It's not often that you leave a rock and roll concert feeling completely exhausted and spent, at least not these days. It is also not the feeling you'd normally associate with seeing a bunch of old geezers like Neil Young & Crazy Horse.
When it comes to older, vintage acts from the classic rock era - at least the ones that still matter - you might expect to walk away from a Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band show feeling this same sort of giddy, exhilarated post-concert exhaustion. Which is exactly why I continue to go see their shows, even going so far as to travel cross-country to witness them.
But Neil Young? Not even.
Yet, there Neil Young and the venerable Crazy Horse were this past Saturday night at Seattle's Key Arena - looking and sounding as revved-up, fully engaged, and vital as they ever have in the dozens of times I have seen them over the years.
These guys may be getting up there a bit in years, but you wouldn't have known it on this night. This was like being shot through a time capsule back to the days of Rust Never Sleeps and Ragged Glory. At this show Neil Young & Crazy Horse played like a bunch of twenty-something kids.
As rock shows go, this was one for the ages.
My feet ache like all hell from standing in the GA section all night (I'm also old enough to remember when they used to call this barbaric viewing arrangement "festival seating"). But damn if it doesn't hurt so good. As I write this, I am left both physically and emotionally spent. But I am also feeling that special sort of post-concert euphoria that comes only after you know you have just witnessed something that qualifies as truly great.
From the incendiary - and loud! - fifteen minute plus opener "Love And Only Love," Neil Young & Crazy Horse came out with their guns fully loaded and blazing. From there, they delivered the goods and then some for over two hours.
Drummer Ralph Molina did miss a few spots here and there, particularly on the longer, extended jams. Still, this made for a much rawer take on "Fuckin' Up," which started out sounding something like the Black Sabbath version of the song. Neil, Poncho and the rest of Crazy Horse locked into the slightly more downbeat groove like clockwork in no time though, making for one of the better versions of this concert standout that I have ever heard.
Article comments
1 - Big Dave
glad you had fun buddy. Long may YOU run!!
2 - thrasher
Thanks Glen! Isn't it great that the guys are still out there delivering like there's no tomorrow?
is that not what rock & roll is all about??
The TTN encore sounds fantastic. Hope we get that when The Horse heads back east.
3 - Glen Boyd
Yeah, seeing these guys still blow the roof off the joint at their age proves there may just be a fountain of youth after all. 24 hours later, and I'm still blown away. Just amazing. Thanks for the comments guys.
-Glen
4 - chuckh
nice review glen. i don't go to many shows nowadays & this one was a gem. i saw afghan whigs the week before & they were stellar too. ps: charles cross needs to get fact checker. there were errors in his neil article in the times. take care. glad you're doing well. chuck holmstrom
5 - Kevin
If you thought Seattle was awesome, you should have seen vancouver
6 - Glen Boyd
Glad you enjoyed the show Chuck. As for Charlie, he was probably just trying to keep that grand Patrick Macdonald tradition alive in the Times...LOL...
-Glen
7 - BGreene
They still call it "festival seating." :) Fun and accurate review, thanks.
8 - Omar
Great review, Glen. 4 guys who love to rock. With no sidemen, wives, girlfriends or bullshit. That's probably the most amazing fact of all. They still just put it out there like nobody else can. Great to meet you at the pre-show!
9 - Glen Boyd
Actually, a few of them do have wives Omar...LOL. Nice meeting you too though.
10 - Greg Barbrick
Nice review Glen, I wish I had gone!