Concert Reviews of Neil Young:Tower Theatre, Upper Darby, PA, April 30 & May 1, 2011

A review that manages to undermine its thesis with a backhanded compliment of the concert.

From Neil Young intriguing but not life-changing at Tower | Philadelphia Inquirer | 05/02/2011 By Dan DeLuca:

The 17-song set list - which Young has performed with little variation on this tour - mixed acoustic gems such as 'Helpless' and 'I Believe in You' with Le Noise material, plus rampaging warhorses such as 'Down by the River' and 'Cinnamon Girl,' done in the layered, solo electric Le Noise style.

Sounds great, right? It wasn't, quite. At least not by the elevated standards of Young, who seemed crankier than usual. That might have been in response to high-volume audience members who persisted in bellowing out requests long after it was clear he had no intention of granting them. Before doing a jaunty new song called 'Leia' on piano, Young dedicated it to 'the little people, who aren't yelling their asses off.'

The purely acoustic numbers, particularly the opening trio of 'My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue),' 'Tell Me Why,' and 'Helpless,' were sublime. A study in perpetual motion even when seated, his ever-distinctive high tenor piercing the night, Young has no equal when it comes to commanding the attention of a few thousand with just his guitar and voice.

The rest of the show was more problematic.

More of Dan DeLuca's review where we were left scratching our heads at how someone can find a concert "problematic" because it is "not life-changing."

Talk about lofty expectations of "the critics"...

Another take...

From Neil Young Impresses Solo at the Tower | On That Note by Ed Condran:

Young effectively ended the set with the new moving cut ‘Walk With Me.’ However, there were points when Young was utterly transcendent. The gorgeous ‘Helpless,’ ‘My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)’ and ‘Down By the River’ were more than worth the price of admission.

It was just Young and a wall of noise. He alternated from guitar to piano to pipe organ. The eccentric icon appeared to chat with a cigar store Indian, one of the few objects adorning a spare stage set.

The quirky Young proved to be mesmerizing whether stooped over in that familiar manner while jamming away on his guitar or tickling the ivories.

The waves of noise were a reminder, who is truly the Godfather of grunge.

There were moments in which Young and his old warhorses took fans to another place, which felt awfully good.

From CONCERT REVIEW: Neil Young @ Tower Theatre, 4/30 | Philadelphia City Paper | 05/01/2011 by Sam Adams:

Clad in a white linen jacket and Panama hat, Young opened with the Greatest Hits trio of “My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue),” “Tell Me Why” and “Helpless,” but that proved to be something of a (doubtless purposeful) misdirection for a set half composed of lesser-known songs, including six of Le Noise’s eight tracks and the unreleased “Leia” and “You Never Call.” That previous audiences might not have welcomed the approach could be gleaned from the laminated signs posted in the lobby, which read in part, “The artists respectfully request that you refrain from whistling or yelling out during the performance,” which loosely translates as, “I played ‘Cinnamon Girl.’ Now shut the fuck up.”

That didn’t stop one beefy dude from repeatedly yelling “What the fuck?!” as the crowd streamed out after Young’s single encore, but then he’s spent decades perfectly the delicate art of getting classic-rock fans to turn out whether he’s playing the hits or a rock opera about environmental revolution. Saturday’s show might not have been what the audience was expecting — and chances are Sunday’s will be much the same — but those who came with open ears heard Young finding new ways into well-worn classics and forging onward with characteristic eccentricity. At times, the show recalled Young’s defense of his scattershot run of 1980’s releases: “You can call me erratic, but I’ve always been consistent about it — consistently erratic.”

From This time, Neil Young delights his fans - phillyBurbs.com By ED CONDRAN:

Fans were well behaved this time around, at least by Young standards. They were attentive while he showcased tracks from his latest album, 'Le Noise,' a solid collection inspired by life and loss that alternates between cacophonous rock and softer, folkier numbers.

Young effectively ended the set with the new moving cut 'Walk With Me.' However, there were points when he was utterly transcendent. The gorgeous 'Helpless,' 'My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)' and 'Down By the River' were more than worth the price of admission.

It was just Young and a wall of noise. He alternated from guitar to piano to pipe organ. The eccentric icon appeared to chat with a cigar store Indian, one of the few objects adorning a spare stage set.

The quirky songsmith proved to be mesmerizing whether stooped over in that familiar manner while jamming away on his guitar or tickling the ivories.

The waves of noise were a reminder of who is truly the Godfather of grunge.

There were moments in which Young and his old warhorses took fans to another place, which felt awfully good.

Excellent vibe review on Amused Cynic.

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Neil Young will be performing tonight at Tower Theatre, Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. Special guest Bert Jansch will open concert.

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