The fathers of folk rock, Neil Young and Stephen Stills, performed at the Light Up The Blues autism event on April 22 at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. In addition to Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real and Stills’ sons Chris and Oliver Stills, the event was hosted by Stills and his wife Kristen.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young co-founders Young and Stills paid tribute to their late CSNY bandmate David Crosby, who passed away in January at the age of 81. ‘Helpless’ from CSNY’s landmark 1970 album Déjà Vu was performed by Young during his set, with support from Stills on piano and backing vocals.
Wooden Ships, a Crosby original that featured on the 1969 album Crosby, Stills & Nash, was the first song Stills performed during his set. After singing Buffalo Springfield’s “Helpless,” Young and Stills went even further back in time by playing “On the Way Home,” “Everybody’s Wrong,” “Bluebird,” “Mr. Soul,” and the anti-war anthem “For What It’s Worth.”
The title track from The Stills-Young Band’s lone album from 1976, “Long May You Run,” marked the end of the duo’s walk down memory lane.
Days after Crosby passed away, Young wrote a tribute to the Neil Young Archives referring to his late bandmate as “The soul of CSNY.” David’s vocals and energy, according to Young, “were at the core of our band.” “When we got to play together, it was always fun and exciting because his great songs stood for what we believed in.”