Neil Young, Through Tooth Pain

Went to the dentist a couple of weeks ago and he re-did a couple of fillings.  For the third time, it appears as if I must have a root canal following his work.  He is the kindest, sweetest and seemingly most conscientious of dental practitioners, but everytime the man touches my mouth, the roots of my teeth end up having to die.   

Not sure if I will be able to do anything about it until after Thanksgiving.  Until then - Advil 400 mg PO Q 4-6h.  (Prescription jargon learned during my nursing days -  PO = Per os, latin for "by mouth." Q = quaque, latin for "once" every 4-6 hours.) Last night I was uncomfortable and in pain, but after the advil took effect, I enjoyed the concert we went to see immensely.

It began at 7:30, and we were surprised to see so many empty seats.  Guess a lot of people knew something we didn't know - Young's wife Pegi opens for him.  The good news was that she had a fantastic guitar player with her - don't know his name, but he was really terrific.  And there also was a slide guitar player who was pretty good too.  Now, she may be a fine back up singer, but as a solo artist...well, I don't want to be unkind. She sang, I don't know, maybe ten songs. They all seemed to run into one another and became one long...I was really ready for Neil to take the stage when she finished.

By 8:30, when Young took the stage, the place had filled up.  The concert was divided into three parts - Pegi's performance, Neil alone on acoustic guitar, followed by Neil on electric guitar backed by his band.  He was great, plain and simple.  What a talented man. 

The only hint of politics came at the end, when a small wooden duck was lowered onto the stage.  I think it was supposed to be a lame duck.  Young remarked that this was his political statement for the evening, and left it at that. Kind of subtle, as far as celebrity political statements go (especially so for Young) and I found it unoffensive.

Consititution Hall is relatively small and intimate - Young spoke of being delighted to be playing there as opposed to some of the huge arenas he'd played in the past. The crowd was older than the crowd at the Springsteen concert, though there were people in their 20s too.  Many of DC's aging hippy population showed up.  The audience was enthusiastic - obviously loved the music, but no one was grabbing at him or trying to touch him, just people enjoying the music of a guy they'd loved for years. 

He's a shy performer and wasn't entirely comfortable at first. But he warmed up to the audience as the evening wore on.  A couple of folks shouted out "Happy Birthday" (he'd turned 62 on November 12).  And then later, someone shouted out "Old Man!"  They were making a song request of course, but Young looked up and said, "Hey - who are you calling old?"

The music was fantastic - much more my cup of tea than Springsteen.  I am not familiar with all of his CDs, but I think there was a good mix of old and new.  There was one very long jam session toward the end of the concert - maybe 10-15 minutes long - and I was happy for the opportunity to take a brief nap.   

Interestingly, Young and Springsteen have performed together.  Nils Lofgren, who was onstage last night,  forms a bridge between them, having been part of the E Street Band and also having played for Neil Young. Here's a video of the three of them performing "Helpless":

Comments

[draftervoi]

Gail: check out the latest issue of UNCUT. The cover story is on Young, and the CD is a set of covers of Young's songs...some good, some bad, some average, but it's worth a listen. I particularly liked the Waco Brothers version of "Revolution" blues, and the Modfather himself, Paul Weller, takes a stab at "Birds." The interview is good, too, although Young is evasive as usual.

[draftervoi]

Here's the set list from your show last night:

11-15-2007, Constitution Hall, Washington, D.C.
w/ Rick Rosas, Ben Keith, Ralph Molina, Anthony Crawford & Pegi Young

From Hank To Hendrix / Ambulance Blues / Sad Movies / A Man Needs A Maid / No One Seems To Know / Harvest / Try / Mellow My Mind / Love Art Blues / Cowgirl In The Sand / Heart Of Gold // The Loner / Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere / Dirty Old Man / Spirit Road / Bad Fog Of Loneliness / Winterlong / Oh, Lonesome Me / The Believer / No Hidden Path // Cinnamon Girl / Like A Hurricane

Jeez Louise...he did "Love Art Blues." That's an unreleased obscurity dating back to the '74 tour...and "Bad Fog Of Loneliness...." that's ANOTHER unreleased song from the 70s...

[oceanguy]

Although I like Springsteen, I think Neil Young is right behind Bob Dylan in my list of favorites. Sometime around 1977 when the Capital Center was almost brand new, I went there to see Crosby Stills and Nash... half way through as they were introducing the band Graham Nash, almost apologetically, said something like, "I hope you will forgive us us as we welcome an old friend up on stage... Mr. Neil Young." Yes the place went nuts. The Cap Center had one of the first Jumbo-Trons put into an athletic arena and I remember this terrific video of Humpback whales being played along with the whales' songs as the trio performed "Wind on the Water."

By the way... the first public revelation... I chose the Screen Name "Ocean Guy" one day way back when, while listening to Neil Yong's Ocean Girl. And that coming from a Southern Man, who's now a lot like an Old Man.

[Gail]

Draftervoi: Thank you for posting the set list! I searched for it this morning and couldn't find it. I will definitely take a look at Uncut when I have a chance.

Oceanguy: I was in school in Washington DC (GWU)in 1977 and I am sure that some of my friends attended that same concert. The Cap Center is no longer in existence - it's been replaced by the Verizon center, which is where I saw Springsteen.

I love the Wind on the Water album, which was a collaboration between Crosby and Nash - funny, I just happened to mention it in email to Draftervoi the other day.

I always thought you chose your screen name based on the fact that you live in Florida.

[oceanguy]

Well I live in Florida because of the Ocean, warm weather, great beaches, great fishing, and laid back lifestyle. Just chicken egg thing I guess.

[DRaftervoi]

O.G.: According to the Sugar Mountain website, Young played the Capitol Center for two nights in '76 with the Stills-Young Band, in '77 didn't play there at all, and in '78 played this setlist:

09-21-1978, Capitol Center, Largo, Maryland w/ Crazy Horse

Sugar Mountain / I Am A Child / Comes A Time / Already One / After The Gold Rush / Sail Away / My My, Hey Hey / When You Dance, I Can Really Love / The Loner / Welfare Mothers / Come On Baby Let's Go Downtown / The Needle And The Damage Done / Lotta Love / Sedan Delivery / Powderfinger / Cortez The Killer / Cinnamon Girl / Like A Hurricane / Hey Hey, My My / Tonight's The Night

Gail: I looked it up...the song "Sad Movies" is also an unreleased song, dating back to 1976....by the way, the article in Uncut has a featurette listing "10 other great songs that Neil's left unreleased" and all three of the unreleased songs that were played at your show made the list.

I saw a show on that "Wind On The Water" tour; I remember they had a big fibreglass whale parked out in front of the hall...this was '75? '76? Anyways...that's when they began to lose me... Giant plastic whales. YIKES. Thank god for the Ramones....

[soccerdad]

I saw a Capitals game at the Cap Center when it was new. It called our youth group - "church."

I like some of Neil Young's stuff, but sometimes it sounds like he's singing through a root canal.

You've blogged about a root canal before, 2003 or 4 IIRC. I think it was right after mine.

[Gail]

Yes, I have blogged about root canals a couple of times. Having another one is a recurring nightmare of mine. My endodontist told me last time around that some unfortunate people have teeth that are structured in such a way that they can't anesthetize the nerve root completely. I am one of them. So every time I have one, it feels to me like a re-enactment of this!