United Center
Chicago, Illinois, Feb. 17, 2002
Jump down to...
TS's quick early report
Geoff M's review and rant
(more reviews coming)
Also See:
The show details.
The
Confirmed
Set List
First Set
- Carry On/Questions
- Pre-Road Downs
- Goin' Home
[currently unreleased Neil song]
- Military Madness
- Wooden Ships
- Feed The People
- You're My Girl
[Neil song new this tour]
- I Used To Be A King
- Down By The River
- For What It's Worth
- Southern Cross
- Almost Cut My Hair
- Cinnamon Girl
Second Set
- Helplessly Hoping
- Our House
- Old Man
- Guinnevere
- Dream For Him
- Harvest Moon
- Ole Man Trouble
- Half Your Angels
- Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
[7th Inning Stretch]
- Let's Roll
[currently
unreleased Neil song]
- Long Time Gone
- Two Old Friends
[Neil song new this tour]
- Woodstock
- Rockin' In The Free World
Encore
- Teach Your Children
- Eight Miles High
United Center
Chicago, Illinois, Feb. 17, 2002
quick early report by TS
We got Down By The River!
It's late, so here are a few comments...
Music started at 8:10 and ended at 11:40. Based on what has been written
about earlier shows, the boys hit their stride tonight. Everyone was into
it -- Stills and Young jammed on many. During RITFW, Nash backed
away at one point and Crosby just stood there and didn't dare get any closer.
Also, as has been written, Carry On with Questions added is
much better than in 2000. Booker T and Smokey Potts are a great addition.
The best rhythm section I have heard CSNY with to date. Neil's lead guitar
on Military Madness was explosive, literally reminded me of
Shots. We got two "How ya doin'?"s.
Stills' voice held it together for Southern Cross and SJBE.
Guinnevere was lovely. I don't know why the concert idiots decide
to hoot and holler during this tune.
Well, I best get these tired eyes to bed. Tomorrow is already here. If you
are going to see CSNY this tour you really have something to look
forward to.
TS
"this much madness is too much sorrow"
United Center
Chicago, Illinois, Feb. 17, 2002
review and rant by Geoff M
Just got back form my trip to Chi. The show was a
great time, but I am not without my cynical gripes as usual. First a
quick song by song review, and then I'll get cooking...
- Carry On/Questions -- Not thrilling, but most were digging it.
Fine opener.
- Pre Road Downs -- Good, but not too much crowd enthusiasm.
- Going Home -- Slower than Euro versions i think. Good, no one
cared though, and I was stifled by lame old people sitting behind me who
would not let me rock out to Neil. [More on that later.]
This was an excellent song and I'm glad I got to hear it.
- Military Madness -- Not a big Nash fan. Song is poignant but
no thrill for me.
- Wooden Ships -- Well done, psychedelic jamish.
- Feed the People -- This is why CSN can't get a record
deal without Neil. C'mon Stephen, could it be more obvious? "Feed the
children, let the peace begin" or whatever. You need to look at some better
songwriters and take some notes. Hey, how 'bout Neil? The guy on your left!
- You're My Girl -- Neil sounded good, song did not thrill my young
(youth) rock n' roll mentality. Older folks had to relate to it though,
and I'm sure it will grow on me like all good Neil songs do. Very 50's
like, as expected, not my favorite Neil style.
- I Used To Be A King -- Whatever Nash, I know you have fans
there that loved this, but not me. I'm sleeping...now!
- Down by the River ! -- Yeah, I'm awake, I'm really fu--in'
awake now! I was sleeping until now, really, the whole time. I mean
Goin' Home was great but nowhere near as intense as this. It
saved me. Honestly in retrospect now, the songs up to this point were
okay, but at the time I wanted to go home crying. Thank you Neil for
pulling this out for us. Like the rest of Neil's old songs last night,
nothing out of the ordinary, but the life of the show for sure. He thrashed,
he ripped, and I finally could get my own Neil dance on in the middle of the
aisle. Rock and Roll! I was blown!
- For What It's Worth -- Well done, very enjoyable, respect to
Stills...
- Southern Cross -- Also good, but over-rated track in my opinion.
But well done again by stills. His voice gave out at some point in one of
these early songs, but it came back okay at this point.
- Almost Cut My Hair -- Crosby Rocked, Neil thrashes again. Great
performance. I now again have been reminded that Crosby is the best of
the three. What was I thinking about Stills!? Crosby had great energy,
his voice sounded great! Neil was really goin at it, and I was flailing
like Neil once again!
- Cinnamon Girl -- Really good. I was thinking that these run of
the mill Neil songs (only because they are played A LOT) would not get me,
but because the rest of the performances were just so-so in comparison
to Neil's talent, they ripped. Neils' rockin, he keeps on comin' back --
I'm lovin' it! Anyone who says that anyone but Neil dominated the show
thus far (and throughout) is crazy. He has made the first set!
(intermission)
- Helplessly Hoping -- Sweet, song, hats off to Nash,
finally... respect...
- Our House -- Can't stand it, sorry, I'm sure it was performed
well for most...
- Old Man -- Thank you Neil, truly one of your best. Even beyond
its popular appeal. Sweet, sweet, sweet.
- Guinevere -- More respect for Nash, and Crosby. The best
performance by both of them (except ACMH by Cros) so far. Really
sweet. Great DARK song IMHO.
- Dream for Him -- best song from Looking Forward
other than Neils'. Well done acoustic version, liked it better than last
tour. Well done, again, Crosby. You surprised me for no good reason --
what was I thinkin?
- Harvest Moon -- Do we need another version? No. Was it still
one of the best performances of the night? YES! If this happened in the
middle of a Neil show I would have been more disappointed. Now I would
have rather had some sweeter Neil tune off the beaten path, but it was
sweet, and ladies, I cried. The only time Neil pulled out the harmonica,
and that saddened me almost as much as this tear jerking song did. And,
on a personal note: for all rusties who were in high school/college
inspired by early Neil, this was the turn on album for me in college. It
turned me on to Neil, and it turned me on to simpler things. THIS RECORD
WAS TRULY THE ONLY ONE OF THE 90S TO HAVE A TRUE SIMPLE HIPPIE
PERSPECTIVE. Inspiring. Again saved by a Neil.
- Ole Man Trouble -- If this was Booker's song, you should have
let him play it. And oh yea, at his own show some other time. Yeah a good
blues tune, but nothing special.
- Half Your Angels -- meh.
- Suite: Judy Blue Eyes -- Best stills performance of the night.
It was great and long and rockin'. I danced like the kids used to and
Stills broke out a sweet acoustic solo on stage alone. Respect for stills...
(7th inning stretch)
- Let's Roll -- Great. Neil rocked on it a bit, sounded better
than I have been able to hear it thus far.
- Long Time Gone -- Another ripper. One of three or four Non-Neil
songs dominated by Neil. It was either on this or Woodstock or both
that Neil really broke out that Ragged Glory (as heard on Euro Tour) ripping
sound to the table. Great, great, great.
- Two Old Friends -- I think this is a fine Neil song that will
grow on me by leaps and bounds. Again Neil pulls out his sweet and strange
high old voice for us and it sounds excellent. When he sang "in my heart,
in my old black heart" I was stunned. Sounded beautiful.
- Woodstock -- Jamming. Neil dominated and ripped hard again. I
can only say it so many times.
- Rockin' In The Free World -- Better than the Crazy Horse
version at Farm Aid, IMHO. Neil did not hang with that final verse
as usual, his poor voice just can't do it. CSN held that verse
though, and overall an excellent version and faster than other recent
ones I can remember. I have to say though, i am very cynical about this
once meaningful song being turned into some sort of banner cry for the
USA. Am I wrong? (More later maybe...)
(encore)
- Teach Your Children -- Yeah, okay fine. Sorry folks, I will
give respect where respect is due, but to me: cliché.
- Eight Miles High -- Great finisher. I got down on the floor
and was able to see that Neil painful expression in the flesh from the
left side of stage. The message of this song and the whole night: NEIL,
NEIL, NEIL, NEIL!
Okay, I think I got a longer rant in me:
Let's see about the show... Now, I am a youngster among Rusties and
definitely for this CSNY crowd at 26, so I may be in a minority here. I
have a feeling it was more a Chicago/CSN crowd thing that made
what I am about to say true: The crowd, with the exception of a few,
blew chunks.
If I were those guys up there and saw some of the pathetic reactions while
they played their songs, I would have stopped playing. What happened to
the Time Fades Away album cover crowd? Oh yeah, CSN
was there. Neil got the only inspired reactions for sure. It's a rock n'
roll show, and if I want to stand up and rock or dance at ANY time, I do
not want to be told to sit down!
Going Home almost got ruined for me by assholes who would not stop
bitching to the point verging on violence, until I sat down. I was pissed,
and I felt like the hippie dream was gone. I mean people, these
are old hippie rock n' rollers, and at one time they provoked emotion
from you all, what happened?!
This got a bit better as the night went on and people accepted that I
was going to have a good time regardless of their bitching. There were
other old folks rockin', so I'm not trying to label it a young/old issue,
but geez. Can I dare to say as an x-Chicagoan, that so many of you are
just pricks! Sorry, I will move on...
What else, what else.... Neil looked good. He looked coolest on that
blues Booker song when he stood in the background with his head tilted
so low with his country hat and his dark clothes on. A truly menacing
figure. Did not see too much of his eyes under the shadow of his hat the
whole night. He had a few comments, but nothing too thrilling. A coupla
good "How Ya Doin'?"s.
I thought the sound for this venue was really pretty good. Even better
when you cup your hands around the back of your ears. Damaging, but most
enjoyable! I had fun surfing around the floor unwarranted and dodging
security who were only half inspired to stop me. Had fun doing the Neil
dance to some older folks' extreme enjoyment. Eight Miles High,
what a great performance.
Okay, I guess that's all I have but since I'm here I got to mention
something about the true meaning of RITFW...
To me, Rocking In The Free World speaks to the worst of our American
society. It tells us that as a civilization we ABUSE our freedom. Thus
the line "Keep on Rockin' in the Free World", as in sarcasm. We avert
our eyes from the homeless and drug addicted, and our leadership only
offers cute slogans to mend the tears. That is the main message from
this protest song. Now, by that token I still consider it to be a very
patriotic song...
...Not "wave your flag on your 50,000 dollar SUV" patriotism, but REAL
patriotism. Like "hello, our country's fu--ed from within and we need
to change it" patriotism. Like the original patriots (only they were
F-ed from external forces)! Okay I'm defiantly bordering on a political
mess, but my question is this: Is RITFW being misrepresented by
the band and Neil, and by the audience, or am I missing the real message?
To me, this is not a post 9-11 rally song, like "R-O-C-K in the U-S-A!"
This is a critical look at our society, and calls for introspection,
not babbling patriotism like I feel it has been displayed here.
Okay, that's it for me. Send all of your hate mail to me if you need to.
Loved the show, and overall enjoyed CSN too. But as the last word:
NEIL AND ONLY NEIL WILL ENDURE!
Geoff
Yes, that was me with the doves.1
(reviews coming...)