Neil Young Lights Up DC DAR Constitution Hall
Posted on November 17, 2007 - Filed Under Music, VA/DC/MD Happenings |
With the release of his new album, Chrome Dreams II, Neil Young is hitting the road for his tour. This album is considered a sequel of sorts to Chrome Dreams I, which was never released but most of the songs ended up on other albums. Most of the songs on Chrome Dreams II are new, and backed up by his bandmates Ben Keith, Rick Rosas and Ralph Molina, all of which he’s played with before.
I haven’t seen Neil Young since attending the 1997 H.O.R.D.E Festival in St. Louis, Missouri, so I had no idea what kind of performance to expect when I purchased the tickets for the show at the Washington, DC, DAR Constitutional Hall. I was admittedly wanting to see this show so badly that I paid the expensive box ticket price (which did come with a copy of Chrome Dreams II sent to my house before it was released) because I wanted a guaranteed good view, which I definitely got. My husband and I were the first to arrive in the first-come, first-seated box so we snagged the two chairs in the front. Situated near the front, left-side of the stage, we were about 20 feet from the stage with a perfect view. Picture taking was prohibited during the show per Neil Young’s request so we obliged, snapping only a few of the stage before the show started.
The show started with Pegi Young, Neil’s wife, singing songs from her self-titled album accompanied also by Ben Keith and Rick Rosas, with the addition of Anthony Crawford. One of my favorite songs from Pegi’s set was” Heterosexual Madness,” about the liquid courage most need to say what they really feel, and according to an interview with Pegi, this song was written about some experiences at the bar where she ended up meeting Neil. Her set was a fantastic blend of folk-country bar rock and after being a backup singer for years, it’s definitely her time to be in the front.
Neil came out shortly after Pegi’s set to a circle of waiting guitars and a standing ovation. Wearing his familiar painter pants, he played countless solo acoustic tunes, walking between his pianos (yes, plural) and his selection of guitars intermittently playing harmonica at the same time. He played his gentle folk melodies “Harvest Moon,” “From Hank to Hendrix,” “A Man Needs a Maid,” and “Winterlong.” The acoustic set was flawless and full of emotion, and Neil opened and closed his hand four times telling us he’d be back in 20 minutes.
His entire band joined him onstage for his second set and was accompanied on certain songs by Pegi and Anthony Crawford, while The Painter (a man with a red blazer, red Doc Martens, and a fedora) hung out on the back of the stage working his next painting. This set opened with a hard-rocking “Cowgirl in the Sand” and had everyone on their feet dancing for “Dirty Old Man,” a personal favorite of mine, that by the time they were jamming to “The Loner,” the smell of pot was wafting through the room, possibly from the band. Playing his Everybody Knows This is Nowhere album almost in entirety over the course of the show, Neil sang “Cinnamon Girl,” which made my evening, in addition to “Everybody Knows This is Nowhere” and “Down by the River.” Young and his band even sang “Danger Bird,” complete with a wooden bird podium that was lowered to the stage.
This fierce electric set was topped off by two encores! “Tonight’s the Night” was the first one bringing Neil to his grand piano and the second fitting encore was “The Sultan,” a song originally written by Neil in high school while playing with his first band the Squires. The Sultan even paid us a visit by walking on stage and striking a gong to end the evening. All of the performers gathered on stage at the end, bowing graciously for us, and ending one of the best rock shows I’ve ever seen. I only hope Neil keeps playing and we get to hear more from Pegi.
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