carolina. Read Caudle’s own words on Hanging Rock State Park below.

Caleb Caudle at Hanging Rock State Park

There are certain roads you go down throughout your life that don't change much. Maybe a stoplight is added, or a restaurant changes hands and it’s just not the same as it once was, or a gas station closes down with their sign left untouched only to remind you of how cheap things used to be.

The road I'm thinking of leads to Hanging Rock State Park in Danbury, NC. Since I was a teen, it has been a place I go to seek inspiration. I’m calmed by its endless beauty. The mountains stand proud and tall, comforting me as the rest of the world seems to go swiftly by. I feel so small amongst them. They remind me not to get caught up in myself, and to look around, to stay grateful. I go live my life, travel the world, meet new people, eat new foods, and then return home with a newfound appreciation of what once seemed like a given. The road hasn’t changed. I have.

Hanging Rock State Park means something different to me now than it did 15 years ago, and if I'm lucky, it will mean something different to me in 15 years from now. The wind blows, the water flows yet the mountains remain. The storms of life shape me, but the mountains stay true. A constant reminder of stability. - Caleb Caudle

For more from Caleb visit his website here, and check out the #LuckList he put together for us below.

Sources: Farm to Table at Luck Social

all photos by Brooke Hamilton

It is unseasonably cold for early October in Austin. Just last week the heavy warmth of a late summer still lingered, but today the air is crisp and clean as rain clouds shade the sun from our eyes. It’s still early as Chefs Ben Runkle of Salt and Time Butcher Shop & Salumeria and Todd Duplechan of the critically acclaimed Lenoir restaurant pull up to Boggy Creek Farms to ensure they have the first pick of today’s produce. As soon as you pull onto the small gravel road leading up to the farm, it feels like all of the reality of Austin melts away. Here there are no traffic lines, no flashing lights, no advertisements or billboards, just the earth and people who have devoted their lives to healing and encouraging the land.

Runkle and Duplechan are planning their menu for the first Luck Social event at Willie Nelson’s Luck, Texas ranch, an intimate dinner and concert experience for 50 lucky guests. Runkle, chosen for not only his talent but also his dedication to local farms and sustainable agriculture, has been Luck’s Culinary Director for the past several years stepping into the role of Head Chef for charity dinners the night before Luck Reunion, and curating food trucks for the Reunion alongside the Austin Food and Wine Alliance. This year, Runkle is hosting Duplechan for a collaborative, family-style meal for the Social. Though they have an idea of their main dishes, the final choices will be made based on what is fresh and available as they head back to the source to Boggy Creek and Eden East farms in East Austin.

The two chefs immediately beeline for the small produce stand tucked behind the trees and original farm house at Boggy Creek to pick sheeling beans, butternut squash, fennel, and wild greens among other freshly picked produce for the Social dinner. Boggy Creek has been a staple in locally owned organic farms for over 20 years since its inception in 1992 and a source of community and inspiration for the quickly growing urban farming movement. Led by Carol Ann Sayle and the late Larry Butler, Boggy Creek has been described as “the center of the plate, the heartbeat of the local food scene,” by former Austin Statesman food writer Kitty Crider in Butler’s obituary after his passing in July. Both Runkle and Duplechan concur, expressing their appreciation and respect for Sayle and Butler and are greeted warmly by Sayle upon arrival. Sayle knows their favorites and their investment in clean produce and proceeds to take us on a full tour of the farm. Tucked behind the farmhouse and stand are rows of carefully placed crops, from squash to carrots to greens, each row has been immaculately tended by Sayle and her team. Rows of greenhouses full of herbs and a large pen full of chickens line the other side of the walkway and Sayle’s trusty farm dog nips at our ankles if we get too close to the flock. Runkle and Duplechan chat and laugh with Sayle as they make their final selections and are ready to head to the next location.

Right down the road less than half a mile away, we arrive at our second stop of the morning, Eden East Farms (formerly Springdale farm). This area of East Austin is home to many local farms as much of the land is fed by Boggy Creek as it winds its way south to the Colorado River. Eden East now hosts a farm to table restaurant of their own offering weekly brunches and special occasion dinners. Tucked behind the outdoor restaurant seating is a small farm stand hosting not only East’s own produce from the grounds, but also offering selections from other locally grown, organic farmers as well. Tables are overflowing with veggies, local honey, microgreens, natural balms and salves made from local herbs and other goods. Here, the soil is so fertile we notice a stray squash growing right in the walking path. Runkle and Duplechan finish their shopping, gathering the last of the summer’s sweet peaches to be made into pies for the Social’s final course. We part ways as the chefs determine their final menus for the Social the next day.

Thursday arrives and the Luck, TX ranch is alive with activity as all of the finishing touches are made in preparation for the night’s event. Runkle and Duplechan arrive with their teams as the early afternoon sun gleams overhead and begin build their kitchen just off the path to Willie’s Headquarters. First over the coals is Runkle’s porchetta to be slow roasted on a spit for five hours leading up to the dinner. As the pork slowly turns, the ranch is filled with its mouthwatering scent and eventually, butternut squash from the farm is placed underneath to catch all of the drippings. Next, preparation begins for Duplechan’s grilled, stuffed fish driven up fresh from the Gulf and wrapped in hoja santa leaves - a traditional Mexican herb with notes similar to eucalyptus and Root Beer - to be accompanied by sheeling beans, smoked mushrooms, tomato jam, and green beans. The chefs and their teams remain hard at work as the sun sets behind the hills and the first guests begin to trickle in.

One long communal table is set up in the middle of the path from the chapel down to Willie’s Headquarters. Set with artisan ceramics from Keith Kreeger, hand-dyed indigo linens, fresh flowers, and candles, the Luck Social dinner is ready to begin. Our guests stroll through the little town of Luck, taking their seats and meeting their neighbors and the first course is served. As the moon rises and the stars come out, the twinkling lights of the candles illuminate plates full of delicacies as the plates make the rounds served family style (come back for seconds!). Free flowing local wine, Lagunitas beer, and Mountain Valley Water keep the guests’ thirsts quenched as relaxed laughter echoes through the ranch - a sign of a successful and satiating meal.

From farmstand to table, the chefs’ dedication to the sourcing and preparation of quality ingredients shines through in the consistently outstanding menus such as Runkle and Duplechan’s; demonstrating the importance across Texas’ culinary community of honoring the source of it all.