Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Greendale Tour
San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, CA
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Irvine, CA
9/19/03, 9/20/03
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Young, Costello take aim and deliver The legendary performers prove to be a powerful double bill at Verizon.
By STEVE FRYER Two of rock's greatest songwriters made their statements at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater on Saturday night. Neil Young wants everyone to know that "we've got a job to do; we've got to save Mother Earth." And Elvis Costello proved once again that his aim is very true. In one of the best double bills the outdoor venue has hosted, Young, backed by Crazy Horse, brought his "Greendale" semi-musical to Orange County, and Costello, backed by the Imposters - his old supporting band the Attractions with a different bass player – performed a string of classics. Young's "Greendale" is a 10-song cycle that is a layered story. It centers mostly on Sun Green, a Greendale resident in her late teens who has a political awakening. Influenced by her grandfather, she becomes a soldier for environmental causes. Vietnam vet Earl Green spends his days painting psychedelic art that he unsuccessfully tries to sell. There is the murder of a good cop in a traffic stop gone awry. This event brings masses of the mass media into the small Northern California coastal town, upsetting everyone, especially Grandpa Green. And all the while, the Devil lurks. He is doing something to the water, creating an impending environmental tragedy that the disparate residents can stop, but only if they unite in a common cause. Confusing? Well, even ol' Neil seemed to have a little trouble figuring it out Saturday night. Before introducing "Leave the Driving," he said: "There is a jail in Greendale, built in 1911. ... But this song's not about that. It's about John Green ... ." As with the three "Greendale" shows Young played at the Greek Theatre in July, set pieces were employed - a jail, a dock, a dance hall and Grandpa's front porch, where Grandpa teaches Sun that all you need is love to solve the world's problems. There are some dark moments to the story: the death of police officer Carmichael, Jed Green's arrest and incarceration for the murder; Grandpa, hounded incessantly by TV news reporters, has a fatal heart attack as a result. But in the end, there is hope. Led by Sun, the town rallies, and all of the players are grouped onstage dancing and singing along during the finale, "Be the Rain." They decide that, yes, there is a job to do and they are going to try to save Mother Earth. With "Greendale" concluded, Young and Crazy Horse gave the audience what they really came for - an encore that included "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)," "Cinnamon Girl," "Powderfinger," a somewhat condensed version of "Cortez the Killer" and "Roll Another Number." Young played great, as usual, and Crazy Horse was superb. Now that he has pushed "Greendale" at two stops in these parts during the past three months, it would be nice to see Young and the Horse return to Southern California to play a more typical show. And it would be tremendous to have Costello and the Imposters play a full, two-hour show. Costello was in fine voice as he performed several tunes from his first three classic albums, including "Alison," "Pump It Up" and "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love and Understanding?" That is one tight combo backing him. There are not many drummers as good as Pete Thomas. But the set, being the opening part of the bill, was too short to truly satisfy. Mr. Costello, how about holding residence for a string of shows with this band at a place like the House of Blues?
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