Rep. Beto O'Rourke spent July 4th onstage with Willie Nelson

Rep. Beto ORourke jams with Willie Nelson — (Image credit: Screenshot/Twitter/Beto ORourke)

Not every aspiring senator gets an invitation to join Willie Nelson onstage at his legendary annual Fourth of July picnic — or anytime, really — but Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas) sat in with Nelson on Wednesday night for a song about marijuana and a medley of spirituals, including "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" and "I'll Fly Away." He posted a bit of the performance on Twitter Thursday night, like jamming with Willie is no big deal.

O'Rourke, 45, is challenging Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in November. Before entering politics, O'Rourke played bass in the punk band Foss. Cruz played basketball, and he's still good enough to eke out a win over a late-night comedian. So at least O'Rourke and Cruz have that in common — playing with celebrities. You can watch more of Beto's performance with Willie at O'Rourke's Facebook page.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.