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If you showed up at the White River Amphitheatre hoping to see an ordinary, typical concert then you have definitely come to the wrong artist. Neil Young is anything but ordinary or typical. His groundbreaking, innovative performance created strong emotions on both sides: you either loved it, or you hated it. Neil stepped onto the stage with his band Crazy Horse. After the first song began, two girls ran across the stage behind Neil. Security did not try to stop them. Strange... Then, on the next song, a group of people came out and began acting out the storyline of what Neil was singing about. This continued throughout the first set. As Neil and Crazy Horse played songs from the upcoming album Greendale, the underlying story unfolded on a platform behind the band with Neil as the narrator. The story followed a family living in a small town outside of Greendale. It followed their political involvements, (with real news footage being shown on screens around the amphitheatre) as well as the everyday trials of the regular American family. As the play unfolded, Neil was very clear with his intent to understate his performance, instead concentrating on the importance of the story that was being told. What a refreshing experience to be involved in. Unlike the vast majority of concerts which serve to feed the ego of the musician onstage while the crowd happily obliges, here was a legendary artist willing to forego his own ego to feed the message he was wanting to share with anyone who cared to hear it. After the Greendale album was performed, Neil Young & Crazy Horse returned to the stage for a good, fun rock 'n roll set. This showed that while Neil is intent on providing more through his art than just entertainment, he is also able to let loose and just enjoy himself. Fan favorites such as 'Down By The River' were performed giving the evening a festival like quality. In the end, after all of the understandable political and environmental concerns Neil expressed throughout the show, the image that ended the Greendale story was that of the American flag being raised. A very powerful expression of Neil's love for his country. This proved that patriotism is not about complete support and belief in government. Patriotism is instead about loving your country so immensely that you are actively involved in the concern of what happens to it. |
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