Neil Young Concert Reviews - Washington, DC, May 24, 2010
UPDATE: Thrasher's Wheat review now posted: Expecting to See Neil Young (or Man Without A Net)
From Washington Post: Click Track - In concert: Neil Young at Constitution Hall by David Malitz:
Neil Young's neverending desire to live in the present can be both his most fascinating and frustrating quality. Only a decade into his career he already possessed one of rock's great songbooks yet continued to add to it with a Woody Allen-like regularity. He sang about war in the '70s, went electronic in the early '80s, formed a grunge superpower alliance with Pearl Jam in the '90s and sang about war again in the '00s. He'll play his hits, but you can tell his heart is always with what's next.
"They're all the same. Good vibrations," he said to the audience before his lone encore number. It was a head-scratching statement, especially as it was just one of two times he addressed the crowd, but so was his choice for set closer. "I feel your strength/I feel your faith in me," he sang on "Walk With Me," another debut. But that lyric almost seemed beside the point. It's great to have fans, but it's Young's faith in himself as an artist that will keep him consistently intriguing for as long as he's still at it.
Neil Young will be performing tonight at the Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall Washington, DC. Special guest Bert Jansch will open concert.
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by thrasher@PermaLink: 5/24/2010 10:24:00 PM
46 comments
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46 Comments:
Patiently waiting...
Just got home from the DC show - had superb third row orchestra just to the right of Bert & Neil. Ya know - for all of my bitching about the length of the shows, I must say I didn't even notice.
'I Believe in You' alone was worth the price to see Neil gently play that on the grand piano - I'm still trying to capture what I just saw and heard.
Got home about an hour ago from the DC show. It was my fiance and I's first concert of Neil's (we first saw him at last year's FarmAid)and it was mind blowing. If you weren't there or can't make it to any other stop of this year's tour, you've missed something special.
Well, no more concert dates announced yet but still hoping Neil will do a European leg at some point.
Wonder what his plans are. Does he have a plan?!
Just wonderin`.
Jill
What about last night's setlist? Any new songs, (with respect to last night), was there a second encore?
Same set list, no second encore, just "Walk With You". Great show. Highlights were "After the Gold Rush" on organ, "Believe in You", "HHMM", "Hitchhiker". Of the new songs, I liked "Leia" and "Walk With You" the most.
This tour is Neil's art on intimate yet full display for those who care to see it. I'll post a more detailed review later (getting ready to go on a field trip with my son's kindergarten class - yea my head hurts already).
But each song, each guitar, each piano served a purpose last night and I'm starting to kind of see what Neil seems to be going for on this tour. I purposely did not listen to any of the new songs prior to hearing them live last night and I'm glad I waited. Overall, strong new material played withh 100% passion. I sat close enough to see Neil's eyes and he was feeling it - in the zone.
A true gift to have once again seen him at DAR - I will treasure the memory for a long time. How much were those tickets again? $$$$$$ Who cares?
Having seen him in Worcester, and now reading these comments on DC, having withdrawal already. Any and all opportunities to see this special performer, especially solo, is a treat. The "I Believe in You" kudos brought back great memories, truly phenomenal performance. I need another fix... so special!
Wow, I was at the same show, but came away with a very different take. I did not like the show at all. I have seen him dozens of times. He is my all time favorite artist, but I was very disappointed last night.
The Ottawa Sun has reported that Neil will be playing at Bluesfest in Ottawa. Hope this is true.
need to interact more with audience particularly given all the new songs. would have been nice to hear what inspired him to write the song,when written, etc. Otherwise excellent show, except Bert Jansch was weak. could not understand a word he was singing. thought it may have been the sound system but then Neil was clear as a bell. don't know why someone with Neil's repertoire has to waste concert goers time with opening act. should be all Neil
The songs that were not on the electric guitar were amazing but the feedback on the electric guitar was painful to listen to. It drowned out his voice.
I feel as if Neil is mining his catalog and laying out his life cloaked in a distorted panoply, with each facet duly registered. It's the like watching a collection of pristine clips from his long and distinguished career, sewn together with a running melody of new songs... It's all one song, and the themes come crashing through with appropriate vigor, Love, Death, War, Cortez, Rock n' Roll, Drugs (and their effects - good and bad), Indians, Politics, Environmentalism, Aging,and did I say Love? It took awhile to sink in but.... My, My, Hey, Hey, Neil is here to stay...
-Jim
(Only thing missing is the messiness of the Horse)
KILLED it. First three songs were great way to open the show. He stands up to play "You Don't Call," and the lyrics were biting (I avoided looking at set lists before the show so I was in for a treat). Next song was good- a little long.
WAS NOT EXPECTING HIM TO PLAY ELECTRIC! Plays Down By The River- I lose it- first time I've seen him play it live.
Plays Ohio on the White Falcon and I start flipping shit. Not only was it out of left field (absolutely wasn't expecting it) but it was by far the most electrically charged moment of the night.
The vibrations in DAR were on another level... I was in another zone as he ripped up distortion and feedback.
He plays Hitchhiker , which I had never heard before, in which he goes through all these drugs... brilliant lyrics and at one point he transitions into a verse from "Like An Inca" from Trans, which like the consistent theme of the night, throws me for a spin because the other day I was thinking I'd love to hear Like An Inca live but that would never happen...
Plays a dainty little number on upright piano then plays After The Goldrush on Pipe Organ... brilliant. Sounds like a cinematic circus is in town... And his harmonica live- INCREDIBLE.
Next he steps over to the grand piano and plays I Believe In You. A tear rolls down my cheek. His voice is sounding significantly better than I'm expecting... Granted I've seen his electric two times in a row where he's not really trying to sound "beautiful," but I notice starting with My My Hey Hey he sounds like a mellow angel.
Few songs later he plays Cortez & Cinnamon Girl. I was hoping to hear Southern Man & Like A Hurricane, as they're the only epic songs of his I haven't seen live... Oh well, I can't complain about Cortez... I don't even like Cinnamon Girl but he was KILLING it last night.
Overall, 10/10. I'll put it this way... I bought a t-shirt going into the show... then bought one leaving.
I'm still reeling from the brilliance of last night's DC show. I really loved the solo electric rumbling power. The new songs were very haunting and seem to powerfully spring from some of Neil's recent losses. For me, it was testimony (despite all of the great wheat-y info at TW) to the element of surprise by avoiding any setlsits from this short tour as I might have seen Hitchhiker or other tunes on a list but they wouldn't have had the same power if anticipated. Thanks Thrasher for not popping the surprises early! It was great to see so many folks again at the Exchange, I wish there was more time! Keys Left Hanging
From the second row: amazing show, very special, and I've been to dozens. "Love and War" was a highlight among the many fine new songs. For a solo show, our seats were shaking! And Bert Jansch, though not a large hall guy, was very impressive, I recommend people cease chattering and listen to the subtleties. Particularly to "Blackwaterside", which should sound familiar:
--From Wikipedia, Led Zeppelin:
""Black Mountain Side" was inspired by a traditional Irish folk song called "Down by Blackwaterside"[1] which also appears on Bert Jansch's 1966 album Jack Orion as "Blackwaterside".[2] Jansch had learnt it from Anne Briggs, who also recorded a version, as did Sandy Denny, The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem."
Jansch's record company tried to sue Page in the sixties for ripping him off note for note, but with no luck.
And the closer "Poison".
You know - it was almost like he was hearing a band or the band in his head during the solo electric tunes. I don't know - he really started rocking out a few times. I had absolutely zero complaints about the sound last night. And as a guitar player, seeing Bert Jansch open for Neil was quite special. I knew Jimmy Page had ripped off Bert on Led Zeppelin I with 'White Summer/Black Mountainside' but when Bert played the real version last night, I sat up and went 'a-ha!'
Yeah, Poison & Blackwaterside were dope as shit. A lot of chattering going on prevented the experience from being optimal.
Problem with openers with Neil... I get excited beforehand to see them as well, but once I get there all I want to do is see Neil... I experienced this even with Wilco, who in any other situation I'd be glad to see.
Is there anyone anywhere who can possibly explain how Bert was not able to successfully sue Zeppelin over 'Blackwaterside'? I mean come on!! I guess Page had better lawyers back then, but wow the artistic thievery is striking - and I love Jimmy's playing.
Glad I did get to meet you - if only briefly - Thrasher. My car was not towed and that's always good!!! Thanks as always for this great forum for fans to connect/vent/provoke/inspire,,etc.
Thrash - we need your firsthand review too now. Warts and all (if you saw any)
-NRJ
After reading all the glowing reviews, maybe I missed something. I've been following Neil since around 1970, have seen him numerous times, live and die with his music, but I came away from the DC show feeling frustrated and disappointed. I appreciated that he pulled out his axes and ripped it (loved Ohio and Cinnamon Girl), and I enjoyed his new stuff, but I thought he wasted Cortez and over-distorted Down By The River, and his lack of audience interaction was surprising. I expected an intimate evening with Neil, but he spent so much of the show in electric mode that I thought he should have just brought the band along. I was in the 9th row and had an excellent view. No doubt that Neil was into it, there never is, but I just felt oddly detached. When the lights went up and I looked around, most everyone had the same expression on their faces, like, wow, that was it? I dont know Neil, you'll always be my man, but brother you lost me last night...
Yea - I second the call for a Thrasher comment/review at on either this show or the one last Friday up in Taxachusettes.
As with every Neil performance I've witnessed live, the appreciation grows long after the evening/week/month/year passes. Come on everyone - we never know how long we have here on this Earth - or how long those we love will be here with us.
Obviously, fans don't know the intimacies of Neil's personal life. But we do know that he's had quite a steady stream of losses over the decades and recently as well with the sudden passing of LA Johnson.
We may not know much - but we can safely assume that Neil decided to venture out on yet another tour of relatively small theaters for a reason. That reason is most likely personal in nature. A need for money? Yea right. A need to feel validated/appreciated? Doubt it. A core instinct to express complicated emotions brought forth via song creation? My bet would be somewhere hovering around that notion.
Thank you, Neil. Who will fill the void if and when he's no longer here? There's a huge can of worms waiting to be opened for anyone who attempts to answer that question.
Hey,
Yes, great meeting folks last night... Jonathan, Simpson, KLH, UM & everyone else.
Having to deal with some technical matters at the moment. Folks are getting blocked to TW due to malware which has been addressed.
more later
Although I've only seen Mr. Young perform a dozen times or so over the past 25 years, last nights show was one of the most bizarre I have ever seen. I was expecting to see the same Neil (or a version of him) from 2007, but got something completely different. Performances of songs like Tell Me Why (sublime), Ohio (riveting) and After the Gold Rush (acceptable) seemed like he was saying, "Yeah, it's me, good ol' Neil." But then comes You Never Call, Peaceful Valley, and Love and War (which to my ear, hang together as a "suite" and are each masterpieces) and it's clear that the Neil Young of the 70s, 80s, and 90s is long gone. After his own brush with death a few years ago, and now LA Johnson's passing, Neil is in a totally different place, personally and professionally. The closing line from Hitchhiker gave it away, "I'm thankful for my children and faithful wife."
Wow, whoever thought you'd hear Neil sing those words?
I've always appreciated artists and musicians who manage to reinvent themselves every few years, but to see it happen right in front of you is quite jarring.
Jonathan above asked who will fill the void left by Neil when he's no longer performing? The answer of course, is no one can. For me, however, the Neil Young who's spoken to me through his words and music for decades is already gone. Maybe that's why he's been opening with Out of the Blue...that Neil we thought we knew has burned out.
I can't wait to hear Lanois' production on the new songs, and I can't wait tto see and hear where Neil goes next. Will he ever play with the Horse again? Who knows? Who cares? My desire to hear certain songs at a concert, played a certain way, with a certain band, are far outweighed by my fascination at what Neil Young is going to do next.
By the way, Stairway to Heaven is widely acknowledged as a Page ripoff of a Randy California song (whose name escapes me now).
From wiki:
"It has been said that Jimmy Page plagiarized Randy's guitar part from "Taurus" on the first Spirit album, when he wrote Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" although this is denied by Page. However, Led Zeppelin was the opening act on the road for Spirit in 1968 which has further fueled this controversy. In 1996, in the liner notes for the reissue of Spirit's first album, Randy California stated "people always ask me why 'Stairway to Heaven' sounds exactly like 'Taurus,' which was released two years earlier. I know Led Zeppelin also played 'Fresh Garbage' in their live set. They opened up for us on their first American tour".[4] Since "Fresh Garbage" is a song from the same album that includes the song "Taurus", this only adds to the controversy that Led Zeppelin was at least aware of the song."
In answer to the question about Zeppelin "stealing" Jansch's song, I don't pretend to be an expert, but that tune is supposedly an Irish folk song. If that is true, then it is probably in the public domain. Jansch's early work, including Pentangle, included lots of traditional folk songs / music.
drmiles
Look at Thrasher's Wheat Archives May 25 2009, if you are wondering who "Leia" might be. C.
thank you for being here for all of us who care about neil, his music, his genius, and the ever evolving web of wonder we are all exploring.. truly a gift to be cherished and nurtured.
To C. at 10:12 PM - wow, what a call! Certainly puts a seemingly innocuous song, one that appeared to be a respite from the heaviness of the show in general, into a whole new context of life and death, love and war. This really is a special tour - hope it comes out West one of these days.
Babs
Got back to Pittsburgh from D.C. several hours ago. Quite an amazing weekend with just me and my dad! I have to say that meeting Karen outside of DAR Constitution Hall while waiting for Neil's bus turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life. We talked about Neil and she introduced me to Eric Johnson! I was so amazed that I didn't even know what to say to him at the moment except to thank him as I shook his hand. Then she introduced me to Thrasher as he walked down the street, looking very Neil-like. Thrasher, you are such an amazing person and I am so glad I finally got to meet the man behind my all-time favorite web site!
We then walked to the Exchange Saloon for the Rusties party before the show. I just have to say that my dad and I are so glad that we got to meet all of you! I seriously never met so many nice people in one place in my entire life. You all are amazing human beings and I wish more people in this world were like all of you! I also felt so privileged to be the youngest one there. At age 19 many people thought my dad dragged me along, but in fact it was the other way around! I was so happy to be in such good company with so many amazing people and I hope you all enjoyed the concert as much as I did!
At the concert we had some great tier level seating on Neil's right side so I got to see his hands do their magic! "My My, Hey Hey" was astounding and so was "Tell Me Why." I got choked up during "Helpless" and sang the chorus quietly to myself as it is one of my favorite songs. "You Never Call," "Peaceful Valley," and "Love And War" were all amazing. I've heard the Albany recording countless times and at the show I really wished I hadn't. I love the new songs but the surprise was wasted on me. Then came Old Black for "Down By The River" and "Hitchhiker." My dad said "Down By The River" gave him chills and "Hitchhiker" was worth the price of admission alone. I have a recorded acoustic version of it from 1992 that I listen to nonstop but getting to see that amazing song performed solo electric in person was just phenomenal! Then the White Falcon for "Ohio" and "Sign Of Love" which rocked the house! "Leia" was about "the little people in our lives, some we own and some we don't." "After The Gold Rush" on organ gave me chills but it seemed like he screwed it up a bit. Wasn't the best version of that tune. "I Believe In You" was beautiful and "Rumblin'" shook the DAR Constitution Hall so hard that I was afraid it was going to collapse on us! After that I couldn't remember what song came next, even though I had the set list memorized. Then I heard the chords to "Cortez." I was so excited and happy that I forgot he played it that I jumped up in my seat! My dad didn't like the way it was played, saying it didn't have a consistent flow, but that's why I loved it. You never know what note Neil is going to hit next! "Cinnamon Girl" rocked and when he played the solo part at the end and walks towards the sides of the stage he looked up in my section and not a single person in my row or in front of me was standing except for me and I could swear he saw me! At least I like to think so haha! He ended with "Walk With Me" which was a million times better than at Albany. I loved when he sang into his harp mic the final lines about losing some friends. I had hoped he'd play one more encore. The show did feel too short, but I was blown away and can't wait to see him again! I've now seen CSNY and Neil solo. Now I gotta see Crazy Horse!
And Karen, I hope my dad kissing you on the cheek didn't weird you out at all. That was just his way of thanking you for giving me one of the greatest days of my life! Thank you so much again!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=757766196#!/album.php?aid=212603&id=757766196
Photos I took from the D.C. trip!
C.
a great find through the thrasher archives. I loved that song in Buffalo. And to discover on it's one year anniversary, my daughters 15th birthday, well,....Life is full of Neilsuprises. Thankfully.
-SONY
Can someone please explain the Leia reference. I tried searching the Archives with no luck. Thanks.
Would anyone be able to give a time estimate on how long the show was all together?
Anon @ 10:15 The show starts at about 8:05 with Bert Jansch. He plays about 45 minutes. Intermission is about 20 or 25 minutes. Neil Young starts about 9:10 or so and plays until just before 11:00.
one in eleven thousand
How good it must be to put a face to a name that you feel has become part of your day to day life visiting the wheat.
I feel so isolated here down in Oz. You guys and Gals are soo lucky to have Neil at your doorstep.
Hey Neil, if ya read this I've got just the venue down under if ya decide to take the "twisted road" on the twisted road.
It's "intimate" and respectful and you can reverberate as much as you like...once I move the garden tools out the back and leave the old car out on the street...it's taken it back to "Garage" band days...I've even colour coded the power leads so ya don't disconnect the beer fridge by mistake!!
I don't care if ya f*^k up a few times, forget the lyrics or play Cinnamon Girl twice !!! I'm ya leastest critic!
Think about it..the offer is always on the table!!
Christ, I'll even throw in a free medical!
luv doc
Possible headlines for the DAR show: "Old Black shakes White House" or "Neil's March on Washington" - I read the reviews of the first three shows and listened to the Albany show on Rust Radio. I thought that I was "prepared" however, I was not. I will echo the earlier call for Thrasher's comments, please. What an amazing show: Neil plays 4 guitars (acoustic and electric), 3 keyboards, and harmonica, in 95 minutes, and performs material that reaches back 42 years and also includes 7 new songs (including the encore), all solo. Following the thread, a lot of people are trying to digest the range of this show - especially the new material: 40% of this set is new material. I think that his next album is going to be amazing - I am so glad that I went, and might try to catch another show on this tour. I discovered this web site only two months ago - I thought that The Dead community was connected! You guys are fantastic. Best to all, and special thanks to Neil. Thanks a lot. Truly.
anon 09:46
(I think best you do this for yourself than have others attempt to explain the relevance second hand)
- go to news archives under box headed 'neil young news archives' and from drop down select 05/01/2009-06/01/2009 then scroll to 25th May.
Just so incredibly sad.
Peace
First, let me say that I've seen Neil >200 times, the first time being in 1976. I've seen him Solo, with CH, with the Blue Notes, with CSN, with Stills, Farm Aids, Bridges, in Canada the US, and Europe...you get the point.. I've thoroughly enjoyed every show I've ever seen him do. Some shows I've preferred over others, but I've always left happy...sometimes very happy. However, I thought this show at DAR was weak. I didn't think he sounded very good or very prepared. I found his preparation weak and the sound not as good as usual. This is the first time I've seen Neil where I thought he might just not be into it. I'm not saying he's doing it for the money, but he certainly put the effort into this performance. It was almost like, when he went off, it was rehearsed. I'll drop my $200 a ticket again next time I see him, but I must say that, overall, it was very disappointing to me.
anon 11.09 am
I remember this thread..I commented on it in "another life"...the pointlessness of war...the unnessariness of death...little Leia, orphaned from a dad she never met
Yeah, death IS inevitable... and only after experiencing the wonders of life's journey..to have your mentor taken away from you,not to experience the joys of a father, is an experience unfathomable in most all our eyes...if this is the 'Leia' that Neil is referring it definitely makes that song more poignant ..and I haven't even heard it yet!
Find the cost of freedom
Buried in the ground
Mother Earth will swallow you
Lay your body down
goodnight
TW's review of DC @:
Expecting to See Neil Young (or Man Without A Net)
Review links to Find the Cost of Freedom: Leia's Daddy
Thanks a lot for your perspective and comments, Thrasher. Neil is always evolving, and always a work in progress. Agree that a slightly longer set would have been nice.
It was a lot of fun to meet up with all the Rusties at the Exchange before the show! In light of all of the comments I'm reading about peoples expectations of the show Thrashers question to me about what I expected from Neil that night seems a little prescient. But I had no expectations, I hadn't looked at the set list, so it was all a surprise. And for me it was a very good surprise. I thought his voice sounded great and I don't think I've ever been in a room that shook from the sound of a single guitar like DAR did that night!
Fred
This was the worst concert I have ever attended. Talk about a waste of money ... One-hundred thirty-three bucks a seat to hear Young do a few acousticals, a couple of keyboards, and then a horrific series of electric guitar stunts, in which he plunked high-volume screaming strings and then played with audio feedback, swaying back and forth in front of the speakers. I could take one or two, but the entire rest of the concert? I was hoping for a journey through good folk music; calm, sensitive, soothing music. I love his 'Harvest Moon'... that's what drew me to buy the DAR seats. Call me dumb, but did anyone else feel they'd wasted their time and money at this strange event?
It was the best show for me because I got to shake his hand...
I've waited a while to post this review afraid to even mention a bit of disappointment. I've seen Neil many times and my wife and I are huge fans. I too shelled out $200. per ticket and left a bit dis-appointed and here's why; very little if any audience interaction, seemed very distant; started strong with the accoustic set but finished weak with the electric set. He was basically trying to put up a wall of sound but without the boys (Crazy horse or CSN). The best Neil concerts for me are always when he and Stephen Stills are trading licks. Saw them on the "Living with War" tour and WOW what a difference between that one and this. Neil looked so lonely up on stage, hope Peggy was traveling with him. He's still the man!
John from Annapolis
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