Remember last year when Mumford & Sons and Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros rode on a train from Oakland to New Orleans and played a bunch of shows along the way?

Well the train is still rolling, and this time Willie Nelson and Band of Horses will be on board. The tour stops in Oakland on October 28, 2012.

It’s all part of the Railroad Revival Tour, and as the name suggests it’s as much about nostalgia for the role trains played in the creation of America as it is about providing a unique live music experience:

Railroads have played a very important role in the development of the United States of America, from the industrial revolution in the Northeast to the colonization of the West. Since their first appearance on the American landscape, railroads – and all the imagery they conjure up – have featured prominently in works of popular art. Many a pulp novel, matinee movie, and Broadway melodrama has used the aura of the railroad to tell its tale. But it was through music that railroads really made their mark.

According to tour organizers, the Railroad Revival Tour “glorifies the historical romance between music and trains” by sending bands out on 16 vintage train cars from the 1940s. At each stop, they set up open air concert venues around the train tracks. The Oakland stop will be in Middle Harbor Shoreline Park.

Of course, you don’t need to be a train lover to go – it’s always worth it to catch Willie Nelson playing a set. Here’s a video of Willie covering Pearl Jam’s “Breathe” along with his son, who plays guitar and sings and sounds an incredible amount like his dad.

The Railroad Revival Tour featuring Willie Nelson, Band of Horses, Jamey Johnson, John Reilly & Friends
Middle Harbor Shoreline Park
October 28, 2012
$55-$245