SANTA CRUZ — Music has been a big part of Micah Nelson’s life since he was born. It should come as no surprise, seeing as how he is the son of country music legend Willie Nelson and was playing harmonica in his dad’s concerts when he was as young as 3.
However, it wasn’t until his late teens that he decided to be in the musical forefront rather than playing rhythm while also parlaying his love of visual art.
“I’m playing in five different bands trying to do all of the stuff, and I love making visual art and animating,” he said. “(I thought) ‘OK, How do I simplify this because I have so much energy and time.’ I realized that songs can be the vehicle for all of the things that I like to do.”
Having now released five albums under the moniker Particle Kid, Nelson plays everything from folk music to ’60s psychedelia to electric jazz to distorted ’90s-inspired alternative rock. All of that will be present when he performs at Moe’s Alley Wednesday as part of a West Coast tour.
One thing that had a major impact on Nelson’s musical direction was seeing Roger Waters in concert. Waters’ shows are known for being visual spectacles, complete with LED projections and video footage playing in the background, but it was seeing Waters perform a solo acoustic version of Pink Floyd’s “Mother” that stuck with Nelson.
“He could have done the whole show with just a guitar, and it still would have been great,” he said. “That’s why this show is epic. It’s not because of the set pieces, and the visuals are amazing, but if not for the timeless songs to carry it, you’d forget about it a month later. It wouldn’t stay with you.”
Nelson is a big fan of songs that can connect no matter the production or presentation, such as those performed by musicians like his father, Neil Young and even experimental rock band The Flaming Lips, whom Nelson had toured with.
“I love their sonic aesthetic, but underneath it all are just great songs that you can play around a campfire with nothing but a guitar,” he said. “That was something that was kind of a revelation. If I can write good songs that can exist in any setting and still be engaging, whether they’re totally naked or whether I layer all kinds of experimental production on it, those can be a vehicle for all the visual art I like to do.”
Moreover, Nelson said he wanted to “make music that sounds like the way my art looks.” He released his self-titled album under the Particle Kid name in 2017. The name actually came from his father. One day in his teens, Nelson came home from school and went into his room to play “Mario Kart.” In walked Willie, who Nelson believes may have been stoned at the time, who exclaimed “Welcome home, Particle Kid!” before walking out.
“I thought it was the weirdest, funniest thing ever,” said Nelson.
Years later, after Nelson had begun recording as Particle Kid, Willie asked how he got the name. After reminding him of that moment, Willie said he remembered it and clarified that he meant to say “Welcome home, Prodigal Son!”
“It was kind of a stoned accident but a happy accident,” said Nelson. “Kind of like me!”
Hailed by Rolling Stone as a “trippy troubadour,” Particle Kid’s songs range from stripped-back acoustic numbers to more layered experimental tracks while still singing about universal topics such as the proliferation of technology, gun violence and the need for solitude.
The latest Particle Kid album, 2022’s “Time Capsule,” is a sprawling 27-song epic that takes listeners on a journey through different genres with a little help from some of Nelson’s friends. The album features guest appearances from artists such as Sean Lennon, J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., alt-country couple Margo Price and Jeremy Ivey, My Morning Jacket singer Jim James and even Willie Nelson for a few songs.
The collaborators are all friends of Micah Nelson and people he respects musically, so when working on the album, he would think about who would fit for particular songs. He had toured with the Claypool Lennon Delirium, a collaboration between Lennon and Primus frontman Les Claypool, when both opened for the Flaming Lips, and when Nelson wrote a song called “Velocirapture” about a velociraptor who embarks on a psychedelic apocalyptic journey, he knew who to call.
“I thought Sean would know what to do on this,” he said.
In the case of “Love is Worth,” that came about as Nelson had come up with a melody and chord progression and sent it to Ivey who wrote lyrics and brought Price along to contribute vocals for a duet.
“I liked the idea of having as many people on there as I possibly could fit,” said Nelson.
Additionally, the album was made during the COVID-19 shutdowns, so Nelson would send the tracks to his collaborators and ask them to do whatever they wanted, and they would record their contributions and send them back for Nelson to mix them in.
“It was a way to do something with your friends from afar and stay connected,” he said.
Nelson is continuing to write and record Particle Kid material, including a collaboration album called “The Ocean Floor” with producer Daniel Lanois — who has produced classic albums for Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel and U2 — which he said is nearing completion.
“We’re very excited about sharing it,” he said. “Not sure when or how we will do it, but we’re working on that part. I think it’s gonna be a special kind of release.”
Once the Particle Kid tour concludes, Nelson will embark on another tour, this time as a member of Neil Young and Crazy Horse. Nelson had previously worked with Young as his brother Lukas Nelson’s band Promise of the Real had backed Young on two of his studio albums, 2015’s “The Monsanto Years” and 2017’s “The Visitor.” This time, Nelson will be joining the band that has performed with Young on many of his albums, starting with the 1969 classic “Everybody Knows This is Nowhere.”
Nelson has played several shows with Crazy Horse already, including a few shows to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Roxy Theatre in Hollywood. Unfortunately for Nelson, the shows came at a time when he was recovering from a vestibular neuritis-induced vertigo, so he had to walk with a cane and sit on a stool for most of the show.
“I was the most old and decrepit-looking person on stage next to a bunch of 80-year-olds,” he said.
Nonetheless, Nelson said performing with Crazy Horse has been a lot of fun, and he loves the band’s dynamic.
“I push Neil, and he gets all fired up and he drives the band, and they drive me and it rolls around,” he said. “There’s a lot of energy there.”
Additionally, Nelson has published his art through the Moonlight Arts Collective and created concert posters with his original artwork for every show on the tour.
“I made 25 prints each, and some of them will be signed by everyone in the band,” he said. “We’ll have those available at the concert.”
As for what else people can expect at the Moe’s Alley show, Nelson said that is up for concertgoers to find out.
“Anything could happen, but it won’t be boring,” he said.
The concert begins at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way. Doors open at 7. Opening will be Portland progressive psychedelic rock band Spoon Benders and Oakland psych-rock band King Dream. Tickets are $18 in advance and $23 the day of the show. This is a 21-and-older concert. For more information, go to MoesAlley.com.
Particle Kid also plays Thursday, March 28, at the Guild Theatre in Menlo Park. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8. Opening will be the Stevenson Ranch Davidians. Tickets start at $33.
