Crosby, Stills and Nash

It's not every day that I come into contact with real honest-to-goodness icons, but this past Saturday night was just such an occasion. My wife and I went to see Crosby, Stills and Nash at the Dodge Theater in downtown Phoenix, and it was simply incredible.

There aren't a whole lot of performers left from the Woodstock nation. Hendrix and Joplin are long dead. Half of The Who is gone and Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead has also moved on. Grace Slick and most of the members of Jefferson Airplane are still around, but how long has it been since they've performed together or created new music? Carlos Santana is still very much with us, but I don't know if he fits the description of being an icon. No, it seems to me that the only ones left are David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash.

Watching these three legends Saturday, I couldn't help but think that it was a minor miracle that these guys are still with us. They looked awful, they tottered up to the stage, and they gave the appearance of being old, fragile men. Stephen Stills looks like the guy who comes in to service your cooling system. David Crosby said he recently lost 50 pounds, but he can obviously stand to lose another 50, and gives the impression that he has murdered far more of his brain cells than he has left. Graham Nash looks so weather-beaten and haggard (anyone still care to make the argument that recreational drugs are harmless?) that it seems amazing he is still alive.

But alive they are, and oh, those incredibly sweet voices are just as wondrous as ever. Backed by a serviceable, if not spectacular, band of drums, bass, and two keyboard players, CSN took the predominantly mature (I was actually one of the younger attendees) crowd back to the age of Woodstock, hippies, flower power, Vietnam, and protest songs. They started with "Marrakesh Express", followed by "Love the One You're With", followed by "Long Time Comin". I couldn't help but be transformed back to my childhood, when CSN, Deja Vu, and Four Way Street were three of my favorite albums, and I played them constantly. Crosby, Stills and Nash (with or without Neil Young) was the music of my youth, and Saturday night I felt like I was thirteen years old again. It was wonderful.

I had forgotten how versatile Graham Nash is. He played acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harmonica, and keyboards. I was surprised to see that he has become the de facto leader of the band, and I wondered if it had always been that way. His performance on "Cathedral" and "Our House" was extraordinary.

And I had forgotten how talented a lead guitarist Stephen Stills is. When you think of guitar players, no one thinks of Stephen Stills. But there he was, balding and paunchy, cranking out excellent leads and solos to go along with fine vocals.

And David Crosby? The poor guy has been such a constant news item due to his drug addiction, prison terms, and sperm donations that it has been easy to forget what a great singer/songwriter he is. His tremendous performance on "Almost Cut My Hair", that great ode to the '60's, was simply electrifying and his self-deprecating humor throughout the show was refreshing.

The real power of the group, forty years ago, as well as now, has always been their harmonies. The second half of the show began without the backing band, as Stills strummed a guitar while the three legends sang "You Don't Have to Cry" and "Helplessly Hoping." "Wooden Ships" was epic and stirring, while "Teach Your Children" was as tender and heart-warming as ever. There were some disappointments, ommissions like "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" and "Woodstock", but hey, they simply can't play everything. But what they did give us was simply joyous.

So much of my life these days is wrapped around making a living, connecting with my teenage children, putting my life back together, and trying to survive this hellish economy. It is oh so hard for me to remember what it used to be like, when I was young, idealistic and full of energy and enthusiasm. My childhood often seems like a blur, something that happened to someone else. But last Saturday night, I was transformed back to a time of bell bottoms, protest songs, youth and innocence. I felt young and alive again, with a goofy smile on my face as I sang along to all those great songs. I felt free, and happy. And that is why Crosby, Stills and Nash are icons, and legends. I'm so glad I was there Saturday night.