Watch Neil Young Perform In Public For 1st Time Since 2019 At Anti-Logging Rally
The legendary rocker played two songs at the environmental event held outside the British Columbia Legislature Building.
By Andy Kahn Feb 27, 2023 • 9:48 am PST
Photo credit: Alex Tsui-Wilderness Committee
Neil Young performed in public for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic when he made a surprise appearance Saturday at an anti-logging rally in his native Canada. The performance took place at the United For Old-Growth event held outside the British Columbia Legislature Building on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
Prior to Saturday’s unexpected performance, Young had last played in public in September 2019 at Farm Aid, the annual event supporting small farms whose board members includes the 77-year-old, twice-inducted Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer. Young cited feeling unsafe due to the pandemic when explaining his reasoning for sitting out Farm Aid 2022.
Billed only as a special guest, Young was brought to the stage by his wife, actor/filmmaker Daryl Hannah. After the introduction, Young, performing on acoustic guitar and harmonica, first offered a solo rendition of “Comes A Time.” Fittingly, the title track to Young’s 1978 album features lyrics referencing tall trees.
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Young then addressed the large audience of United For Old-Growth supporters, stating:
“Thank you Canada. You know I’m here for those trees up there. It’s a beautiful, precious, sacred thing – these old trees because they show us the power of nature when we are being threatened. They show us the past and they show us our future. And that’s something that I hope our Canadian government and business section will recognize. That this has to do with Canada. It has to do with the Ages, if we’re lucky enough to have Ages. And these trees have lasted so long, they deserve Canada’s respect.”
Young finished his performance with the classic “Heart Of Gold,” from his landmark 1972 album, Harvest. Watch Young’s United For Old-Growth rally appearance below:
Young will join his Buffalo Springfield and CSNY bandmate Stephen Stills at the all-star Autism Speaks Light Up The Blues 6 Concert on April 22 at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. Young will also perform as part of the two-night Willie Nelson all-star 90th birthday concerts at the Hollywood Bowl in Las Angeles on April 29 and 30.
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