I always like going to the Farm Aid festivals with Neil Young all but sure to perform except for a few recent Covid related absences. I missed the last few Farm Aid shows, unfortunately including last year when Bob Dylan did a previously unannounced set with the Heartbreakers (there is great YouTube video of Dylan with Tom Petty snd the Heartbreakers from, I think, Australia which is extraordinary). This year’s Farm Aid was held at Saratoga Performing Arts Center; my wife and I had rear orchestra seats to the left of the stage on this beautiful September day in upstate New York. Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats were an early highlight; I have seen the band open for Chris Stapleton, headline the Apollo Theatre and I believe perform at the last Farm Aid held in Saratoga. The band killed and the crowd was totally into their set where they played mostly familiar songs. Margo Price looks great but I find her voice not to be especially powerful and she was not really doing it for me. Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds were great as always and there was clearly a large DMB contingent in the audience who sang along to every Dave tune. For his final tune, Matthews brought Ratelifff back on stage with Micah and Lucas Nelson to perform The Band’s classic “ The Weight” which was yet another highlight of the day. The John Mellencamp set is pretty much the same year to year but he always blows the crowd away with his many classic hits. Mellencamp is every bit the rock star and knows how to rouse an audience. Next was Neil Young and his crew scurried to set up for a full band stage presentation as this would be the debut of The Chrome Hearts as Neil’s latest backing band. Micah Nelson remains from the Crazy Horse tour that was abruptly suspended in Chicago and then canceled due to illness. Replacing Ralph Molina on drums and Billy Talbot on bass were the Promise of the Real rhythm section with legend Spooner Oldham on keyboards filling out the line up. Young eased into things with a few Harvest Moon songs before going electric with “ Powderfinger”. Neil Young & the Chrome Hearts followed up the Farm Aid appearance with what is supposed to be the start of an east coast tour with two killer shows at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York where I managed to be right up front for both nights in the general admission orchestra ( more on that later). Willie Nelson and Family had some major technical issues to start their set with with no amplified sound and video images of Willie making him look frail, somewhat confused and every bit of 90 plus; but the band played on as we listened to the bulk of their set on Sirius as we headed to a local hotel for the night. It was a great day of music for a good cause. Next stop, the Capitol Theatre for two more epic Neil Young performances

Unknown Legend

Rock on!

GQ