VIDEO: "Out On The Weekend" & "Human Highway" by Neil Young @ Light Up The Blues, Pantages Theater, Los Angeles, CA - 5/21/16.
Here's video of Neil Young performing "Out On The Weekend" and "Human Highway" with Stephen Stills' Light Up The Blues 4th Annual Benefit Concert at the Pantages Theater, Los Angeles, CA on 5/21/16.
Lots of funny Neil chatter between the two songs.
From OC Weekly by Scott Feinblatt:
Neil Young’s mini concert was heralded by one third of the audience holding up their cell phones to capture their own little piece of the legendary artist as he walked onstage with an acoustic guitar and his harmonica holder. He began with “Heart of Gold,” one of his many signature tunes, before proceeding into the more obscure fan favorite “Thrasher.” After singing the first line of the final verse of the song (“But me, I’m not stopping there,”), Young stopped singing while he cycled through the verse’s chord progression with increased intensity — only to sing the line again with emphasis. While this emphatic reiteration could have been read as his commitment to his various musical and philanthropic interests, he clarified afterwards, “I almost forgot the song for a second. Could have been a career ender!” The crowd loved it.
He then continued the acoustic set with “Out On The Weekend,” before being joined onstage by Chris Stills and Stephen Stills, who cursed at the placement of his microphone stand before dragging it across the stage. The trio performed “Human Highway,” and then traded their acoustic instruments for electric guitars and were joined by The Rides for great performances of Buffalo Springfield songs “Mr. Soul” and “For What It Is Worth.” For the grand finale, Young invited all of the performers and presenters to join the band onstage for an epic performance of “Rockin’ In The Free World.”
Labels: neil young, stephen stills
12 Comments:
That's what I'd call an "animated" performance of Out On The Weekend. Great stuff.
The prospect of a solo-acoustic tour (standing up/wireless mic) at this time would be very exciting indeed. He sounds as good as ever, to tell the truth. The great thing about his solo-acoustic style is that it has actually improved with age. He's grown into it more deeply. He has mastered it. He's charismatic, funny, intense, hugely expressive. He has the rare ability to make the audience feel comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time.
Neil Young, solo acoustic. No mucking about. Nothing to hide behind. A force to be reckoned with.
Scotsman.
Agreed, the long extended solos and false ends do nothing for me. Yet when he plays songs like Thrasher solo acoustic then it all makes sense.
Loved this out on the weekend. Wish he'd stop hiding behind those hats. I love to see his eyes. I think he lost some weight too. Going to see POTR Friday in Brooklyn. Kind of psyched. I like those Nelson boys. They appreciate Neil and I will listen for any influences in Lukas' band.
I'm personally kinda glad he's wearing a hat now. The 2012 show I saw with Crazy Horse, I kept thinking "he should put a hat on". Long hair that flops around too much starts looking like a comb over at a certain point and that's not a good look at all. Hair flowing out of a hat is more graceful. At least he retains some of the look. Imagine if he shaved it all off?! The horror. And if he needs the teleprompter to expand the song selection from his vast catalog, so be it. He's an old man.
Old Neg: If he actually needs the teleprompter then I don't object to it. I realise his memory won't be as good now as it was 40 years ago.
But I'm not convinced he actually does need it. I think it's one of those things he had installed "just in case". I have no objection to him using it for rare songs pulled out of the hat, for instance; but often he seems fixated on the thing even on the songs he clearly knows the lyrics to.
By leaving it switched on all the time, he's essentially training himself to forget lyrics, and that can't be a good addtion to the show. I'm sure if he got rid of it for the Euro tour he'd stumble the occasional lyric for the first few shows, but the long term impact would be a lot more positive.
Scotsman.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-neilyoung-idUSKCN0YF1AY
Wonderful to see Neil and Stephen playing together. With the hearing problems, Stephen actually sounded pretty good. Neil commands the stage in such a powerful way, it's heartwarming to see even though these audience recordings can't capture the purity of those vintage amps Neil tours with. Really nice versions of both songs. Thanks for posting Thrasher.
Pardon my ignorance, but are we sure that's a teleprompter, and that it was there for Neil? This was a benefit show, and there were a lot of other personalities and performers there. I didn't notice a reliance on a teleprompter at his recent shows, but perhaps it was there and I overlooked it...
I'm not too bothered by it either way, but agree with Scots that if used repeatedly it becomes a crutch while weakening his memory at the same time.
Take my advice
don't listen to me
Topanga: I think it was confirmed some time back to be a teleprompter by someone who was familiar with the device, but pardon me if I am wrong.
Anyway, it's been there on his mic stand since August 2012. He tends to glance down at it a lot, more habitually than out of any real need to be reminded of the lyrics, I think.
Scotsman.
I would bet anything that today Neil is wearing his Brand New Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mDcUlVfwGY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lye2DRSfOoU
And may you all have a strong foundation when the winds of changes shift!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ouyC24IFlo
"Dance first. Think later. It's the natural order."
--Samuel Beckett
Even if he needs a TelePrompTer he could still lift that brim and make eye contact once in awhile. Saw Graham Nash last week in NYC on his solo tour. He made a few comments that were funny like "I like being up on the stage alone and not having Stephen and Neil barking about what to do next.". He also said he rented a Bentley and a driver, dropped some acid and visited Stonehenge and Winchester cathedral where he stood on the grave on a soldier who died on his birthday in 1799.
Nash's tired old wild tales, we have heard it all before. Nash was always dwarfed by the talents of the other three, so I guess he's broken free. His latest record is ok.
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