Neil Young Reminds Us Of Our Humanity In Dazzling Tour Opener In Los Angeles

At one point last night (June 30), during the incredibly intimate opening night of Neil Young’s west coast run, his first tour in four years, some drunken fan chugging wine from a bottle and yelling at Young as if they were the only two people there, shouted, “Neil, you’re the same.” Young responded, “I hardly even recognize myself.”

While I would imagine one of the worst things you could yell to an artist who has built a legendary career on constant evolution and growth is you haven’t changed at all, both the drunken imbecile and Young were right.

The magnificent 90-minute set under the stars at the absolutely beautiful John Anson Ford Theater, where Young played solo to 1200 or so fans, was vintage Young in many respects. It was an unpredictable cornucopia of surprises, rich with down home charm as Young shared a dizzying array of stories and showed his musicianship. But, as he promised going into this run, Young dug deep into his catalog for songs no one would have bet on being performed in Vegas.

Coming out with just his guitar and harmonica on a stage that also included two pianos and an organ, Young opened the show just after the scheduled start time of 8:30 with a gorgeous rendition of “I’m The Ocean,” performed for the first time since 1997.

For the deep, deep Young fans, this show was a dream set. From the live debuts of ” A Dream That Can Last” and the sweet “Don’t Forget Love” to rarities such as the beautiful piano version of the Buffalo Springfield song “Burned,” done for the first time since 2009, and the more rocking “Prime Of Life,” not done live since 1994, Young continually surprised the audience.

In fact, the show was so laden with forgotten gems and rarities that when Young played recognizable hits such as the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young smash “Ohio” and his own “Heart Of Gold,” that was the actual surprise. But that has been Young his entire career, an artist who answers to no one but himself.

Young also used the intimacy of the beautiful outdoor space to full advantage. Early on he commented, “Nice place,” then joked, “We could be at the podunk coliseum.” For Young, this was an opportunity, after four years off the road, to reconnect with his audience. Sometimes his stories were just funny but often, as always with him, had a very deliberate message,

After “Ohio” he offered, “That’s so strange? Four people. Look how many we do away with now. I wish I had something to say to change it.”

Then he joked about AI and how his piano he got in 1968 had an AI soul. But there was a point. “I am so happy I was here before AI,” he said.

Besides having authored some of the greatest songs of all time and being an insanely brilliant guitarist, Young’s biggest contribution to popular culture the last six decades has been famously going against the grain and, as a result, making us think about what we want and need.

So, of course, when everybody is talking about AI, out of the haze emerges Young to remind us all of our inherent humanity. That is what Neil Young does best and why he is one of our greatest artists/storytellers. Like all great artists he reminds us what we need and are missing.