Neil and Promise of the real

[cobbler]

Just got home from seeing my latest Neil Young concert. I know a lot of you guitar shredder aficionados consider him a subpar guitarist but i would argue very much in the opposite direction. I am all about the "its not how many notes you play but how you play the notes" kind of guy. While I admire the Satche's and Vai's etc I have to admit I couldn't sit past 3 or 4 songs before getting bored listening to them.

What a phenomenal show. The first third of the concert was Neil solo on the acoustic. The second third was Neil playing his Martins with the Promise of the Real playing as an accompanying band. They instantly got my attention. Their lead guitarist in particular. Just damn talented. While I may not be the best guitarist I certainly have seen more acts than anyone i know and i noticed this guy instantly.

Neil then pulled out Old Black and I looked at my friend and said "you are in for a treat". All I can say is after seeing Neil over 30 times with the Crosby Stills and Nash, Crazy Horse, Booker T and the MG's etc this might have benn my most favorite. They did a version of Love and Only Love that ripped our heads off!

It was a three hour plus show that left my friend speechless. The Promise of the Real hung right with him.

After the show i was commenting on how stellar the guitarist was and how he jelled with Neil only to find out he is Lucas Nelson. Willies son. You will be hearing more from him. I guarantee it!

His brother Micah also played in the band.

If any of you have the opportunity to see this show I cannot recommend it enough. Even if you are not a Neil fan please do yourself a favor and go see this show if it comes to your town, You WILL NOT be disappointed. I promise.

This is music at it's BEST!

...and I got quite a few comments on the T-Shirt too!

 

[Toopy14]

Agreed, Neil Young is a very talented artist and guitarist. He also has a great sense of humour! Check it out;







Neil's father used to live nearby, in a town called Omemee (10 minutes from my place), as did Neil at one point. In fact, the line in the song 'Helpless'...'town in north Ontario' is a direct reference to Omemee, as admitted by Neil, even though Omemee is actually in southern Ontario.

When his father was still alive, Neil would come into town on his father's birthday. He would pick-up his father in a limo and they would head down to a local pub called the Montreal House and celebrate his father's birthday.

One time when Neil was in town, he decided he needed some strings for his Acoustic, so he decided to pop into the local Fender shop, Ed's Music (unfortunately, it has since closed) and have a look around. Don, the owner, whom I got to know really well before he closed the store due to health issues, told me it was the absolute high point of owning the store for 25+ years. He said Neil not only bought some strings, but he bought an acoustic as well.


" There is a town in north Ontario,
With dream comfort memory to spare,
And in my mind
I still need a place to go,
All my changes were there"

https://www.facebook.com/Youngtown-Rock-Roll-Museum-118113934885526/timeline/

 

[Rocket Brother]

+1
Haven't heard any shows with this band set-up, but have seen Neil a number of times and I've always left the concerts in complete awe of Neil's talent and grace as an artist, songwriter, singer and guitarist, and I feel the exactly same way as you regarding the "Satches and Vai's" vs Neil, I much prefere the less flashy "feel players"
No disrespect to Vai or any other überguitarist like him, tremendous talent and guitarist.
The first time I saw Neil live I was unprepared for just how great a live act he is and was left absolutely speachless and numbstruck. It remains one of the top 5 concert experiences for me.

 

[barhrecords]

I'm a big Neil Young fan too.

His guitar playing is brilliant. I still go back and woodshed on the solos from Powderfinger on Live Rust.

 

[funny_polymath]

Cobbler, I couldn't agree more: the hyper-fast 'stunt guitarists' haven't written any songs as memorable as Neil's B sides, and I LOVE his primal channeling when he plays. I actually feel bad for folks who cannot connect to the power and glory and simple (but not unsophisitcated) thrust of his playing. The man leaves his body when he plays, or maybe leave his mind, or maybe astral projects back to a campfire 30,000 years ago, I dunno, but there's nothing like him.

 

[Cooper Carter]

Cobbler, I couldn't agree more: the hyper-fast 'stunt guitarists' haven't written any songs as memorable as Neil's B sides, and I LOVE his primal channeling when he plays. I actually feel bad for folks who cannot connect to the power and glory and simple (but not unsophisitcated) thrust of his playing. The man leaves his body when he plays, or maybe leave his mind, or maybe astral projects back to a campfire 30,000 years ago, I dunno, but there's nothing like him.

+100