Hometown Virginia boy Dave Matthews stole the show Sunday (Sept. 12) at the 12th Annual Farm Aid, a 10-hour benefit concert designed to raise money and awareness for the plight of the family farmer.

Matthews band's melange of bluegrass, world music, and rock proved just the right combination for the capacity crowd at the Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, Va., who were treated to an eclectic mix of artists that stretched the parameters of what people typically think of when they hear the phrase "country music."

Despite competition from Susan Tedeschi's smoldering Patsy Cline blues/country incantation, and crowd-pleasing sets by the Barenaked Ladies, Sawyer Brown (including a raucous cover of BTO's "Takin' Care of Business"), and festival co-organizer John Mellencamp, what really set Matthews apart was his bravery. In choosing songs that weren't always lighthearted and hum-able in favor of some that were serious and stark, Matthews found resonance in the rock-and-a hard-place situation small farmers find themselves in in the face of steamrolling by big corporations. For some of the more traditional folks in the audience who weren't necessarily familiar with the Matthews mystique going into the show, the expert musicianship of his band seemed to woo many converts.

After polishing off the set with their sing-a-long hit, "Ants Marching," Dave Matthews Band were joined by Farm Aid co-founder and rock heavyweight Neil Young, who snuck onstage in his trademark jeans and flannel shirt (and a button that said "Stop Factory Farms"), and brought the house down with a show-stopping rendition of Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower," replete with dueling acoustic guitars.

As evening descended on the Virginia plains and the temperatures grew cooler, the audience was treated to a relaxed set by the grand-daddy of country music, Willie Nelson, who proved he is still quite the dexterous guitar-player, even at age 66. An all-star jamboree of "Amazing Grace" brought the event to a successful and harmonious crescendo, and the 25,000 attendees of the first Farm Aid held outside the midwest departed for home with their feet dancing, their hearts committed and their spirits uplifted.