Photo Credit: Bill Kelly
On Tuesday, September 24, Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts turned up at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, N.Y., for their second and final stand at the historic Westchester County concert hall. After warming up the crowd with an array of acoustic classics parsed between Crazy Horse electric epics, the newly forged ensemble, guitarist Micah Nelson, organist Spooner Oldham, drummer Anthony LoGerfo, bassist Corey McCormick, and the Canadian rock legend used their return as an opportunity to perform “Hey Babe” for the first time in front of a live audience, despite the song’s inclusion on 1977’s American Stars n’ Bars. As an added highlight, the referred musician and company busted out “Tumbleweed” for the first time since 2019, making for a momentous night at The Capitol Theatre.
Like night one, Young and The Chrome Hearts started their second show in Port Chester with the same arrangement of four songs; “I’m the Ocean,” “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere,” “Comes a Time,” “From Hank to Hendrix,” before tweaking the setlist and fraying from the seemingly uniform start by inserting “Unknown Legend” into the concert’s fifth song slot. On the other side of the Harvest Moon originator, Young seized the opportunity to dust off a piece of his 2014 LP, Storytone, playing through “Tumbleweed” for the first time since 2019.
Packing high points into the concert’s midsection, a live debut of “Hey Babe” came next, delivered on acoustic guitar, strummed by Young, who questions through reruns of the chorus: “Can you see my love shining for you?” Flanking utterance of approbation, “Say you’re mine, all mine,” “I need you, oh, so bad.” Before continuing with the lovey-dovey, Young sat at his piano for “Journey Through the Past,” remaining there as he sang odes to the natural environment on the aptly titled and ensuing “Love Earth.”
The main frame continued with a return to Young’s American Stars ‘n Bars set, playing through the track “Homegrown” before arriving on “Big Time.” Another bust out came next: “War of Man,” last played by Young, with his Crazy Horse configuration, and in other settings back in 2019. “One of These Days” provided a moment of reflection before the rumble of “Powderfinger” carried the crowd into another electrifying dimension. For the night’s encore, the ensemble emerged for “Throw Your Hatred Down,” which included a tease of fan favorite, “Hey Hey My My (Into the Black).”
Watch a fan-shot video of Young and The Chrome Hearts’ “Hey Babe” debut below.
Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts
The Capitol Theatre – Port Chester, N.Y.
Sept. 24, 2024
Set: I’m the Ocean, Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, Comes a Time, From Hank to Hendrix, Unknown Legend, Tumbleweed+, Hey Babe#, Journey Through the Past, Love Earth, Homegrown, Big Time, War of Man+, One of These Days, Powderfinger
Enc.: Throw Your Hatred Down (Hey Hey, My My tease)
Notes:
+ First time since 2019
# Live debut
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