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CSN&Y Wear Age Spots Well

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Bradley Center
Milwaukee, WI
March 11, 2002
CSN&Y
CSN&Y

Review and Photos by Terry Mayer

With a familiar and sweet aroma lingering in the air, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young hit the stage at the Bradley Center and for over three hours it became their personal house of creation. Theirs is a rock and roll legacy that chronicles four generations of musical history and heartache. Each one a master of musical melodies, CSN&Y still proved they are relevant in today's music scene. Hippies who had their stems cut some 25 years ago, only to have them sprout once more for tonight's performance showed their tye-dyed colors that created a swirling middle-aged rainbow.
CSN&Y The band looking every bit their age with David Crosby resembling Santa Claus, Stephen Stills filling out his loose fitting clothing nicely, Graham Nash's hair now as white as snow and Neil Young's hat hiding his balding pate, forgot that rock is a young man's game. "You're My Girl," sounding a lot like Martha and the Vandals, fired-up the audience as Young danced about as if his body was an extension of the wailing notes flowing freely from his guitar. Young has a herky-jerky, back-and-forth stage dance that gets more intense as the heat index of the music increases. "Southern Man" played out it's scathing message of racism and hate as if it were written today. "Cinnamon Girl" brought everyone to their feet with enough muted cheers to spur the band on. "Our House" got the rough-hewn chords battling it out with the chorus. Graham Nash displayed his talents on the ivories as our house became their house. "Old Man," written thirty years ago, has finally fulfilled it's prophecy with this band.
"Guinevere" spilled all it's syrup and made you want to put your arm around your loved one and give them a little squeeze to let them know that you still love them. It's not about new love, but how to spark the old one. "Harvest Moon" had Young playing the guitar and harmonica in such perfect harmony that Bob Dylan would've taken notice. "Half Your Angels" written after the Oklahoma bombing was an emotional piece that struck at your soul. As did "Let's Roll" the song Young wrote after 9/11 about the last brave words spoken after the airline passengers rose up against the terrorists and crashed into a field. With it's low bass line the words sent shivers down everyones' spine at the retelling of the heroes moment of clarity.The band lit into "Woodstock," that's power is still able to kick in the doors and demand one more.
CSN&Y are still a great quartet of harmonic songwriters. Their voices are still in tune with music as protest, still in tune with the injustices of the world. With no moshers or body passers to be found, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young simply let their music tell the stories that helped to shape the lives of many in attendance.

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