“It’s my honor to be here tonight, to be able to work with so many of you,” he said just before the fireworks, “to be with legends like Ray [Benson] and Willie, who ensure that in times of disappointment and darkness that we meet that with power and joy and rock-and-roll music.” 
 
 Soon after, O’Rourke, whose punk-rock roots would later be rehashed by the Cruz campaign, shed his button-down for a black T-shirt and guitar and joined Nelson and the rest of his band on stage for spirited renditions of “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die” and “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” to close out the show. But for some of Nelson’s fans, his partnership with O’Rourke was the breaking point.  After bringing Beto O’Rourke onstage during his Fourth of July Picnic this summer, Willie Nelson is doubling down on his support of the U.S. Senate candidate, headlining a rally and concert set for Sept. 29 at Auditorium Shores. “Goodbye Willie,” David R. Williams posted on Facebook. A press release from Nelson’s publicist describes the event as “the first public concert Nelson has held for a political candidate.” 
 
 “My wife Annie and I have met and spoken with Beto and we share his concern for the direction things are headed,” Nelson said in the press release. “Beto embodies what is special about Texas, an energy and an integrity that is completely genuine.” 
 
 The outrage comes as O’Rourke and Cruz are entangled in a tight Senate race, described by the incumbent as a “dogfight,” that has gained national spotlight in recent months.
– A free Willie Nelson concert in the heart of the Lone Star State seems like something that would attract fans of all political stripes, but there's a good chance the Sept. 29 event will feature a largely left-leaning crowd. That's because the country crooner is headlining a "Turn Out for Texas" rally in Austin for Beto O'Rourke, the Democratic challenger to GOP Sen. Ted Cruz, and many of Nelson's fans aren't happy about it, KTRK reports. Per Austin360, it's "the first public concert Nelson has held for a political candidate," the singer's publicist says in a release, though Rolling Stone notes he's put on private concerts for politicians in the past. "My wife Annie and I have met and spoken with Beto and we share his concern for the direction things are headed," Nelson says in the release. "Beto embodies what is special about Texas, an energy and an integrity that is completely genuine." The site notes Nelson even brought O'Rourke out on stage during his Fourth of July concert. None of this pleases Nelson's more conservative fans, who see his ties to O'Rourke as a "breaking point," per the Washington Post. "I am certain you've lost your mind," one commenter wrote on Nelson's Facebook page, while another noted: "Willie's position is proof positive that marijuana use over time kills brain cells." Still others are dumping already purchased tickets to future Nelson shows. Many, however, applauded Nelson's decision. "So glad you are involved in this good cause. I have always been a fan, and am now a bigger fan," noted one well-liked post. The Post notes Nelson has long been politically active, throwing his support behind Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders, and advocating for pot legalization, gay marriage, and the environment.