Nelson brothers to bring 'Christmas with the Nelsons' to Greenville

Nov. 22—Matthew and Gunnar Nelson, twin brothers, multi-platinum singer-songwriters and founders of the rock band Nelson, will be heading out to the Bluegrass state to put on "Christmas with the Nelsons" at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, at the Felix E. Martin Jr. Hall, 501 Robert Draper Way in Greenville.

"(One) of the things we pride on is being able to bring (this) type of talent and (this) type of name to our area ...," said Sean Mooningham, executive director of the Felix E. Martin Jr. Hall.

The brothers also have a history with the venue.

Gunnar Nelson said they've performed there before with the "Ricky Nelson Remembered" show in tribute to their late father and musician Ricky Nelson, and are excited to return to the stage.

"I loved it. I loved the people and I loved the hall," he said. "We're really looking forward to this."

The event will tell the story of the three family Christmases in the lives of "America's First Family of Entertainment" and the legacy of the Nelsons — who have roots in the business dating back to husband and wife duo Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, who became known for the radio and television program "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet."

"It is a specific Christmas show that is punctuated by great video, and nothing but Christmas classics done kind of like in a Crosby, Stills & Nash-style," Gunnar Nelson said.

Gunnar Nelson said the show will tell the story of three Nelson family Christmases beginning with their grandfather Ozzie Nelson's era in the 20s and 30s, with the second chapter revolving around Gunnar and Matthew Nelson growing up with their father Rick Nelson back in the 70s, before diving into the present day of spending the holiday with their own families.

"We open up the front doors to the family houses and let people in and get a look," Gunnar Nelson said.

The brothers recently put out a new record, "A Nelson Family Christmas," on Nov. 11 via Universal Music Enterprises, which includes their hit original Christmas single "This Christmas."

"It's the first time that all three generations of Nelson family No. 1 hitmakers are singing on the same album at the same time," Gunnar Nelson said. "It's actually pretty cool to have a piece of music kind of captured in a moment in time that I can hand to my kids and go, 'Hey, this is your family.' It's really nice."

The holiday season, especially Christmas, has always been a special time for the family.

"The family was clearly very driven, and everybody was out and doing their own thing and trying to achieve at the highest level. But Christmas time was very sacred," Gunnar Nelson said. "That was when the agency never booked any of the Nelsons. We were going to spend it all together, and we looked forward to recounting what happened the previous year and catching up with each other and really connecting.

"It's a great dovetailing to what my grandma Harriet has always said: 'The Nelson family has never been in the entertainment business; we've been in the connection business.' I just can't think of a time that's better for connecting and reconnecting than Christmastime."

With the show, Gunnar Nelson hopes it will also serve as an escape from the reality of the past two years and help people see what's most valuable.

"You can show up, and for two hours nothing else matters," he said. "You're brought back to center to what is really most important in life — which is the people that you love and your faith."

Felix E. Martin Jr. Hall celebrating milestone

Mooningham, who has been executive director for the venue for five years, is also excited to be part of its 10-year anniversary season, which was delayed due to COVID.

"It's exciting," he said. "It's a feather in the cap of our community ... to have the ability to bring these national touring acts (and) it's been definitely a blessing for Muhlenberg County and for our school systems and our students."

Mooningham also extends gratitude to those that have helped the venue to be able to bring quality entertainment at an affordable price.

"We have a great relationship with sponsors in the community, and they have really been so supportive for the last decade that they've allowed us to keep our ticket prices low, and make sure that we make the arts accessible to everybody," he said.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Mooningham said they kept busy such as starting up a YouTube series titled "Six Feet Apart" with technical director T.J. Teague, where they brought people in from the community to discuss different topics and happenings while maintaining a safe distance.

They also worked closely with the school system by streaming, filming and recording different initiatives, while making improvements such as upgrading the lighting and projection systems.

The support from others kept them motivated.

"Exceptional support from the school system and administration and the Felix E. Martin Jr. Foundation, as well as an incredible group of volunteers kept things going during that most trying of times," Mooningham said.

The season kicked off in August with magician and illusionist Mike Super and a performance of The Badgett Playhouse's "Smoke on the Mountain" in October.

The season will continue after "Christmas with the Nelsons" with the interactive family show "Dragons and Mythical Beasts" on Tuesday, Jan. 31, and will conclude with the Virginia-based indie-alternative folk band The Hunts on Friday, March 17.

"We want to be something our community is proud of," Mooningham said. "We want it to be a place ... when they buy their tickets, they're going to have a great time. It doesn't really matter what the show is coming in; they know it's going to be enjoyable, it's going to be entertaining, it's going to be far beyond the value of the ticket price and it's something that they can share with their family and friends and really make for a great evening out without having to go very far."

Tickets for "Christmas with the Nelsons" and the upcoming shows at the Felix E. Martin Jr. Hall are available at ci.ovationtix.com/35611.

For more information, visit felixmartinhall.org.