Review: An Evening With Neil Young at the Chicago Theatre

by: Daly Tongren

Last month, fresh out of the recording studio with Jack White, Neil Young held a two-night stint at the Chicago Theatre. 

It was an intimate evening, with Young onstage accompanied by a gaggle of guitars, pianos, and of course a harmonica. He floated around comfortably in the chaos, carefully plotting his next move after each song. The denim-clad, poncho-sporting crowd was respective of the low acoustics, but lacked no enthusiasm.

Uncle Neil opened the show with the Harvest Moon, harmonica-heavy classic, “From Hank to Hendrix.” His set list for the stripped down show included not only hits like “After the Gold Rush,” “Southern Man,” and “Heart of Gold,” but also showcased quite a few covers of artists who have inspired him in his career; some from his latest album released last month: A Letter Home.

The quality of Young’s voice is almost totally unchanged from decades ago when some of his recordings were released. His vocals completely defy all tests of time, sounding as crisp and nasally and silky and perfect as they ever did. With that being said, his musical performance wasn’t the only highlight of the evening. I think I probably would have paid the same price strictly to hear his commentary and banter with the audience, not to mention his poetry reading.

Seeing this 68-year-old legend in such a raw form was an absolute delight. It takes a true talent to perform in such a straightforward manner. Despite having 35+ studio albums to choose from, Young managed to put together a completely jointed set list and execute it flawlessly.