Willie Nelson’s 4/20 Celebration Was the Medicine We Desperately Needed (Column)

Monday felt like “A Willie Nelson Christmas” but it was another internationally
recognized holiday that the country legend was celebrating with a six-hour live
stream: 4/20. For those who aren’t in the know, the date of April 20, along with
the daily chime of 4:20 p.m., is code for stoners to spark up. Willie being the
undisputed grand poobah of the marijuana movement, his “Come And Toke It” variety
program drew a slew of noteworthy names to the webcast including Kacey Musgraves,
Matthew McConaughey, Kevin Smith, Jeff Bridges, Tommy Chong, Bill Maher, Beto
O’Rourke, Toby Keith and Billy Ray Cyrus. Matthew McConaughey Willie Nelson "Come
And Toke It" Doubling as a benefit for Last Prisoner Project (dedicated to
restorative justice to aid those incarcerated based on outdated cannabis laws) and
a promotional opportunity (to market Willie’s Reserve and Willie’s Remedy, a line
of branded cannabis and hemp-based wellness products), as well as marking an early
birthday party (Willie turns 87 on April 29), its format wasn’t all that different
from other quarantine at-home shows — some rooms were messy, others intimate,
nearly everyone sang to an acoustic guitar — but the vibe was worlds apart. “Come
and Toke It” provided the sort of comfort viewing and of-the-same-mindedness we may
be starting to forget, seeing as it’s been many weeks since most cannabis
enthusiasts have shared a handshake never mind a joint. In fact, 4/20 celebrations
throughout the music world felt like much-needed medicine for a weary bunch who may
be more accustomed to being homebound but still yearn for that connection. Wiz
Khalifa’s live sessions, for instance, centered on simply partaking together. In
something called the “Kush Up Challenge,” Wiz let fans join in on Instagram (first
they had to post a “smoke signal” — or smoke emoji — in the chat indicating their
willingness) to go toke-to-toke with the rapper. The goal: take 10 pulls without
hacking up a lung in a digital dance of synchronized smoking. (Yes, at a 4/20
gathering, coughing isn’t thought of as the coming of the apocalypse, though it is
viewed as a weakness.) Mike Dean Courtesy of Moog Others, like in-demand hip-hop
producer Mike Dean (Travis Scott, Kanye West), who released an album of
instrumentals called “4:20” in time for the holiday, just jammed in his studio (Jet
Fuel OG is his preferred creativity strain, he revealed).  Flag-waving stoner Jenny
Lewis also took a mellow approach, regaling fans with songs and stories, including
one in which Nelson himself requested she sing “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die”
at a private dinner and, no thanks to a few hits of Willie’s Reserve, she “got
freaked” and barely pulled it together. “It was a disaster,” confessed Lewis,
wearing — appropriately — a Death Row Records shirt. Others who hosted or
participated in 4/20 streams included Cypress Hill’s B-Real and Ty Dolla $ign. No
two live streams were the same but Willie’s was special. From a dimly-lit bunker
deep within the Nelson family ranch in Luck, Texas, Willie and son Lukas played
affable hosts to a wide circle of friends and family all of whom, dare we say,
looked genuinely happy — coronavirus panic put on pause. That was partly due to the
multitude of good tunes, courtesy of the likes of Kacey Musgraves’ “Slow Burn,”
which stung like an anthem to our century so far; Ziggy Marley, bringing a soft
touch to his father’s iconic “One Love,” and Shakey Graves, who delivered a nuanced
rendition of Flying Burrito Brothers’ “Sin City.” Also impressive were lesser-known
artists Waylon Payne and Kevin Morby in addition to Nelson sons Lukas and Micah.
Elevating the livestream even more were a series of tutorials related to cannabis,
from farmers explaining harvesting a sizable grow to glass makers showing how to
clean your wares at home to Margo Price demonstrating how to make an apple pipe
(helpful!). Interstitials served as munchie breaks for cooking demonstrations, with
Chef Spike Mendelsohn among those offering his 420 take on menu items like plant
burgers as well as a bucket of sin called “potatoes fried in kief oil.” Even Mrs.
Nelson got into the kitchen game demonstrating how she makes coffee for the brood.
And then there’s Willie, our host with the most quips, zingers and hearing-
challenged one-liners — what a hoot to listen in on. Conversations veered between
playful and serious, bad jokes were aplenty and Willie’s manner unpredictable at
each turn. If ever one of us civilians were lucky enough to receive the coveted
invitation to come onto Willie’s tour bus, this is what it might be like. And with
“Come and Toke It,” it felt like we were virtually there. So thank you, Willie
Nelson, for the chance to exhale this 4/20. But listen to Kacey when it comes to
inhaling. Shirley Halperin is a former editor at High Times Magazine and has
written two books on marijuana: 2008’s “Pot Culture: The A-Z Guide to Stoner
Language and Life” and 2010’s “Reefer Movie Madness: The Ultimate Stoner Film
Guide.”

Willie Nelson to take part in ‘Come and Toke It’ variety show on 4/20

Willie Nelson is doing what he does best on 4/20 by taking part in the “Come and
Toke It” variety show Monday. The show, which will be livestreamed, will celebrate
cannabis in an entertaining and educational environment, according to the Luck
Reunion website. WATCH: Willie Nelson cries on stage during Houston Rodeo
performance The show will start at 4:20 p.m. and last for 4 hours and 20 minutes.
Artists, chefs, comedians, educators and more will be part of the special. Along
with the show, Willie Nelson has started the “Come and Toke It Pass Left
Challenge.” The challenge encourages others to create videos passing “whatever
toking material of your choice” to the left. One lucky participant will be selected
to talk to Willie himself, live during the show. Back in November, Nelson told
KSAT’s Paul Venema that he was no longer smoking marijuana due to breathing issues,
but hasn’t stopped using cannabis. Copyright 2020 by KSAT - All rights reserved.

Willie Nelson’s ‘Come and Toke It’ aimed to provide ‘cannabis-centric’

entertainment

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- New cases of COVID-19 are significantly higher this week in
Central Texas, spiking at a time when the state will allow stay-at-home orders to
expire on Thursday. Starting Friday, many businesses will be allowed to reopen with
restrictions, including malls, retail stores, dine-in restaurants and movie
theaters. Since Sunday, the 15-county area surrounding the greater Austin area has
averaged 82.8 new COVID-19 cases every day. That's 18 more cases per day than the
second highest week, which was from April 12-18.