Buffalo Springfield Concert Reviews: Oakland, CA, June 1 & 2, 2011
hey.
what's that sound?
everbody look what`s going down!
Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Neil Young of Buffalo Springfield perform at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California, June 1, 2011Photos: Buffalo Springfield Kick Off Their Reunion Tour: | Rolling Stone Music | Photos by Jay Blakesberg
SETLIST:
01. On The Way Home (acoustic guitar Guild)
02. Rock & Roll Woman (acoustic guitar Guild)
03. Burned (acoustic guitar Guild)
04. A Child's Claim To Fame (acoustic guitar Guild)
05. Do I Have To Come Right Out And Say It? (acoustic guitar Guild)
06. Go And Say Goodbye (electric guitar Gretsch)
07. I Am A Child (acoustic guitar Guild)
08. Hot Dusty Roads (electric guitar - Old Black)
09. Kind Woman (piano)
10. Mr. Soul (electric guitar - Old Black)
11. Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing (acoustic guitar Guild)
12. My Kind Of Love (electric guitar Gretsch)
13. Everybody's Wrong (electric guitar - Gretsch
14. Sad Memory (piano)
15. Bluebird (electric guitar - Old Black)
---
16. Broken Arrow (acoustic guitar Guild)
17. For What It's Worth (electric guitar - Old Black)
18. Rockin' In The Free World (electric guitar - Old Black)
Thanks Tom @ Sugar Mountain!
From Review: Buffalo Springfield rides into Oakland - Inside Bay Area by Jim Harrington:
Wednesday's sold-out concert -- the first half of a two-night stand at the venue -- was superior in many ways to what was witnessed nearly eight months ago at Shoreline. Topping the list, however, was that the band was able to "plug in" at the Fox, instead of having to adhere to the "acoustic only" Bridge School format.
As expected, that change paid huge dividends, providing Stills and Young -- both of whom made Rolling Stone magazine's much-discussed list of "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" -- with ample opportunities to light up the frets. Watching these two studs lock horns on the live stage -- be it with Buffalo Springfield or with their other signature band, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young -- never fails to impress.
The group, which also features Crosby, Stills and Nash drummer Joe Vitale in place of the late Dewey Martin and Young's regular bassist Rick Rosas filling in for the late Bruce Palmer, sounded quite convincing as it filled the 90-minute show with selections from Buffalo Springfield's three-album-strong songbook.
From Buffalo Springfield Launch First Tour in 43 Years | Rolling Stone Music by David Fricke:
There was also nerve.
After a 14-song set that veered from 'Hot Dusty Roads' and 'Everybody's Wrong,' a pair of gritty Stills numbers from deep inside the 1966 debut LP, Buffalo Springfield, to Furay's great lost ballad 'Sad Memory' from 1967's Buffalo Springfield Again, Young opened the encore by leading the group through 'Broken Arrow,' his epic frontier daydream at the end of Again. A complex studio creation, it was recorded by Young as a solo piece, with session men, and never performed live in the Springfield's first lifetime. Tonight, the song featured Stills at the piano, Furay flying next to Young in the chorus harmonies and its original honky-tonk country coda.
This was more than exciting resurrection – it was a kind of justice, the way the Springfield would have played and recorded Young's suite if they hadn't been so busy falling apart at the time.
Stephen Stills, from left, Richie Furay and Neil Young of the Buffalo Springfield perform their set at the Fox Theater in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, June 1, 2011Photo by D. ROSS CAMERON/Oakland Tribune
From Buffalo Springfield reunites for first tour since 1968 - USATODAY.com By Marco R. della Cava:
One of the most interesting byproducts of seeing Buffalo Springfield in concert is being able to instantly hear why they could not last. Any Furay tune announces his soft-rock future in Poco. Hear Young sing I Am A Child and you sense the inevitability of his solo career. And when Stills blasts out Bluebird, you know that his melding with David Crosby and Graham Nash (and later Young) was pre-ordained. But mostly, one is amazed at the sheer quality of music from a bunch of guys in their 20s who, for the most part, were in their first band.
...
Afterward, backstage, a joyful Furay said the show was nothing short of a time machine.
'I felt I was back at (Los Angeles') Whiskey-a-Go-Go forty-odd years ago, singing to my wife,' he said. 'What amazes me is that the songs still hold up so many years later.'
Furay said the trio rehearsed 'for a solid week.' For Stills, that was enough. 'At a certain point we all felt like, let's just get out there and do it,' he said.
There were no Whiskey flashbacks for Stills, though. 'Nah, back then we were young and small and we just hoped people wouldn't leave the show,' he said with a laugh.
Nearby, Young, nursing a cold beer, grinned. 'Sometimes,' he said, 'it's good to be from the past.'
From Buffalo Springfield Recasts the Old Songs, Forgets the New Jokes at the Fox - San Francisco Music - All Shook Down by Cody B. Nabours:
Critic's Notebook
Underrated: Neil Young singing harmony.
Overheard: Boomer in a Hawaiian shirt: "I dunno why we're smoking grass in the bathroom..."
Historical Note (for the kids): Buffalo Springfield have perhaps the best origin story in all of rock history. It involves Rick James gone AWOL, a canceled record contract for Motown, and a furtive roadside meeting following Stills and Furay chasing down Young's hearse on Sunset Blvd.
Onstage Banter:
NY: We're the Buffalo Springfield. Wait. No 'the,' just Buffalo Springfield, right? We'll have to decide that.
...
NY: Whatta you use THAT for? (at Furay's guitar pedal)
SS: It's a wayback machine.
...
NY: I didn't get the jokes for tonight. They didn't send me the jokes.
Crowd member: Just tell the ones from last night!
NY: I don't remember last night. I remember 44 years ago like it was yesterday, but I don't remember last night.
Spotted: J Mascis (or a convincing lookalike), in purple hoodie, in the crowd exiting the show.
The Buffalo Springfield Reunion Concert Tour kicks off tonight at the Fox Theater, Oakland, California. Special guest Gillian Welch will open concert.
Got a report? Drop a comment below.
Check Sugar Mountain for setlist updates and Chronological Grid, Recording Summary, Statistics and Extras.
Also, see Buffalo Springfield Reunion Concert Tour Reviews and the right, middle sidebar for continuous real time RSS feed updates.
"Hooray For Our Side!!!" in anticipation of
Buffalo Springfield Reunion Tour
PLEASE NOTE: We are very interested in any photo of an actual sign at the concert that reads "Hooray For Our Side!!!"... especially if captured while "For What It's Worth" is playing and really especially if both the band and sign are in the photo.
Anyone able to obtain such a photo and/or provide a link or source we would be happy to work out some sort of arrangement. Enjoy the concerts!
Don't be denied!
Labels: buffalo springfield, concert
by thrasher@PermaLink: 6/01/2011 07:27:00 AM
38 comments
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38 Comments:
There we were on the Sunset Strip
Playin' our songs for the highest bid
We played all night
The price was right
Do I have to come right out and say it?
THIS IS GREAT !!!!!
Wish I was on the left coast for this tour
For what it`s worth....
I wish I was in the US for this tour!
Buffalo Springfield again....
My heart is so there with them!
Still praying they come to NYC this year!
Marian M.
Setlist:
01. On The Way Home (acoustic guitar Guild)
02. Rock & Roll Woman (acoustic guitar Guild)
03. Burned (acoustic guitar Guild)
04. A Child's Claim To Fame (acoustic guitar Guild)
05. Do I Have To Come Right Out And Say It? (acoustic guitar Guild)
06. Go And Say Goodbye (electric guitar Gretsch)
07. I Am A Child (acoustic guitar Guild)
08. Hot Dusty Roads (electric guitar - Old Black)
09. Kind Woman (piano)
10. Mr. Soul (electric guitar - Old Black)
11. Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing (acoustic guitar Guild)
12. My Kind Of Love (electric guitar Gretsch)
13. Everybody's Wrong (electric guitar - Gretsch
14. Sad Memory (piano)
15. Bluebird (electric guitar - Old Black)
---
16. Broken Arrow (acoustic guitar Guild)
17. For What It's Worth (electric guitar - Old Black)
18. Rockin' In The Free World (electric guitar - Old Black)
Roling Stone:
http://tinyurl.com/3bb75oh
BSM
They closed the show with Rockin' In The Free World? I'm all for surprises but that song seems out of place here. Would have been better to end with For What It's Worth or another song from that era to show that the Springfield can stand on its own. Just my 2 cents..
Pete
I agree with Pete (for now)...that's four cents...
I LOVE the fact they ended with RITFW!! I think it says quite a lot about the respect Richie and Stephen have for Neil and how he developed as a songwriter after the Springfield days.
Nice review in today's USA Today. "Buffalo Springfield reunites for first tour since 1968". http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/reviews/2011-06-02-buffalo-springfield-neil-young-reunion-tour_n.htm
@Jonathan: Fair enough. But considering that very few live recordings of the Springfield exist, I think the time would have been better spent playing Flying On The Ground Is Wrong, Out Of My Mind, or Expecting To Fly. Hopefully they will vary the setlist a bit as the tour progresses.
Pete
The Best rock n roll band in American and Canada gets back together and some folks find reasons to not be satisfied. It was a great show, great perfomance, the band rocked, and was full of fun and joy...Broken Arrow was beyond any comment, after listening to that song for years, to hear it live was breath taking. Lots of band interaction, and energy...Rockin in the free world was fresh, and to see stills and young play off each other all night was amazing...just my opionion for what its worth.
Yeah Neil: 'Sometimes it's good to be from the past.'
sounds like a great show! how were welch/rawlings? did they play any new stuff and, if so, how was it?
expecting to fly would have been the best encore
(sigh) I didn't say I was dissatisfied;LEAVE woulda been cool, or PAY THE PRICE or HUNG UPSIDE DOWN...where do ya draw the line? CINAMON GIRL? LIKE A HURRICANE? Neil is Neil;he is not the Springfield...I AM glad the show isn't all acoustic...IF they come to the DC area I MIGHT go see 'em--IF I can afford a ticket (miracles DO happen)
Boy the surprises in the set list are REAL surprises. Hot Dusty Roads. Sad Memory. Everbody's Wrong. My Kind of Love.
Of these, only My Kind of Love was a staple of live shows in the old days. It's a nice choice. The others verge on the baffling in a show without things like (to just look at the Stills songs)Hung Upside Down or Four Days Gone or Special Care or Questions.
But somehow I like the balls of these odd choices and that these old moth eaten pieces got an airing. I'm certainly curious to hear them, and hope Sad Memory had more verve than the lifeless verson on Again, that always seems of the verge of just petering out.
Can't wait to hear field recordings.
Having grown up with Neil Young, literally, I was old enough to know and appreciate Buffalo Springfield, but too young to ever see them perform. My formative years were spent watching Neil's solo career blossom in addition to seeing CSNY on many an occasion. When I found out that the surviving members of Buffalo Springfield were going to hit the road, I had to be there.
So last night, I make the pilgrimage to the Bay Area for the opening night of their 6 show stint in California. The Fox Theater is a great venue. There's not a bad seat in the house. Having a 5th row seat doesn't hurt either. I saw Neil's shows at this venue last year, so I knew where to go, where to park, and what to expect.
Gillian Welch was the opening act. I knew that I was in for good times as her music held my attention with every note. She is a great musician, and whoever selected her to open for Buffalo Springfield is a true genius. (Probably Neil). Gillian Welch was so good that I was disappointed when her set was over. But the anticipation of what to expect going forward was compelling.
Around 9:15, the lights dimmed, and our man walked out onto the stage with Stephen Stills, Rick (the bass player) Rosas, Richie Furay, and Joe Vitale. Stephen Stills looked great. He's lost a lot of weight, and he just had his act together. Neil was wearing a vintage leather jacket with fringes hanging off it, Buffalo Springfield era. The crowd was on our feet, and for good reason. The opening notes, and right into it with On The Way Home!
This is where things got really interesting and exciting. As a long standing fan of Neil's, I was thinking he would be singing On The Way Home. To the contrary, Richie Furay did. If you have Buffalo Springfield's 3 albums, which I would recommend all three, you would know that Neil wasn't singing this song. Richie Furay was. The band was concerned about Neil's vocals back then, so Richie Furay would from time to time sing for Neil on Neil's songs.
The entire set was phenomenal, but so were Richie Furay, Neil, and Stephen Stills! Richie Furay impressed me the most. He was just on target, and seemed to be holding the entire show together with his vocals and rythm guitar. Throghout the entire gig, I was waiting for Neil to breakout. It never happened. That's what made this show incredible. I saw a side of Neil Young in concert I had never seen before. He wasn't acting as a solo artist. He was part of a band of equals. As much as I wanted Neil to break away from the band and get into one of those incredbile Neil solos, he didn't do it. This made the performance all the better.
The coordination of their music was just impeccable. The selections were great. There was a song Richie Furay did after Clancey that I had never heard before, but aside from it, all the tunes were old Buffalo Springfield until the very end, Rockin' In The Free World. Broken Arrow was stunning, as was A Child's Claim to Fame, Rock n Roll Woman, and Burned. There were so many great tunes that I have never heard done live, and they were done right by Buffalo Springfield.
The crowd was a little foreign to me. I didn't see anyone I knew, but that was OK. I wasn't there to socialize, only to take it all in. My greatest regret was not having a ticket for this evening's show. Had I known how good Buffalo Springfield were going to be, I would have gone both nights. My advice to anyone who has an interest in their music - do what it takes to see them perform. This is a side of Neil Young you have never seen before, and you may not see again.
Michael Golden
Truckee, California
The song after Clancy was "My Kind of Love" originally slated for the first album but bumped in favor of Flying on the Ground is Wrong. The studio version can be found on the boxed set!
Neil shouldn't have used Old Black. Old Black has nothing to do with Buffalo Springfields typical sound. It's like Clapton playing his strat with the Cream reunion.
The Bridge School concerts were better, but this one was okay too. Hopefully they just needed to warm up a bit.
Give me a break - "Neil shouldn't have used Old Black". He also played the 'Le Noise' Guild acoustic - was that wrong as well?
It's not 1968 anymore and everyone knows that this reunion is not a time machine that can make everything just as it was back then.
Neil always does what he wants in the manner that he wants, but for crying out loud - when it comes to his guitar of choice, who can ever argue with Old Black?
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/watch-buffalo-springfield-play-
rockin-in-the-free-world-i-am-a-child-20110603
Neil has always been a pretty big stickler for using the original guitar that is on the recording with the song played live. Every guitar (and amp) has its own tone and feel. On the Freedom of Speech tour, he had the Gretsch 6120 and the stereo Falcon both out for the appropriate tune. When he plays Albuqurque (so rarely now), its with the Broadcaster/Nocaster.
So, I am surprised Black was out. But then again, I think one of his 6120's was the trade with Messina for Black, so there is some connection.
This comment has been removed by the author.
one way to look at it is like this: Neil thought the reunion was significant enough to use his favorite electric guitar...Stephen singing a verse of RITFW IS pretty cool...my question--is that the ORIGINAL Buffalo Springfield bass drum head? after all these years I'd be surprised if it was...but if it IS, where has it been since '68?
"Stephen singing a verse of RITFW IS pretty cool..." It's great and his guitar playing too...
I may be the only one thinking this but I wish Neil would sing songs he wrote. Would love live versions of some BS songs he never does live.
Stephen singing the 2nd verse of RITFW is more than cool--it's like Neil wrote that verse for his soulful voice. Speaking of Stephen's voice--he sounds great--better than in recent history. The whole thing was great. When I saw the concert would be on Rust Radio tonight, I couldn't believe it--what a treat!
I just read that the Springfield are to tour "extensively" after Bonnaroo, in the fall!!! I may get a chance! God this would be an absolute dream come true! I never thought I'd have the chance to see the Springfield!
By the way- there are no rules here! This is rock n' roll isn't it? Or a controlled science experiment? Neil can play any guitar he wants. Studio performances from 30-40 years ago are much different than live performances today. I've heard acoustic renditions of Cortez that'll melt your spine and leave you a puddle of gunk on the floor and obviously they were not performed with Old Black. I can go on- Pocahontas electric, After the Gold Rush on pump organ, etc.,etc. We are in uncharted waters here folks. Don't worry about the details just enjoy the ride!
Man! The SPRINGFIELD! Who woulda ever thunk it!
there SHOULDN'T be any rules...but The Springfield is NOT Crazy Horse or Manassas...If McGuinn Crosby and Hillman re-united, would they play Long Time Gone? I kinda hope not...on the other hand, the re-united Hollies played Teach Your Children on their club tour back in '83 because--there are no rules...
To me it's just not I Am a Child without the receptionits's boyfriend from Sunset Sound on bass. But then, I'm a purist.
This is fun. Now, let's get real. Leave. Down to the Wire. Everydays. Expecting to Fly (it has drums, electric guitar and a second vocal part, so it would be cool to hear done by the band).
I can't see this run. I loved Bridge, but I still want to see the Springfield plugged in. Hope they tour in the fall and I can catch one.
Incredible dickheads on the Telluride, CO Town Council voted down having the Buffalo Springfield in Telluride Town Park in early Sept to protect a local rich guy who has a concert the week after. Lame, stupid and greedy, all at the expense of many people who would have had a great time. Screw those idiots!
I was fortunate enough to have great seats for the opening night at Fox. The whole evening was beautiful and magical. You could see it in the band and the audience the entire night. We were all from the past that evening.
NY: Whatta you use THAT for? (at Furay's guitar pedal)
SS: It's a wayback machine.
good one Stephen...Healthy is the man who has a sense of Humor...I wonder what kinda pedal it is?
Unbelievable to see such a fantastic song list - and borken arrow too! We need to hear in the UK!
Great opening night, my wife and I had a blast, Neil was great, pushing Stills, Richie was having a blast. Met Richie out front just looking up at Marqee, smiling.
We flew from Phoenix, my wife got me the seats 5 rows
from stag. For me it reminded me of my sister and I up playing records all night. Wish she was alive to see them today still rocking.
So excited to be seeing them tonight in Santa Barbara! I would give anything to hear Expecting to Fly though. Praying for a miracle but so grateful to get to see them.
I went the first night at the Fox, and was lucky to get a decent seat in the center of the balcony.
A great show, but Neil kept making jokes (such as: "We're Buffalo Springfield. We're old." and: "Hello... what year is this?"
As far as my opinion goes, the big high points of the show were Rock And Roll Woman and Nowadays Clancy.
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