Rock legends Neil Young and Stephen Stills took a trip down memory lane during a charity concert at Harvest Moon: A Gathering in Lake Hughes, California, on October 5th. The event raised funds for The Painted Turtle, a summer camp for children with serious illnesses, and The Bridge School, an organization Young has long supported. While the lineup included acts like John Mayer, Lily Meola, and Massanga, it was the reunion of the former Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY) bandmates that stole the spotlight.
A Journey Through Decades of Hits
Young and Stills opened their set with “Long May You Run”, the title track from their 1976 collaborative album, instantly bringing the crowd back to their storied past. They followed up with “Human Highway”, a song initially written for a CSNY project that never materialized, which eventually found its way onto Young’s 1978 solo album, Comes a Time.
But the real surprise came when the duo dusted off the Buffalo Springfield classic “Hung Upside Down”, which hadn’t been performed live in 57 years. Stills introduced the track with a humorous quip: “The worst four words you can hear in a live performance are ‘here’s a new song,’” before revealing that it was actually a new version of an old favorite from their 1967 album Buffalo Springfield Again.
According to Rolling Stone, this 57-year gap between performances broke a personal record for Young, who previously went 48 years without playing his track “If I Could Have Her Tonight” before revisiting it in 2016.
A Night of Timeless Classics
The rest of the setlist read like a greatest hits album, with performances of Stills’ “Love The One You’re With” and Young’s iconic “Heart of Gold” and “Harvest Moon.” They capped the night with “For What It’s Worth,” Buffalo Springfield’s enduring protest anthem. The concert closed on a high note with John Mayer joining for a powerful rendition of “Rockin’ in the Free World,” leaving the crowd in awe of the rock legends’ chemistry and their lasting influence on the music world.
A Special Event for a Worthy Cause
The Harvest Moon: A Gathering concert wasn’t just a celebration of legendary music, but also a significant fundraiser for two important causes. The event benefited The Painted Turtle, which provides camp experiences for children with life-threatening and chronic illnesses, and The Bridge School, an organization that supports children with speech and physical impairments, a cause close to Neil Young’s heart.
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