Crosby, Stills & Nash
29 August 1988
Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre, Englewood, CO
This CSN concert featured many of the same tracks performed at shows during their 1987 tour, such as their 30 July appearance at the Seattle Center Coluseum. Like the previous year's tour, CSN didn't enlist an opening act.
Currently working on a reunion album with Neil Young, due out this fall, CSN took to the summer tour circuit sans Neil, who currently is on a vibe of avoiding corporate sponsorship. Given that "Miller Genuine Draft" was plastered all over this evening's event advertising, Neil probably wouldn't have handled the conflict of conscience very well.
Tonight, just the three of them strolled on stage, following some not-so-nice reviews from their previous night's set 100 miles South in Pueblo. Undaunted, they walked on, without introductions, and waved to the crowd. Stills, sporting BDUs and a familiar headband, started the opening riff for the always welcome rocker, "Love The One Your With". They immediately followed with Nash's "Pre-Road Downs" from their 1969 debut, Stills' "Change Partners", and their top ten 1977 hit, "Just A Song Before I Go".
Added to this tour was an electric version of Crosby's "Lee Shore". But, the rest of the set contained tunes familiar from the previous Summer's setlist: "Night Time For The Generals", "Dark Star", and "Wooden Ships". They did add "Wind On The Water", minus the video that accompanied the song during their 1982 Daylight Again tour. My brother and I noted the impressiveness of the harmonies from the three Rock and Roll veterans, now all in their 40s.
Unlike the previous year's tour, CSN put their acoustic set in the middle, after a 15-minute break, instead of at the beginning of the show. New for this set was Nash dishing out an acoustic revival of the Simon and Garfunkel classic, "America". Like last year, the set included "Try To Find Me", "Wasted On The Way", "Compass", and "Almost Cut My Hair". The trio combined "Daylight Again" with "Find The Cost Of Freedom", and Crosby and Nash ended their acoustic set with "Guinnevere".
After "Southern Cross", Crosby introduced the only new song, a track from an upcoming Crosby solo album, "The Monkey And The Underdog", which included lyrics describing how Crosby decided to "kick his ass", with the "he" being cocaine and heroin addiction.
Next came "Soldiers Of Peace", "Long Time Gone", and "For What It's Worth". Yes, Stills bitched out the audience for not saying "HEY!" after "Stop".
The encore featured Joe Vitale's synthesizer-heavy "Cathedral", "Carry On" (without "Questions"), and "Teach Your Children", featuring impromptu dancing by Nash's 5-year-old daughter.
Excellent sounding vocals, coupled with a tight touring band (Mike Finnegan, Bob Glaub, Joe Vitale, Joe Lala), at a superb outdoor venue. Next--the long-awaited CSNY reunion album.
[*****] - Steven T.
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