Willie Nelson [ tickets ] and his wife, Annie, in association with Montessori School of Maui, brought together an eclectic group of artists Saturday (11/24) for the 7th Annual Maui Music Festival. The concert at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center's Castle Theater--reminiscent of the early days of Neil Young's yearly Bridge School Benefit concert in California--lived up to its promise of being a home grown family affair that kept the focus on the cause: the school's tuition assistance program.

Among the acts joining Nelson this year were his sons' band 40 Points, Pat Simmons of the Doobie Brothers, Maui's reggae ambassador Marty Dread and a teenage Joan Baez/Bob Dylan-esque acoustic duo, Pat Simmons Jr. and Sebrina Barron.

Simmons and Barron opened the show with a cover of "Me and Bobby McGee," that was very well received. Sixteen-year-old Barron's bluesy voice was one of the evening's highlights, bringing to mind Janis Joplin--minus the drugs and cigarettes.

Shifting gears, "Big Pat" Simmons--joined by 40 Points, Dread and Donny Smith--got into the groove with a soulful hybrid of blues, rock, reggae and Latin sounds. The set culminated with Dread conducting a three part sing-along during the uplifting "Pray For Them," dedicated to the men and women fighting for their country in foreign lands.

After a quick costume change, 40 Points' drummer Micah Nelson and percussionist Tato Melgar returned to the stage with La Migra, a Maui-based Argentinean rock band with a heavy metal feel. The band, singing primarily in Spanish, sported the look of US government immigration officials while adding some edgy spice to the evening.

Switching to a groove of another color, acoustic string quartet Gypsy Pacific treated the audience to a set of gypsy jazz, a sound that might not be familiar to a lot of people. However, the high quality of musicians in Gypsy Pacific made up for the lack of familiarity as the band brought to life songs dating from the '30s forward.

As Gypsy Pacific neared the end of its set, the crowd began to hoot and holler as Willie Nelson walked on stage, dressed in black from his cowboy hat to his toes--legendary braids hanging well past his waist.

Willie thanked everyone for supporting the school before telling the story of one of his newest songs, "Peaceful Solution." The song was written after his sister told him she dreamt he was on stage singing a song called "Peaceful Solution." Nelson said he couldn't sleep that night until the song was written. As a side note, Nelson has posted the song on the Internet and encourages others to record it without having to pay any royalties. All versions submitted--audio and video--are posted at willienelsonpri.com.

40 Points then came back to the stage with a sound they say is influenced by Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pink Floyd, The Allman Brothers, Los Lonely Boys, Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead, The Beatles and Santana. It's not too often a unique style of music comes along, but this psychedelic, jazzy, jammin' band with a twang certainly has something new--kind of like Willie Nelson as a teenager on acid in the year 3000. It certainly was the best set of the night for contemporary music fans.

The band shared some originals and a cover of John Lennon's "Jealous Guy" before bringing Simmons Sr. back out, who kicked off his set with the Doobie Brothers' hit "Black Water," followed by "Listen to the Music" and "Long Train Running." Simmons wailed on guitar, but his voice seemed a bit strained; yes, it seems they do get head colds in Hawaii in the winter. It didn't bother the crowd one bit, however. Even the most cynical of audience members was singing along like it was the band's 1982 "farewell show" at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, CA. The enthusiasm and love for Simmons' music was obvious as everyone from seven to 70 stood on their feet in ovation after each song.

There was a brief pause in the action before Simmons broke into an improv song, "We're waiting on Willie." When Nelson came back on stage, the affection from the crowd kept flowing as the first notes of "Whiskey River" were played.

Nelson is the kind of entertainer who can reach out to anyone despite their individual tastes in music. Whether it's the upbeat rocking sound of "Still Is Still Moving to Me," or the classic country blues of standards like "Crazy" and "You Were Always on My Mind," it's easy to understand why so many love the country icon.

When Nelson broke into "On the Road Again," it seemed like the show was going to end after a brief set. But to the contrary, more tunes came along, including several new songs and a version of "Will The Circle Be Unbroken," featuring a talented practitioner of the stumpf fiddle, a folk instrument made of a bouncing stick, noisemakers and wood blocks.

At the age of 74, the prolific Nelson has never stopped moving audiences with his sound and message. Saturday night in Maui was no exception. From "Milk Cow Blues" to "Superman" to "What Ever Happened to Peace on Earth," Nelson was captivating.

At the end of the evening, Willie and friends left the crowd filled with positive vibes as the school's coffers were filled with the much-needed financial contributions to the tuition assistance program.