Neil Young News: Photo of the Moment: Dave Grohl & Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Central Park, New York City, 9/29/12

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Monday, October 01, 2012

Photo of the Moment: Dave Grohl & Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Central Park, New York City, 9/29/12

Rockin' In The Free World
Neil Young & Crazy Horse w/ Dave Grohl
Photo by Twitter / zakclaxton
(Click photo to enlarge)
The Photo of the Moment is Dave Grohl & Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Central Park, New York City, 9/29/12. (Thanks Zak!)

Zack H. commented:

I read through comments before watching the video of "Rockin' in the Free World" and I was expecting to see a really pitiful performance by an old man well past his prime. That's not what I saw.

I saw a rock n' roll genius and legend who commanded a stage full of some twenty or thirty musicians and an audience of tens of thousands more. He was yelling and barking into the mic like a man possessed, wailing on his guitar, and stomping around the stage like some kind of...well...giant.

All of those other musicians seemed to be in complete awe, even the long-time members of Crazy Horse could look on at the younger guys with an expression on their face like "we still can't believe it and we've been playing with this dude for DECADES."

And how about that coda of the chorus? All that feedback and screaming guitar, and then Neil counting the band right back in? Everyone lost their mind at how much energy and passion that "old man" was showing. Neil himself couldn't help but smile at how well it had pulled off.

Retire "Rockin' in the Free World"? I don't think so. Neil just gave that song as much life as it's ever had, and I wouldn't put it past him to be able to top it yet.

Thanks Zack! A true rock & roll giant if there ever was one, we'd say.

More Reports, Photos, Videos on Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Central Park, New York City.

Labels: central park, concert, crazy horse, dave grohl, neil young, new york city

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8 Comments:

At 10/01/2012 08:42:00 AM, Bernard said...: Now for me, that performance was a pure jam moment! things we guys do in bars after a few beers but that big artists rarely offer us. Essence of Rock n'roll. Here nothing has been rehearsed and you can feel that the energy is guiding the whole thing...of course sometimes solos get a bit over each other but then there is some kind of fusion happening between them and that's the magic.
You could feel that these guys were playing TOGETHER. Neil's out of breathe moment is just showing how enthousiastic he was and that's it...he knows what he's doing with his health, don't worry!
At 10/01/2012 09:35:00 AM, setlistthief said...: I've just started "Waging Heavy Peace." During the first few chapters, written in 2011, Neil talks about getting Crazy Horse back together: "The plan: set up in [the big White House] and record, leave the equipment at the ready for a year or so until we have a great record. No searching. No working. No trying. Just let the spirit come back in and don't be greedy. Be ready."

Be ready, indeed.
At 10/01/2012 10:30:00 AM, Keith B. said...: Totally agree with Zak. H.

He said it.
At 10/01/2012 11:06:00 AM, Zack Harding said...: You're right on Bernard. That performance was just like the best moments you get when you're jamming with buddies and the song lifts off to some place unexpected. The collective energy just launches everybody into the atmosphere. Those moments are rare indeed with the bigger names in the music industry.
At 10/01/2012 02:30:00 PM, Zak Claxton said...: Hey, great to see my little screen capture as the photo of the moment! What a nice start to the week. I saw the joy that was on Dave Grohl's face, and the composition of him being there with the entirety of the Horse really encapsulated the essence of the show.

I'd been concerned that after a hugely energetic Foo Fighters set, Neil's vibe might be a letdown for the audience. Was I wrong! Neil was a giant on that stage, and everyone else was -- quite rightfully -- in awe of what the old guy still offers. Hats off to Neil, Pancho, Billy and Ralphie!
At 10/01/2012 04:44:00 PM, asg said...: I DO hope the performances show up on youTube soon...missed the entire show...as for the book, started it on Saturday, finished it this morning...it's not MY copy, but I do want one to call my own...
At 10/01/2012 05:35:00 PM, Kimball said...: Neil said: "We're joinin' forces for you up here."

I loved at the beginning of RITFW how Neil walked up to his wedge (guitar pedal system) and started to weave up an effect loop like he was throwing a pizza crust in the air or making some kind of rock and roll cacoon or something. It sounded awesome, then when Grohl brought in some heavily distorted power guitar riffs as the song spooled up to speed, man that was the most powerful start to that song I've ever heard. Unbeleiveable, I hope they put the full resolution video on youtube.

There was generally a good vibe on stage during the song with all the people up there singing and playing. I know that Neil was giving it his all, and I know that he felt the load of all those people wanting their socks knocked off. I think he did a great job leading the mob through the song.

I don't know if Neil has ever jammed with Grohl before, but I can say that I was getting some pretty heavy feelings back to Change Your Mind and Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. I think both Neil and Grohl were experiencing one of those rare connections through time back to where major waves changed them forever. Full circle type stuff. Anyway, I thought the Neil and Crazy Horse performance was top notch. I was expecting them to play the whole setlist that they've been doing once they got going, wasn't sure how long they were alloted...
At 10/01/2012 06:43:00 PM, Anonymous said...: @asg - decent (but not great) quality webrip here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQOSqKrpInU

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