Neil Young, revisited

Greetings, live music fans!

We’re capping off our Idols and Inspirations week…

Tonight on Canada Live, we offer you a repeat broadcast of one of the most talked-about concerts of 2009 (in Toronto, at least): the Neil Young Tribute Concert.

As I say in the show, when you talk about musical idols in this country (and I don’t mean Canadian Idol), you have to talk about Neil Young. Over his 50-year career, his accomplishments are too long to list, but here are a few: Buffalo Springfield. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Crazy Horse. Farm Aid. 26 Juno nominations (he took home more than a few of them). I’m pleased to say that, just this past December, Young was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. He is the MusicCares Person of the Year, as named by NARAS (the folks who give out the Grammys). Heck, he’s even got a species of spider named after him!

You may know that, back in 1971, Neil Young gave a now-legendary concert at Toronto’s Massey Hall. The album version of that concert is one of the most coveted in the Neil Young discography.

Well, several of Canada’s finest musicians came together on that very stage, and re-created that concert, for a packed house of fans. The Musical Director for that show is guitar wizard Kevin Breit (who I happen to know is a Neil Young fanatic). Breit and his band, the Sisters Euclid, back up a star-studded array of performers, including Colin James, Danny Michel, Carole Pope, Issa, and a host of others. Our show tonight will give you all the highlights, as they would have sounded if you were sitting front row centre.

I can tell you, without bias, this is a hot concert. You’d be well-advised to be by your radio (or computer) for this one – especially if Neil Young’s one of your idols. And there are an awful lot of us who would say he is.

Peace,
A.C.