Review & Photos: Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts in Cleveland, Ohio

 

Review By Christian Cole, OOTB Publications

Photos By Neil Shumate, OOTB Publications

This past Friday, Aug. 15, a large and diverse crowd of eager onlookers at Cuyahoga Falls’ beautiful Blossom Music Center were dealt a legendary career-spanning set of songs from a genre wanderer. 

The legend in question? 

The one and only: Neil Young. 

The evening began with an opening set by Reverend Billy and The Church Of Stop Shopping; an eclectic and soulful gospel group lead by enigmatic frontman Reverend Billy. 

The band, with their televangelist inspired leader, laid upon the crowd a unique and interesting set with stage presence to match. 

Singing in typical gospel fashion and sermon-like speech deliveries, the band put on an intriguing set unlike anything I’d seen before. 

Instead of preaching the word of the gospel, though, Reverend Billy and his choir delivered their message of mass consumerism tearing apart a crippling nation, and a need to reconnect with the real world surrounding us—the message, alongside the incredibly interesting method of delivery, proved a perfect pair for Love Earth Tour.

After a quick set from the opening act, Neil Young and his new band The Chrome Hearts took to the stage; Neil’s eyes slightly covered and face shadowed beneath the bill of his hat and his grey-white hair blowing back in the wind beneath it. 

The band—consisting of long-time collaborator and organist Spooner Oldham, guitarist/vocalist Micah Nelson (the youngest son of country legend Willie Nelson), bassist/vocalist Corey McCormick and drummer Anthony LoGerfo—kicked off the evening with “Ambulance Blues” from Young’s 1974 solo effort On The Beach. 

It was immediately evident that Young’s passion was still running just as deep as ever, and his voice unscathed by time. 

Moving further, the band moved into the Crazy Horse-backed classic “Cowgirl In The Sand” with a slow rise in energy. 

The band then moved directly into a fan-favorite cut from underrated album Greendale, tearing into “Be The Rain” with absolute fury and poise—the crowd roaring as Young ripped and sang with as much depth and care as he did when the album saw its release in 2003, if not more. 

Coming next were “Cinnamon Girl” and “Southern Man,” showing the audience that Young still had the full capability of jamming with his off-kilter lead guitar style. 

Young, approaching 80, commandeered the band unlike any other aging rocker I’ve seen to date and pressed forward through a setlist highlighting songs across nearly six decades of writing and recording music.

The band delved into Buffalo Springfield classic “Mr. Soul;” its slick riff reverberating beautifully against the ceiling of the amphitheater and filling the lawn above. 

In good fashion, we received the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (CSNY) hit “Ohio;” the crowd in awe, singing alongside Young as the soft blue and green lights grazed his face, an unmatched air of ecstasy surrounding the onlookers. 

After tearing into another CSNY cut, “Looking Forward,” the band debuted a track off of their latest LP (Talkin’ To The Trees), the fun and laid back “Silver Eagle,” a track Young penned about the band’s tour bus. 

Young then lead the band through three more solo album cuts: the ever gentle “Harvest Moon,” “Daddy Went Walkin’” and “New Mama.” 

Next, they again delved into Greendale territory on “Sun Green” with Young bouncing from his normal mic to his mic rigged up with an oscillating megaphone, keeping the sound true to the LP. 

From there, the band ripped into a fantastic rendition of “Like A Hurricane” before lowering themselves into the ballad-esque “Name of Love,” a 1988 CSNY cut.

Young then led us into a gorgeous end to the evening with “Old Man”—the crowd wooed and sung along; tears were in the eyes of fans surrounding the illustrious musician. 

The lights died down as the crowd roared yet again, demanding just one more. 

Young and his band returned to the stage to provide us with an absolutely ripping and fiery take of the ever iconic “Hey Hey, My My,” which saw the entirety of Blossom Music Center enticed and energized once more before the band bowed out and the lights flickered back on. 

All in all, what you get with Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts’ Love Earth Tour is a setlist extending across a lifelong music career that is diverse in energy and style with Young at the forefront just as lively and just as fierce as ever before; happy to show the calm AND the storm in no particular order. 

It’s rare to see a prolific artist of his age maintain such an iconic sound with such stature and respect, but that’s exactly what Young brings to the table after all these years. 

Neil Young is far more than just a folk icon and the Godfather Of Grunge—he is forever unafraid of doing whatever it is that moves him and STILL after decades, that is a fact that remains clear. 

Get out and catch Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts at any chance you get; you are bound for a moving evening of powerful music delivered both relentlessly and beautifully. 

Tour Dates

https://www.livenation.com/artist

 

NEIL YOUNG (click to enlarge)