CSNY Like Fine Wine

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young rolled into Toronto for a two night stand at the Air Canada Center March 30 and 31. It was a homecoming of sorts for Neil Young who was born Winnipeg, Manitoba but was raised in Toronto and was an integral part of the early folk scene with Joni Mitchell, Ron Hawkins and Robbie Robertson. I went to the second show after hearing incredible reviews of the first show, yet I was still rather skeptical as to how these "old timers" would sound. After all, they all are approaching 60 and have had a wide variety of problems including drugs and in-fighting.

The show started pretty much on time at eight o'clock with the anthemic "Carry On" and from that moment on I realized that this was no ordinary reunion show. From the get go, the crowd went nuts every time Young took a solo, he was bouncing around like a school kid. These guys weren't playing for the cash, they were playing because to put it bluntly, they love to rock. "Stand and be Counted" and "Slowpoke" form the new album, "Looking Forward" played really well live, but the highlights came from the classics. "Southern Man" and "Marrakesh Express" exhibited the band's ability to play hard and indicated that they had not lost the harmony that they had so magically thirty years ago. "Almost Cut My Hair" was a masterpiece, Crosby's anti-establishment anthem was incredible. Knowing what Crosby has been through the past few years and hearing him belt out the lyrics was astonishing and equally emotional.

The second set which was acoustic, was the barometer to see how the foursomes harmonies had fared during thirty years. Of all, Stephen Stills sounded the roughest but the harmonies were extremely impressive and surprising, with Graham Nash and Crosby seeming to have not lost a step. Even the track "Our House" which usually makes my stomach turn was tolerable. When the band performed "Old Man", it was quite nostalgic, the song originally from the eyes of a twenty four year old Young, seemed quite relevant from the perspective of four mid-fifty year olds. Stills made up for his vocal shortcomings with an acoustic solo during the bridge of "Suite Judy Blue Eyes", it was about five minutes of the most impressive picking. A blaring rendition of"Rockin' in the Free World" ended the second set with Young breaking two strings on his Fender.

The show closed with "Long May You Run" and the crowd left content and satisfied with what was a great evening of music. CSNY, with all their troubles, have aged quite well and still have the magic that made them rock icons in the sixties.

Tour Dates and Setlists: csny.net

Who Knew an American Band Could Sound So Canadian?

I went to a Guster show at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto last Saturday having not heard anything about the band except for a few tracks retrieved on Napster and that they allowed taping. The venue was packed with Americans who had made the pilgrimage from Michigan to see the band. Guster had played in Detroit the previous night and by my judgement, seem to have attracted quite a devoted following. At about midnight, after a painful opening act, three unassuming guys took the stage, this was Guster. Adam Gardner and Ryan Miller on acoustic/electric guitar and Brian Rosenworcel on a full percussion set. By the looks of it, I figured I was in for a slow melodic folk show. That is until Rosenworcel started pounded the congas, there's not much to say except that he was phenomenal. It sounded as if there were two full drum kits rather than just a percussion set with a couple of cymbals. It still beyond my belief how someone can hit so hard for so long . The songs were well crafted and extremely catchy with Miller and Gardner switching vocal duties as well as harmonizing together. Songs like "So Long", "What You Wish For" and "Two Points for Honesty" had the crowd jumpin' and singing a long. I had to be the only person there who did not know the lyrics to any of the groups songs. Thankfully, the band played a really sweet version of "California Dreamin'" by the Mama's and the Papa's. I was finally able to sing along with the band. Guster played for just under two hours and kept expressing their affection for Canadian audiences, they had been through hear before during the summer as part of a tour with Blue Rodeo and Great Big Sea. It seems as if, the band has acquired the "Canadian Sound" which is part of their endearing quality to their Canadian fans. I can't exactly define what the Canadian sound is to a foreign audience but Canadians know it when they hear it and Guster, although being from Somerville, Massachusetts, definitely have this element in their music. Overall, it was a great show and I highly recommend catching them when they're in your area.

Guster Info: www.guster.com

***The Burt Neilson Band has just announced that they will be playing The Atlantis Nightclub in Toronto immediately after the Phish show on July 6th. Check out www.burtneilson.com for further info.