Neil Young & Crazy Horse Recruits Micah Nelson For 2024 Tour

When Neil Young & Crazy Horse announced their upcoming Love Earth Tour it was unclear if Nils Lofgren would participate or if Micah Nelson would continue to perform with the band. Micah is officially in for the run as E Street Band member Lofgren will be on the road with Bruce Springsteen during most of the Crazy Horse tour, a situation Willie Nelson‘s son discussed in a new interview.

Neil Young‘s ensemble for the tour will feature Micah Nelson along with the longtime Crazy Horse rhythm section of drummer Ralph Molina and bassist Billy Talbot. Micah’s history with Neil dates back to 2014, when he performed with Young at Farm Aid. He then became part of Neil’s backing band for a series of Neil Young & Promise Of The Real tours from 2015 through 2019. Additionally, Micah Nelson joined Crazy Horse last September at The Roxy and at a private November show in Toronto documented on the forthcoming FU##IN’ UP album.

“I love playing with Neil and Ralph and Billy, and hopefully Nils can join us here and there,” Micah Nelson told Rolling Stone when asked about the upcoming tour. “It’ll just be nice to get back out there with Neil again doing the thing. We have such a great time. I think I’ve played over 100-something shows with him in the past, and we weren’t sure if it was ever going to happen again. Those guys are getting old and Covid happened and it sounded like Neil wasn’t really going to play. And so I just think it’s miraculous and a great gift to still have Neil and Ralph and Billy, and to be able to ride again.”

Micah was asked about a few gaps in the Springsteen schedule that may allow Lofgren to perform with Crazy Horse. I sure hope so,” Nelson responded. “That would be great. I know that he would be welcomed if that was the case. It would just expands our song list, really, of the stuff we can do.”

Nelson discussed his Neil Young fandom, noting he learned his catalog when he was a teenager. “Neil’s music always sort of being around in the periphery,” Micah explained. “I grew up going to Farm Aid every year, so he was always this sort of figure, and the music was there. It’s just always been part of the soundtrack of my life.”

Micah was 13 the first time he saw Neil Young perform with Crazy Horse and the show had a major effect on him. “Neil was like this psychedelic scarecrow, just lurching around and wielding this crazy feedback,” Nelson said of the show at Willie Nelson’s Fourth of July Picnic in Spicewood, Texas. “They were just on a train of sound, and they would get in their little huddle and powwow. It was one of those moments where you get memories from the future. It just felt so important and profound and deep.”

Rolling Stone’s Andy Greene told Micah with former Crazy Horse guitarist Frank “Poncho” Sampedro retired and Nils Lofgren unavailable, Nelson is the perfect musician for the job and that he was born for the role. “That’s how I feel. I’ve been rehearsing for this job my whole life,” Micah responded. Head to Rolling Stone for much more from Micah Nelson about joining Neil Young & Crazy Horse.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse launch the tour on April 24 in San Diego, California. The trek continues through July 23. Scroll below for a complete list of dates.