Tom Waits, Willie Nelson, And Leon Russell On Tap For SXSW

03/16/1999 4:00 AM, Yahoo! Music
Craig Rosen

(3/16/99, 1 a.m. PST) - Although the annual SXSW Music Conference--set for this week in Austin, Texas--is primarily known as a showcase for new and up-and-coming talent, three veteran performers will also be on hand to stage rare performances.

First, Leon Russell will be joined by Willie Nelson at 11 p.m. on Thursday at Stubbs BBQ. Russell will return the favor earlier that same evening when he guests with Nelson during a taping of Austin City Limits. The pair, who have toured together over the years, will also make an afternoon appearance on Austin radio station KSGR.

Russell's SXSW appearances are designed to promote Face In The Crowd, his first album featuring all-new material in seven years, released in January on Sagestone Entertainment.

A few days after the Russell-Nelson appearances, Tom Waits will make a rare appearance Saturday night at 11:30 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre in Austin.

The show will mark Waits's fourth concert in a dozen years, aside from a few performances at benefit concerts. The concert comes in advance of Mule Variations, Waits's debut for Epitaph Records, which is set for an April 27 release. Waits and his band--guitarist Smokey Hormel, bassist Larry Taylor, and drummer Stephen Hodges--are expected to play new material from the album.

Waits will also be featured on an upcoming episode of VH1's Storytellers.

To read a Willie Nelson feature, click here.

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