Neil Young & Crazy Horse Dust Off ‘The Losing End’ In Fresno

Legendary rockers Neil Young & Crazy Horse played their second of three shows at Fresno’s Warnors Theatre on Wednesday night that marks the group’s return to the stage for the first time since 2014. Neil Young and his troupe stuck to a similar script as opening night with two changes.

The Crazy Horse lineup for the three shows in Fresno and this weekend’s concerts in Bakersfield finds Young backed by multi-instrumentalist Nils Lofgren, bassist Billy Talbot and drummer Ralph Molina. Wednesday’s performance featured a total of 15 songs laid out as one long set with a lone encore. NYCH once again opened with Broken Arrow’s “Big Time,” which was revived on opening night for the first time since 2001.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse continued on in similar fashion on night two as “Country Home” and “Don’t Cry No Tears” gave way to the beloved “Winterlong” and rarities “World On A String” and “Scattered (Let’s Think About Livin’).” Next up were “Fuckin’ Up” and another take on “Too Far Gone,” the Freedom favorite that returned to action for the first time in nearly a decade on Tuesday.

Once again Neil played acoustic and Lofgren moved to piano for “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” before the quartet rocked out on “Cinnamon Girl.” The improv-heavy “Cortez The Killer” was followed by the first change to the setlist from the previous evening, as Neil Young & Crazy Horse went with “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere.” While the band ended Tuesday’s main set with “Like A Hurricane” ahead of “Mansion On The Hill,” the order was swapped to close out Wednesday’s main set.

The biggest surprise of the night came in the encore slot. Neil Young & Crazy Horse busted out “The Losing End” to close out the action on Wednesday in Fresno. Last night’s version of the song from 1969’s Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere was the first played by Young and his longtime backing band since February 23, 2004. “Walk On” and “Roll Another Number” were the only tunes performed on opening night that didn’t make the setlist on night two. Young and Crazy Horse close out the run in Fresno tonight and then head to The Fox Theater in Bakersfield for concerts on Saturday and Sunday.

Watch Neil Young & Crazy Horse perform “The Losing End” thanks to videographer nowiknowuryder:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXGTkRQiMtU

Here’s footage of “Fuckin’ Up” thanks to Ruby InTheDust:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq8zdzw5NOk

Check out “World On A String” from Wednesday in Fresco captured by nowiknowuryder:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9UfEuYIut8