Photo credit: Melissa Miller
As far as big time rock ’n’ roll productions go, it was pretty weird. But if you’ve followed the peregrinations of Neil Young’s career it all makes sense. Not in a stoned-at-3-a.m. way, but in an if-you-pay-attention-and-connect-the dots sense.
Young and his fans have an interesting relationship. The implied agreement is he will play a few well-known songs like “Heart of Gold” and “Harvest Moon,” but the majority of the set belongs to his full-moon whims. Using no setlist he manages to work without a net in a way that would be the envy of Karl Wallenda.
Wednesday at the Riverside Theater found Young sharing the stage with acoustic guitars (six and 12 string), banjo, a few harmonicas, a pair of grand pianos, a hollow body electric guitar, a ukulele and a wooden Indian. He acknowledged but did not touch the upright piano or antique pump organ.
Carrying a leather satchel, Young strolled onstage waved to the crowd and sat down. A light at the front of the stage read LOVE.
This was the opening night of a five-date Midwest solo tour and over the course of 18 songs Young delivered stripped down acoustic versions of songs that are best known as epic jams with his longtime backing band Crazy Horse. “Cortez the Killer” sounded like a poetic history lesson and “Cowgirl in the Sand” had Young crunching out rhythms then picking lead filigrees accompanied by skeletal, barely audible audience vocals echoing “hello woman of my dreams.” The normally ferocious “Like a Hurricane” came off as a rough-hewn valentine.
With a sprawling stage set and moodily lit stark backdrop that resembled the trunk of a Giant Sequoia, the show could have been billed as an evening in Young’s living room. The sound mix was dialed in to hear a pin drop. With his sons in attendance Young looked right at home, scratching his head when considering which instrument to play next or almost performing a request; having sung one verse of “Don’t Be Denied” he raised his hand and stopped the song. Other songs were delivered in truncated versions as well.
|
|
Young’s between-song banter amounted to a few asides praising the Riverside as a “blue ribbon place” and taking a sip, “Brought to you by your sponsor tonight, water.” But the music did the talking. “Thrasher” was his clear-eyed view of knowing when it is time to move on. For “Ohio” he strapped on a Gretsch White Falcon plugged into a pair of vintage tweed Fender amps. With the opening riff a brutal white spotlight shone behind Young, nearly blinding the audience.
As if he needed to offer further evidence he plays by his own rules, he began “One of These Days” on piano then got up, walked across stage and grabbed a guitar to finish the song. And when is the last time you saw someone realize his harmonica was in the wrong key and switch mid song?
Called back for an encore, Young offered a heartfelt “Tumbleweed” accompanied on ukulele. With that Young picked up his satchel and exited.
As the man says, you buy a ticket and take your chances.
Opening act Benjamin Booker left his funky rocking sound at home and offered an introspective take on his songs. He seemed genuinely surprised at the polite attention the Milwaukee audience showed him and admitted he only stole one thing in his life. “On my last day at work at a record store I took [Young’s album] On the Beach.”
