All Neil, All Night

Concerts at the Crossing will present a tribute to Neil Young’s ‘Harvest’ album.

By: Kristin Boyd
   Neil Young is an original. He writes lyrics that peel back the layers of Americana, and his songs, whether they hit the Billboard charts or not, introduce listeners to characters, places and situations they can relate to.
   For that, his music has resonated for generations, says 28-year-old John Francis, a Philadelphia musician whose parents played vinyl Neil Young albums while he was growing up.
   "Neil Young was a rite of passage for me as a songwriter and performer," Mr. Francis says. "Songs like ‘Ohio,’ ‘Southern Man,’ ‘Alabama,’ ‘Cortez the Killer’ — they have a conscience and a heart. And like a photograph or a giant mirror, Neil held those songs up to a generation and to the nation, and said, ‘Look at yourselves.’ Those songs still give me shivers."
   In celebration of Neil Young and the 35th anniversary of his acclaimed Harvest album, Concerts at the Crossing is hosting Harvest Plus March 24 in Titusville. Mr. Francis, along with The Kennedys, Deb Pasternak and Jim Boggia, will perform more than 20 Neil Young songs, including his only number one hit, "Heart of Gold."
   "We’re not going to imitate Neil Young," says Maura Kennedy, one half of The Kennedys, a married couple from Massachusetts. "We’re all going to try to convey his energy and charisma. It’s going to be really interesting to hear different artists playing his songs because then you’ll get an appreciation for him as a songwriter."
   Many diehard fans would contend Harvest, a number one album that remained on the charts for 41 weeks and is often included in top album lists, is not Neil Young’s best. That distinction often goes to After the Gold Rush, says Scott Cullen, Concerts at the Crossing organizer.
   "’Harvest’ is a landmark album in his career, even though it might not be his best," he says. "It was the first album where Neil Young seriously hit the pop charts and had real serious pop success. ‘Harvest’ was that album that put him on the map from a commercial standpoint."
   Still, the album, with its searing guitar plucks and unflinching portraits of American life, barrels to the core of the human spirit. Young’s raw descriptions of a man mining for a "Heart of Gold" and a junkie losing everything in "The Needle and the Damage Done" are as relevant today as they were in the early 1970s.
   "He wasn’t trying to sound like anyone else," Ms. Kennedy says. "He was writing from his own personal voice. When you do that, it comes out as being really timeless."
   That timelessness made Young an ideal choice for a tribute show, Mr. Cullen says. "With a performer like Neil Young, it really comes down to a body of work," he says. "He has different kinds of style, and you never know what you’re going to get — acoustic guitar Neil Young, rocker Neil Young, experimental techno Neil Young. He is a musician, and we’re going to cover his entire career."
   Young — both a solo performer and member of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young — is the third artist to be celebrated with a Concerts at the Crossing tribute show, Mr. Cullen says. The Beatles and Carole King have also been recognized.
   Mr. Cullen settled on Young after his name came up over beer and pizza. The Harvest Plus concert, he says, will encompass Young’s most famous songs and others that are well loved but not as recognized.
   "So it’s going to be all Neil, all night long," Mr. Cullen says. "The challenge was to find performers who’d be willing to do cover songs all night long. I was lucky enough to find four acts."
   Mr. Francis, who combines rock, folk, pop and Americana musical styles, is the newcomer.He’ll share the stage with Ms. Pasternak, a singer-songwriter whose performance style is reminiscent of Young’s, and The Kennedys, whose mixture of folk, country and pop have made them the unofficial house band for Concerts at the Crossing. Mr. Boggia, a pop singer-songwriter who co-wrote the number one Billboard hit "Glory," will also perform.
   The groups will finalize their playlists and figure out how to meld their styles and sounds when they practice for the first time — two hours before the show.
   "The thing that makes a show like this magical is the interaction between the artists," says Pete Kennedy, the other half of The Kennedys. "This could be a one-time thing. You not might get these artists in this frame again performing Neil Young songs."
   Mr. Francis agrees, saying he’s excited to honor Young. "(He) is one of the greatest songwriters of all time. Celebrate him because of his love for communication, for truth, for resonating with the American people, for keeping his finger on the pulse after all these years."
Harvest Plus will be performed at the Unitarian Universalist Church at Washington Crossing, 268 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road, Titusville, March 24, 8 p.m.. Tickets cost $20, $5 for children under 15. Complimentary snacks and beverages will be served at intermission. For tickets, directions or information, call (609) 406-1424. On the Web: www.crossingconcerts.com