Neil Young News: Wallingford, CT Concert Reviews

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Friday, December 07, 2007

Wallingford, CT Concert Reviews - 12/7/07

Los Angeles, Nokia - 10/30/07 - Photo by KELLY A. SWIFT

Eric R. Danton | Sound Check: Review: Neil Young in Wallingford:

"He started the electric set with a string of older tunes, including “Don’t Cry No Tears” and a rollicking version of the country-rock title track from his classic 1969 album “Everybody Knows This is Nowhere,” before turning to songs from his latest, “Chrome Dreams II.” He played a thick, swampy riff on the blustery “Dirty Old Man,” reveling in droll lyrics describing a irascible old sot, and pushed through crumbly distortion on “Spirit Road.”"

Neil Young will be performing tonight at Chevrolet Theater, Wallingford, Connecticut.

Got a report? Drop a comment below.

Check Sugar Mountain for setlist updates.

Also, see Neil Young 2007 Tour and Concert Reviews and the right, middle sidebar for updates.

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24 Comments:

At 12/08/2007 01:15:00 AM, Anonymous said...: Excellent show. Perfect voice,percise guitar playing, full retrospective of still talented artist.Peggy was great too.
Wish Neil's songs lasted a minute or two longer, I would like the spell to last.
At 12/08/2007 01:43:00 AM, The LOner said...: Thank you Neil et al for a great show. Electric set standouts for me were Spirit Road and No Hidden Path (rock on) - my 17 year old son wsa disappointed you didn't play "rocking in the free world" - he has yet to experience "lost love" so found it tough to relate to "Oh Lonesome Me" unlike us old uns!!!! The acoustic set was incredible - you are so right - "A Man Needs a Maid". When will I see you again? Peace and Love, The Loner
At 12/08/2007 08:46:00 AM, Anonymous said...: C'mon CT tell us more! We are waiting to hear every detail.
At 12/08/2007 09:34:00 AM, The Loner said...: Hey Anon, remember this show was in CT - everyone knows this is nowhere - Neil actually said during the show (I am paraphrasing) - "Where are we? Comin' here I saw Farms and fields, farms and fields, then houses, more houses, new houses, more all the same houses, then, a theater!!!!, where are we?"

Goldrush, 4 songs from Harvest, a kller "Ambulance Blues" were in an acoustic set that was all one hopes for. The electric set kicked off with Don't Cry No Tears - I think a first for this tour - the "new" stuff off CDII was dynamite - so superior live to the album - No hidden path, Spirit Road and Dirty Old Man (on a Friday night - although with them not allowing drinks inside the theater -no chance to get hammered!!! Good job really I had an hour and a half drive home)

All in all, not a brick in the wall - Neil, long may you run
At 12/08/2007 10:28:00 AM, cobra said...: Fans arrived in a light covering covering of snow and ice but that did not deter the faithful as the sold out show had only a few vacant seats. I was at the 11/16 show and thought the acoustics at the DAR hall were perfect. The sound in Wallingford was almost as good for the acoustic set after Neil had the sound tech bring up his vocals up a bit.Neil was in great vocal form and exhibited a lot of energy as he started with From Hank to Hendrix and worked his way through the standard first five songs in order. The crowd was much more energetic and engaged than the DC show and I could see that he began to feed on the energy of the crowd. He finshied the set with Old Man followed by a very energetic version of Heart of Gold ,using this pairing for the first time on the tour. This was a perfect transition to the next set and the evergy and aticipation in the crowd was palapable. He opened the electric set with Don't Cry no Tears, adding this song for the first time. His experimetation with the play list at the different venues shows a lot of respect respect for his fans and keeps you in anticipation. The electric set was outstanding as always and the band was in excellent form. A great vibe from the crowd as he worked his way through the list. I though he showed a lot of raw energy on Dirty Old Man and really got the crowdd rocking. He ended the set with No Hidden Path and the guitar work and improvisation was unbelieveable. Just awsome. The encor was Cinnamon girl folled by a blistering Cortez the Killer and the crowd wa no it's feet for both songs and secutiry did not stop the folks who cane down to the front to get a little closer for the finale. at the end of Cortez, Neil, Ben, Rick, Ralph,Pegi and Anthoney took a long series of bows as the fans provided a just tribute to an awesome performance.They stayed onstage for a long time soaking in the great vibe and no one ran for the exits where I was sitting (in the 10th row center)becaue you just wanted to keep the magic a litle longer. I have only one minor complaint and that was the sound tech did not have the vocals right for the encore. At times you could barely hear Neil and the over all sound was some what muddy copared to the rest of the show. Maybe it was because I was too close but I don't think so. When the bootleg tapes come out for this show you can be the judge.
At 12/08/2007 10:33:00 AM, Donnad48 said...: A normal two hour drive turned into a four and a half hour drive.Freezing rain wreaked havoc on the roads! We were determined to arrive no matter what.We missed Peggy's performance[damm].
We arrived at nine and missed the first two songs.Neils's acoustic set was phenomenal.Old Man and Heart of Gold were awesome!
The electric set was incredible!Spirit Road,Dirty Old Man,Everybody Knows this is Nowhere,awesome!New songs are better Live.We will not be late for the Palace Theater on Dec 13th,you can count on that!
Neil,Ben,Rick and Ralph were in a groove on No Hidden Path!This one should be added to the list of classic performances!Only regret,No Ordinary People!

Thank You Neil!
Be the Rain!
At 12/08/2007 11:12:00 AM, shitty horse said...: The great thing about Neil playing Oakdale is that it's right in my home town. I had yesterday off from work and took the time to drive in to the parking lot at around 9:00-The tour buses were there! I sat there drinking my coffee waiting hoping to catch Neil- or at least Ralph or Ben-But no such luck! So I took a picture of the sign out front
NEIL YOUNG
SOLD OUT
TONIGHT
as I pulled out. I counted down the hours to show #13 for me. I spent too much time drinking beers and smoking some rope in the car before the show that we missed Peggy's set and From Hank to Hendrix but walked in to Neil starting "Ambulance Blues" which Im so glad I didnt miss!. "No one seems to know" was just fucking awesome as well as a 'man needs a maid' I was kinda hoping for 'Campainer' or "Cowgirl" tonight but the "Old Man' and "Heart of Gold" combo was a knock-out. During Intermission I stunk the out-side up riping a joint as I walked around. People were looking and smelling but no one knew where it was coming from. "Don't cry no Tears" was a really good surprise no quite as edgy as past times I've heard it from the Horse but still a great number. My buddy whom I was sitting with got and called me ten minutes later. "yo Im in the front row you have to come down here. There are no guards !" I got down to the front and it was unbelieveable to hear Cinn.Girl and Cortez up front with Neil RIGHT THERE! After the song I saw Neil gesture Peggy and the band down to take the bow -signalling the end of the show! It was a great night and I got some great footage on my phone. ROCK ON NEIL- YOU RULE YOU OLD FUCKER!
At 12/08/2007 11:40:00 AM, Lydia Theys said...: Great concert. The acoustic set was just unbelievable. It was a privilege to be able to hear those wonderful songs in person in such an intimate setting--one man and a guitar. (I was in row N just off the center).

The sound, on the whole, was fine. For the encore, however, especially COrtez, it was pretty awful. I thought I saw Neil reach over and pull a wire from his standing vocal mike during the fabulous guitar section of No Hidden Path. Perhaps that affected his later vocals.

All in all, a fabulous evening of exciting and emotional music by one of the masters.
At 12/08/2007 11:41:00 AM, Lydia Theys said...: PS The date in the headline should be 12/7/07 instead of 11/7/07.:)d
At 12/08/2007 11:53:00 AM, Thrasher said...: Thanks Lydia. Corrected date.
At 12/08/2007 12:54:00 PM, jake said...: It was an awesome show and a wonderful evening. Ambulance Blues was amazing and when he started the electric set with Don't Cry No Tears I was floored.
The crowd was respectful and quiet, for the most part, which was nice; there was a strange man painting pictures in the background which was amusing;
And I had a basket of chicken fingers and french fries before they show started and they were great.
At 12/08/2007 01:56:00 PM, Smithell said...: I'm Joe Billington's brother-in-law and he relayed this account to me by phone on 12/08/2007. "Sara M. Billington, age 3, of Moosup, CT saw her 2nd live Neil Young concert on 12/07/2007 at the Chevrolet Theater in Wallingford, CT and she loved every minute of the show. She stayed awake for all of the show except for Neil's last set when he played electric guitar. Sara also got to meet Neil, his wife, and their family dog in Neil's dressing room before the show. She was accompanied by her parents - Joe and Denise Billington, also of Moosup, CT. Sara is Neil's youngest fan and has listened to his music and watched his music videos daily since she was 2 years old. It was a day and night she will never forget. She was thrilled to finally meet Neil in person!"
At 12/08/2007 02:33:00 PM, Anonymous said...: ...Too bad about the ice storm, we too only got in during Ambulance Blues. The venue was mostly quiet and respectful during the acoustic set. Neil looked really into it, especially during the numbers where he sat at he Piano. Was suprised to see everyone sitting during the rocking electric set, but so be it. Neil didn't care, he just raved on. Really nice stage set, including the weird paintings. Sound at Oakdale was pretty good, not too loud, you could hear all the details (and Ben's little fills and stuff). Having seen the setlists in advance, it was still thrilling hearing the songs in person. Neil doing a really great job on this tour... Go see it if you can.
At 12/08/2007 03:18:00 PM, Anonymous said...: No one has mentioned Neils harmonica playing which was as touching as his guitar method.
Great night!
At 12/08/2007 04:25:00 PM, art said...: Well worth the snow and the traffic sliding up RT 68 and the Italian restaurant blown out by seemingly unexpected crush of concert goers. And NOBODY wanted to pay face value for my extra pair (until we met Margie & Bob, it was Bob's birthday).
We got to our seats during Pegi's set and she was a perfect warm-up act.
The mantra for the evening was "ocean, sky, sea of blue, let the sand wash over you."
But I don't understand why some folks were laughing at A Man Needs a Maid? Maybe it's an ironic or sarcastic song, but it speaks mostly of loneliness. Odd.
I was luck to have aisle sets, left center and could stand for the whole electric set. I was happy, but I did notice some folks split early.
At 12/08/2007 06:01:00 PM, Anonymous said...: Smithell, what a great story. Neil's music will never die.
At 12/08/2007 08:49:00 PM, Anonymous said...: Ok, this is the show as I saw it, 7th row center from stage:

Also saw the Boston Orpheum 12/6 show the night before, and sorry all, Mr. Young had more energy the night before than here in CT. I was overall disappointed with this show as compared to the Orpheum. Mr. Young missed one of the beginning stanzas of Ambulance Blues, and when he realized it, he paused slightly and rubbed his hand through his hair and just went with it…he later returned to the missing verse though, but in my mind, he blew the song. The acoustic set was sharp but I thought Mr. Young was annoyed at the crowd – he even made mention of the fact: “Try to be a little louder, I can’t hear myself think” or something along those lines…I don’t think many in the crowd got that he was being sarcastic, of course, because they whooped and hollered more. Frankly, I tend to think because of this we got no JTTP, Try, Kansas, The Sultan, etc., or maybe he just deemed CT not special enough for one of these old songs because we were “rural” as he profoundly pointed out. Instead we get Old Man and Heart of Gold.

Electric set did seem to pick up as the night progressed…opening with DCNT was terrific, surprising, and a breath of fresh air, though somewhat out of place amongst the other older material (Loner, ETTIN). Not a fan of Old Lonesome Me or his newer material, but No Hidden Path was comparable to the previous night’s take of it…maybe slightly better. It is true that his newer material is somewhat improved on stage than in the released versions on CDII. Cortez the Killer was a surprise encore choice (but this is Young, so a surprise is, maybe, actually expected) as I saw it the night before too, but this version was MUCH BETTER than the Orpheum’s. He did seem to hit an energy streak there in the song and in No Hidden Path, which brought back the memory of seeing him playing his Arc-like jam which ended Hippie Dream in 1997 at the Meadows…well, it was kind of close, at least. Sound was muddy and that was just fine with me.

The crowd was obnoxious and rude in CT. Very surprised. What is it with people whooping during a song? Or trying to talk to him when he speaks? Or singing ALOUD Old Man lyrics? –if I wanted to hear some yahoo sing it, why would I have spent over $120 for Young to do it? If others are sitting, why do some feel they have to stand? This crowd was just plain disrespectful, and this with no beverages being allowed into the theatre. Security was lax towards the end of the show. I dunno if it was the difficulty getting to the venue, or it being Friday night, but Boston gets the hands-down win for the better crowd - loud at times, true, but at least respectful to others. And taking movie clips with your cell phone when others can see your annoying, bright display screen competing for Young’s erratic figure on stage is just downright infuriating. Leave your cell phones at home folks.

Pegi’s set – unimpressed and a chore/bore to listen to. Unfortunately I arrived early to the Chevy Theatre so I had to see her perform again. The only fun part of it was watching Rosas and Keith wade through her material. I did score a Crawford pick he threw to us dogs. I’ll cherish that one.

I think that Mr. Young was grabbing at extra picks from the microphone stand during No Hidden Path? Or maybe not. He was distracted during that song for some reason. And, if I’m not mistaken, the “painting” that was being made by the dude in the red coat but which was left unfinished at the Orpheum 12/6 show was actually completed and became the No Hidden Path painting for Wallingford. Can someone else confirm or dispute that for me? I thought they looked similar at the very least.

And despite what others may imply or say, this surely is a tour for the upcoming installment of the Archives, not CDII. He played only 3 of the songs from CDII. It’s disappointing that he has little faith in his newer material not to play it on stage (and some of the album was older material to begin with...). He has surrounded himself with truly competent musicians up there during the electric set and he could’ve pulled off a spectacular Ordinary People or Shots. And I mean spectacular. Can someone please let Mr. Young know this before he leaves New York?
At 12/08/2007 09:00:00 PM, Majeure said...: It seems that many people were late getting to the CT. show. The parking lot was a fiddle-fuck, even though they had top-notch logistics experts in orange vests directing us to areas where we could not park the car. We parked around the perimeter of said parking lot, which was about 3 miles away from the theatre. We missed Peggy but were there in time to see all of Neil. I was wondering if they had another event going on there at the same time because The lobby was a mob scene cluster-fuck. Fighting my way through the beer drinking crowd, I entered the theatre, where there was finally some normalcy. We found our seats and then made our way back through the cluster-fuck to hit the mens room and then on to buying our $4.00 Coke-A-Cola. As far as the concert went.....well, what can you say? Neil was Neil and the guy has no idea what it's like to be anything but outstanding. Neil Young could perform "School House Rock" ( "Yes I'm a bill...yeah, I'm only a bill...and I'm sitting here on Capitol Hill") or ("Conjunction junction...whats your function") and be absolutely fantastic. As long as Neil keeps showing up, I will keep showing up.
Thanx Neil!!!
Maj
At 12/08/2007 10:17:00 PM, Anonymous said...: I won't bore you with needless comment on the parking situation. I will, however tell you if you attended the concert you know you witnessed vintage Neil.
I was fortunate enough to see him live in concert several times, this was truly the master at work on his art, playing guitar and piano.
If anyone reads this other than some die-hard Neil fans, go see him even if you have to beg borrow and steal.
Michael
At 12/09/2007 02:07:00 PM, csm said...: I've had some really bad luck with Neil Young- In September I went to Farm Aid at Randall's Island in New York solely just to see him but due to unexpected circumstances had to leave the concert early and never saw him. Damn. Anyway I live about an hour and a half away from Wallingford and had been to the Jethro Tull concert the week before (12/1/07) and got there in plenty of time, but on this night it was snowing so I left an hour earlier. However this trip still took about twice as long and so I got to the show around 9:15, in the middle of Old Man. You could see how touched the audience was, I wasn't allowed to get to my seat until the song was over. Every song was pure joy, Neil just opens up and the audience loves him. He made a dedication to a friend who he said "isnt dead but isn't looking so good", which is sad for me since most people in the audience were around his age, when he played "The Loner" the man whom i was sitting next to said to his wife "This was before we were dating!" anyway I'm 17 years old and I have a decent collection of his music but compared to his oldest fans feel like a complete novice and wish I was part of that generation. He was on SNL last night, but it was a rerun obviously and around the time of Prairie Wind's release because he played "The Dreamer" and "He was the King". Neil I love you!
At 12/09/2007 08:44:00 PM, Anonymous said...: I attended the show in Wallingford,CT on Friday 12/7/07. I've seen Neil numerous times in the past, and this was definitely a treat for the TRUE Neil fans! It was great to see him bust out with some classic tunes that I've personally never seen him do live before(Ambulance Blues,Mellow My Mind,Oh Lonesome Me,etc). And of course, the tour debut of Don't Cry No Tears was a nice surprise!
I was a bit disappointed that Neil forgot to sing the second part of the first verse of Cortez The Killer. The part that begins "And his subjects gathered round him"...and ends "they offered life and sacrifice,so others could go on". He COMPLETELY omitted that entire part! C'mon Neil! Don't believe it? Listen to the tape guys! But anyway, I doubt many, if anyone, noticed. He still ended strong with a classic Cortez guitar jam. Looking forward to NYC. Bob in CT
At 12/10/2007 10:20:00 AM, Anonymous said...: I just saw Neil in wallingford. I thought he was amazing as usual. The whole week before, I was obsessed with Cortez, listening to it over and over again, as if I had never heard it before. anyway... when I ever heard him go into that song as his last encore song, I just couldn't beleive my ears. I keep thinking it was some sort of cosmic thing. I also yelled it a few times and have to wonder if he heard me????????? Anyway... best concert in a long time. He is truly a master!
At 12/10/2007 11:36:00 AM, Keith Burris said...: Mr. Soul plays the Chevrolet

By Keith C. Burris

Neil Young at the Chevrolet Theater in Wallingford, Friday, Dec 7.

Jonathan Demme, who made a movie of Neil Young making music in Nashville, once called Young “a magic man.” I'm not sure exactly what he meant by that, but I think the general sentiment is shared by all of Young’s fans. It is the feeling that there is something singular about this musician.

At the Chevrolet Theater in Wallingford on Friday night, some people shouted out song requests, though they were asked not to do so. But many simply bellowed “Neil!” as if that said it all. Like “dude!” only hysterical. One young man screamed “Neil!” threw his arms up in the air and fell on the floor. Silly, snake-handling behavior, you say, and probably enabled by the fourth or fifth beer brought into the hall against policy (a policy laxly enforced). But to understand the power of Neil Young’s music you have to know that this kid’s reaction is just a couple turns on the dial past what Demme and other “adults” feel.

I met a man in the lobby in Wallingford, a man who appeared neither crazy nor rich, who heard three Young concerts that week and was on his way to hear Young and his band again in Philadelphia. Such is the devotion of the Neil Young fan. Admittedly, some of these fans really are wackos — people who think they can get into the great man's head and want to know what he had for lunch that day and where he buys his shoes. But most are sane people who cannot get enough of this guy because his music connects to the primal and the divine. The best way to describe Young’s gift might be the motto of the English priest and theologian John Henry Newman: “Heart speaks to heart.”

Neil Young’s music is like a nitroglycerin tablet. He doesn't waste time with chemical absorption or acclimation. His music goes straight to the core.

Young has a new album out called “Chrome Dreams II.” It is his third album since suffering an aneurysm three years ago. One album was a beautiful suite of country tunes about aging, memory, children and parents, and death. One was a righteous rage against the war in Iraq (metal protest music). “Chrome Dreams II” is a more classic Young album that mixes musical genres and runs from highly metallic to banjo blues. Its subjects are faith and love. One perceptive critic called it a gospel record in a folk-rock idiom.

Young is touring to support the new album. But he does only a few songs from it in these shows, which he has dubbed “an intimate acoustic/electric evening.” Young always wanted to do a tour of smaller halls in which the audience would be an extension of friends and family rather than a stadium crowd. This is that tour. Moreover, he thinks of his songs as paintings. He has said that he wanted, on this tour, to pick up the paintings stacked in the corner of the gallery and put a few of those on the wall.

His format is basically two back-to-back concerts, one folk and one rock. First he comes out alone, surrounded by a circle of guitars, and plays an acoustic set. He then takes a break and comes back with an amazing band — the great Ben Keith playing steel guitar, but also just about everything else; bassist Rick Rosas; drummer Ralph Molina from Crazy Horse; Anthony Crawford, who, like Keith, does everything; and Young's beautiful and grounded wife Peggy, who sings backup and plays the vibes and was the warm-up act — to blow the house down. Young played 23 songs Friday night, and one of the rockers, “No Hidden Path,” lasted 20 minutes. He played 'til he bled. Young leaves nothing on the bus or in the hotel room. He gives all he has.

No one in music does concerts like this. No one gives so much of himself, unprotected by veneer. Maybe Ralph Stanley. Maybe Kurt Cobain did. Maybe Janis Joplin did. Johnny Cash certainly did, in his late recordings. It is brave to do it live in a hall.

I am always happy to hear “Old Man,” “Cinnamon Girl,” and “Heart of Gold,” but for me the treat was seeing some of the pictures from the corner go up. I never thought I would hear “A Man Needs A Maid” in concert, or the great “Ambulance Blues.” And hearing songs I did not know, that no one knew, like “Love Art Blues,” “No One Seems to Know,” and “Sad Movies,” was a marvel. I was privileged (and that’s the right word) to hear Young in concert earlier in the week in Boston, and there he sang one of his simplest and most beautiful “obscurities” — “Love is a Rose.” Talk about Nirvana.

It seemed to me that, in Boston, Young was able to get the crowd quiet enough and himself centered enough to achieve all he wanted to achieve in the reflective first set, but that he could not quite find the groove he wanted with these songs in Wallingford. Maybe I am wrong, though in Boston his stage remarks were loose and warm, while in Wallingford they were edgy. The set was still stunning.

The electric set was just that — crackling. It was music set ablaze with long guitar solos and fearless explorations. “The Loner” was awfully good. So was “Don’t Cry No Tears,” perhaps done for the first time on this tour. And somehow he found a clearing for “Lonesome Me,” which he mines for hidden depths. The finale was “Cortez the Killer,” a masterpiece. And the crowd went ape. (In Boston the last song was the last word — “Like a Hurricane” — and many floated home in the chill wind on the warmth of that wave.)

Young’s current concert tour is one for the ages, and those who were there will tell their grandchildren about it, and put some kind of recording into some kind of machine and say “listen to this.” But nothing will sound as sweet as the memory.

Neil Young is a magic man. And a very, very hard-working musician. He is, to borrow one of his song titles, “Mr. Soul.” No one on earth has more soul than Neil Young. That’s what those fans hear, and what they are trying to say.

Keith C. Burris is editorial page editor of the Journal Inquirer.
At 12/19/2007 02:48:00 PM, Sean said...: Article is from http://www.livebandstouring.com

Band Name-Neil Young w/Pegi Young
Band Members- Neil Young guitar/harmonica/banjo/piano
Rick Rosas
Ben Keith
Ralph Molina
Anthony Crawford
Pegi Young

Band website-http://www.neilyoung.com

Date-Dec. 7th 2007
Venue-Chevrolet Theatre
City, State-Wallingford, CT
Time- 7:30

Contributing Writer-Sean Morse

I've been working for Live Nation at the Chevrolet Theatre for a couple years now. When you work in the theatre business
you have a wish list of bands you'd like to see come to your venue. Neil Young has been on my list for the past three years so I've long awaited
his arrival. It's concerts like this one that make working in the music business worth it.
Neil's wife Pegi Young was an opener for all the shows on this tour but she never really peaked my interests. Instead I bought a
couple of Rogue brand beers and tailgated for a bit while she played.
I met up with my friends with enough time to grab a beer and chat for a few minutes before Neil was about to take the stage for an acoustic
set. The lights started to blink and into the theatre we rushed just in time to see Neil start his first song "From Hank to Hendrix". No beer was allowed in the
theatre as he wanted people to pay attention for the first set. It was a quiet sit down envionment as the sweet sounds of "Hank to Hendrix" filled the theatre. The crowd roared
in envy as he then went into "Ambulance Blues" followed by "Sad Movies" and then the classic "A Man needs a Maid." He floated between paino, organ and guitar for the next couple songs playing
great tunes such as "No One Seems to Know" and "Harvest" followed by the well known "After the Gold Rush".
Neil young then switched to banjo and I heard someone yell out "play old man Neil". That song would have to wait as he chipped away on banjo to the classic song "Mellow My Mind."
The well known artist then busted into "Love Art Blues." By this time people had been yearning to hear some hit songs. So he went over to his place on center stage(in the middle of his 6 guitars) and
started to play the chords to "Old Man". For some reason this song seemed to be cut short a little in my eyes. It was however quite enjoyable. He got a standing ovation for this song so it was only natural
that he play "Heart of Gold" next. This song I felt was better done than "Old Man" and it made me feel better as a concert goer. That ended the acoustic 1st set.
At intermission we were talking to some people and they were really upset that you were not able to bring beers in and the fact that Neil was teasing everyone by drinking one on stage. The bottom line
is we are lucky to have Neil play at all in Connecticut. When your paying $100 a ticket people tend to complain. Very few people realize that the reason for high ticket prices is because scalpers have drawn up the price.
Yet these are the same people who are willing to take the risk at buying faulty tickets from scalpers.
While I enjoyed the acoustic set I was pumped up to hear the electric one. The band joined him which consists of Rick Rosas, Ben Keith, Ralph Molina, Anthony Crawford and Pegi Young. They played
"Don't Cry No Tears" and "Everybody KNows This Is Nowhere". I was waiting for one of my favorites and Neil didn't disappoint when he busted into "The Loner". In my eyes seeing Neil play this song while jamming on his electric guitar
with that leg motion he does made it all worth it. But the night wasn't over yet.
This tour was largely based on Neil Young's new album Chrome dreams II. I had a chance to hear this album and if you bought enough tickets thru ticketmaster the album
was offered to you for free. The album shows how Neil is true to his roots. Neil's next song was a hit from this record called "Dirty Old Man." The next song "Spirit Road" is about Neil's spirituality and how it has affected himhis entire life. See the video here.
See the video at this link....
(scroll to bottom the links webpage)
http://www.livebandstouring.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=29

He then went into to songs such as "Bad Fog of Loneliness" and "Winterlong". Neil had a artist painting the songs and before each song the painting would be complete and put on easel at the front of the stage so you knew what was next. This was the case with his next song "Oh, Lonesome Me". After that he played what is probably my favorite song on the Chrome Dreams II album "The Believer." That was followed by "No Hidden Path" to end the second set.
Concertgoers were ready for an incredible encore. The band came back out on stage and jammed to "Cinnamon Girl" which was one of the highlights of the night. See the video at this link. (Scroll to bottom of the webpage)
http://www.livebandstouring.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=29

That was followed by "Cortez the Killer." He had been playing 3 songs encores for the past couple shows elsewhere and the crowd was waiting for it. It looked like he was about to come back out but then the lights went on to the crowds disappointment. I heard the following week when I went to work that he didn't like the theatre because he said it was "too nice". He also said during the show "where are we? On the way in there was farms, houses, farms, houses, and then a theatre." It's funny he said that because he was just at the theatre about four years ago.
While I expected a little more from Neil Young I realize he is in his early 60's. I feel privlaged to have had the oppurtunity to see him at all. He really is a special artist that only comes around every so often. I would give this show an
A- with possibly learning towards a B+. However it was well worth the $105.50 for the ticket and I would pay that amount again in a heartbeat to see this incredible legend.