Willie Nelson Fall Tour Rides the Rails

Willie Nelson will be saddling up a different kind of horse -- an iron one -- when he kicks off the Railroad Revival Tour this Fall with posse mates Jamey Johnson, Band of Horses, and actor John C. Reilly. The tour seems tailor-made for a gypsy cowboy like Willie, since the artists travel by way of 1940's railway cars and perform out in the open sky in pop-up venues beside the railroad tracks at eight stops around the country. The tour kicks off October 20 at the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth, Ga., and fans in Memphis, Tenn., Oklahoma City, Okla., Tempe, Ariz., San Pedro, Calif., and several other cities can get in touch with their inner hobos during the eight-day revival tour. Those wanting a preview of this year's tour can check out the "Big Easy Express," a documentary filmed during last year's concerts featuring Mumford & Sons that was just released on iTunes and on DVD.

Before he jumps the train and rides the rails for a week, Willie will be performing his annual Farm Aid concert benefiting America's family farmers on September 22. This year's show will be held at Hershey Park Stadium in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and will feature sets by John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews, Jack Johnson, and several others.

And fans who can't make either show but would like to travel in Willie-style will be happy to know they could purchase Willie's longtime tourbus, the legendary "Honeysuckle Rose" this coming Labor Day weekend. Foxnews.com reports that the bus, which carried Willie up and down America's roads from 1986-1999, will hit the auction block at the Auctions America event in Auburn, Ind. Labor Day weekend. The 40 ft. RV features sleeping accommodations for six, a standup shower, audio/visual equipment from the era, and is adorned with western-themed murals. When it was renovated a few years ago, apparently a box of marijuana was also found hidden in a light fixture aboard the bus, but we doubt that's included in the sale.