It simply appeared so proper.
There he was, strolling out in a flannel shirt and holding an acoustic guitar, to the stage the place he had created so many great reminiscences — for tons of of 1000’s Bay Space followers — over the a long time.
Sure, Neil Younger was lastly again at Shoreline Amphitheatre on Friday evening (Sept. 12), making his first look on the Mountain View venue for the reason that final chapter of the legendary annual Bridge College Profit Concert events unfolded in 2016.
And this long-awaited reunion between artist, venue and followers — most of whom have been sufficiently old to have attended the very first star-studded Bridge College Profit at Shoreline in 1986 — certain felt nice.
“Thanks for coming. We appreciate it,” Younger mentioned close to the beginning of this thrilling present along with his Chrome Hearts band. “Deal with your self on this loopy world – your folks too.
“I’m just happy to be here tonight.”
The 79-year-old former Bay Space resident, who spent a long time residing on a ranch in Woodside earlier than flying south to L.A. and marrying movie-star Daryl Hannah, was a power of nature — particularly on guitar — as he moved by 20 excellent tracks in two hours.
Younger pulled primarily from his solo materials and his legendary work with Loopy Horse, but additionally touched upon his time as one-fourth of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Younger (CSNY) and even performed one tune from his new album with the Chrome Hearts (and forty ninth general!) — “Talkin to the Trees.”
It was the kind of richly creative and shifting evening that correctly underscored why Younger is a two-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame — having first been enshrined in 1995 as a solo artist after which in1997 as a member of Buffalo Springfield. (And, let’s face it, Younger ought to actually be a three-time inductee, however — for some weird cause — voters determined to enshrine CSN with out the Y. Had voters gone the opposite means, Younger would now be tied with Eric Clapton for many Rock Corridor inductions.)
Neil Younger and The Chrome Hearts carry out Sept. 12, 2025 at Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View (Jim Harrington, Bay Space Information Group).
Friday’s live performance intently resembled a Younger & Loopy Horse present by way of vitality, vibe and give attention to swirling guitar-led jams. Younger was a beast on the electrical, tearing on the strings with power and rocking by one fuzzed-out lead after one other, whereas being pushed ever ahead by his terrific Chrome Hearts band — that includes Spooner Oldham on Farfisa organ, Micah (son of Willie) Nelson on guitar, Corey McCormick on bass and Anthony LeGerfo on drums.
But, he’d kick off the present with a comparatively mellow strategy — the smooth, folksy and acoustic-driven “Ambulance Blues” from the 1974 solo outing, “On the Beach” — earlier than plugging within the electrical for “Cowgirl in the Sand” from the singer’s first studio providing with Loopy Horse, 1969’s “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere.”
Any signal of the potential fatigue or sickness that triggered Younger to cancel final yr’s tour with Loopy Horse was definitely nowhere to be seen because the Canadian-born singer-songwriter — nicknamed “Godfather of Grunge” for his affect on Pearl Jam and different ’90s acts — continued by fierce renditions of the longtime fan favorites “Powderfinger” and “Southern Man” as properly the 2003 “Greendale” gem “Be the Rain.”
Subsequent up was a pleasant tackle “Ohio,” with Nelson, McCormick and LeGerfo becoming a member of with Younger to supply these famed four-part CSNY vocal harmonies. The only real “Talkin to the Trees” choice of the evening — “Silver Eagle” — was one other winner, with Younger at his most Woody Guthrie-esque as he sang this charming travelogue impressed by a dialog with a bus driver.
After waltzing by the tender “Harvest Moon” and the slow-moving magnificence “Only Love Can Break Your Heart,” Younger and firm saved their hardest-hitting numbers for the final quarter of the present. The one-two punch combo of “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)” and “Like a Hurricane” was actually one thing to behold, because the 5 musicians melded sounds in ways in which, at occasions, felt like their was just one instrument being performed on the stage.
The group drew the principle set to an in depth with the all-time traditional “Old Man,” which felt significantly poignant and uncooked on this evening, earlier than making one last sturdy assertion with “Rockin’ in the Free World.”
Younger definitely made this evening rely — similar to he had carried out so many occasions earlier than at this very same venue. Let’s simply hope he doesn’t wait one other 9 years earlier than he returns to play Shoreline once more.
Neil Younger and The Chrome Hearts carry out Sept. 12, 2025 at Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View (Jim Harrington, Bay Space Information Group).
Neil Younger setlist:1. “Ambulance Blues”2. “Cowgirl in the Sand”3. “Vampire Blues”4. “Powderfinger”5. “Long Walk Home”6. “Be the Rain”7. “Southern Man”8. “Ohio”9. “Big Crime”10. “Silver Eagle”11. “Sail Away”12. “Harvest Moon”13. “Looking Forward”14. “Only Love Can Break Your Heart”15. “Sun Green”16. “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)”17. “Like a Hurricane”18. “Name of Love”19. “Old Man”Encore:20. “Rockin’ in the Free World”
