Neil Young at the tender age of 79 has taken up the banner to fight the powers that be and restore some sanity to the masses. His new album Talkin To The Trees is both a personal reflection as well as a scathing indictment of the current presidential administration. While half the country is sporting red hats and chanting for their boy, the other half is attending Neil Young concerts and singing newly penned protest songs. It’s basically Rage Against The Machine for Boomers and I for one am here for it. Truth be told my love for the music of Neil Young goes back to a garage sale and a copy of Comes A Time. I soon realized that Mr. Young has never really put out any bad music. Save your comments about Everybody’s Rockin’ for another day. His latest album shows his age but his tone and vocals are still spot on. Musically I feel Neil might have more to sing about these days than he has in the past decade.

Fans trickled in for a bucolic evening sitting on blankets in the lawn and soaking in the sounds. Neil was scheduled to play Fiddler’s in 2024, but when he and several over band members fell ill they cancelled the remainder of the tour. Now, healthy and revitalized with a fresh lineup he is back at it and not slowing down. As the sun crept behind the mountains Reverend Billy & The Stop Shopping Choir took the stage. The Good Reverend is played by actor and activist William Talen. He has been performing this role since the late 90’s when he was arrested numerous times protesting outside of a Disney Store in Times Square. Phrases like “Mickey Mouse is the Antichrist,” may have been uttered. The Stop Shopping Choir came on board in 2019 and is comprised of elected officials meant to ‘take care of the choir at large.’ Together they brought a powerful message of unity, cohesion with nature, and a sensible approach to environmental issues through the power of music. The show took on the vibe of a church service taken over by progressives. Billy lead us through several numbers including the bombastic “Hey Kid!” and a hymnal for Earth’s freedom called “La La La Liberate.” Later in the set they went into a delicate piano driven “Where Do I Go?” Calls for Earthelujah were many. It was an interesting way to start the show, but most people were just chomping at the bit for Neil  and his band to get on stage.

Darkness fell over the amphitheater with planes zipping across the sky on their way to and from a nearby airport. The house was full and ready, but you never really know what you are going to get when it comes to seeing Neil Young live. With a new record release it would be an obvious assumption that the setlist would lean towards the new. That was not the case. This show became a generational celebration of the incredible variety of music Neil Young has produced over his prolific career. He started his show with a nostalgic and weary nod to a bygone era with “Ambulance Blues.” The retrospective started with Everybody Knows This is Nowhere’s “Cowgirl in the Sand.” Neil’s beef with the corporate destruction of our planet was on display during “Be The Rain.” It was the classic combo of “Southern Man” into “Ohio” that really got the crowd on their feet. Old heads belted out every word as the younger fans got their taste of classic Neil. “Long Walk Home” is a protest song written in the early 70’s, resurrected with Crazy Horse in 1987, and now repurposed for a new era. The Chrome Hearts continued with “Big Crime” the newly written tune which is a direct response to Trump’s mobilization of the National Guard in the capital. He is very much writing in the here and now.

Silver Eagle,” also off the new album, is a road tune about freedom and adventure. “Looking Forward” from his final sessions with CSNY was an unexpected treat. He kept the cuts deep with the tour debut of After the Gold Rush’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart.” Again it was amazing to witness the consistency that Young has maintained in his live performances. While his falsetto may not reach those previous highs, his vocals and guitar tone were on point all night long. “Harvest Moon” into the Buffalo Springfield classic “Mr. Soul” was another high point in a show that was literally everything any fan could ask for. “Sun Green” was part of the Greendale saga and tells the story of an activist getting busted and moving to Alaska. “Like A Hurricane” was another wake up call to the crowd, while  “Name of Love” was yet another deep CSNY cut. Neil and The Chrome Hearts wrapped up a stellar set of music with the fan favorite “Old Man” They barely dipped off stage before returning to encore with a powerful “Hey Hey My My (Into The Black)”

Neil Young still has everything he needs to stand up to the man and speak for the people. He has always been a voice of reason, but now his words are finding new relevance with a new audience. One wonders how much touring is on the table for Mr. Young as he approaches his 80th birthday in November. (Happy Birthday Neil!) Time will tell, but as long as The Chrome Hearts are touring there is a beacon of hope on the horizon.