Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

DFW

(58,592 posts)
Wed Jul 23, 2025, 11:27 PM Jul 23

An evening with Graham Nash



We just got back from a concert by Graham Nash and his group (3 other musicians). These guys were versatile, great singers, and loved the music they were playing. He did Hollies, to CSN to his own post CSN material.

He is 83,and no longer has quite the vocal range he did, but not far away, and his backup musicians more than made up for it. He recently had a bad fall in NYC, messed up his knee very badly. He was wearing a sophisticated knee brace and needed a cane to walk. He said he'd be needing PT for months yet.

The music was PHENOMINAL!!! It was like he had the Hollies and CSN behind the stage doing backup. He did tributes to Rita Coolidge and Joni Mitchell, plus David Crosby and Steven Stills songs. He gave explanations of the backgrounds (some unbelievably mundane) of some of his most popular songs. He must have done FOUR encores, the last of which was a perfect Suite Judy Blue Eyes, with two of his band filling in perfectly for Crosby and Stills.

My brother, a musician on his own, and my sister, a professional mezzo soprano, got last minute tickets and were able to tag along. I had reserved front row seats back in March, when the gig was announced. It had sold out in hours (in Truro, Massachusetts!!), but the venue acted at the last minute when they saw the weather would be perfect this evening, and added some outside-the-tent seats, which were only a 20 second walk from our seats.

The average age of the audience must have been 65 or older, which made sense, since the music was of an age. But who knows how much longer someone like Graham Nash can actually tour. The audience cheered, yelled, danced, it might as well have been 50 years earlier. What was particularly nice is that it was obvious that Nash was having as good a time as we were. He was visibly grateful. I guess if doing four encores at age 83 and suffering from a painful injury isn't an indication, nothing is.

If there was anyone not in a fabulous mood after that show, it would have been due to total sensory deprivation.
9 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies

perfessor

(322 posts)
1. What a great review.
Wed Jul 23, 2025, 11:47 PM
Jul 23

I’m in the demographic, and would have loved to be there.

I saw David Crosby live about 10 years ago. He didn’t revisit any old material, choosing to move forward. Still a good show, RIP.

DFW

(58,592 posts)
4. Nash sometimes does new material, but he is a consummate professional
Thu Jul 24, 2025, 12:44 AM
Thursday

He knows that a mostly older audience will want to hear mostly older material, and he could see us singing his lyrics along with him. He gave us what we wanted of him, and the thunderous response was his reward. Everyone got what they came for, and then some.

sestina

(419 posts)
2. Thanks for sharing this.
Thu Jul 24, 2025, 12:24 AM
Thursday

It's great that you got to enjoy Graham Nash and his group perform, and four encodes was a nice bonus.
It's good to know that he's still out there making people happy with his music.

DFW

(58,592 posts)
3. Even if he hadn't said so, it was obvious
Thu Jul 24, 2025, 12:39 AM
Thursday

He absolutely still loves doing what he’s doing, and thanked us for the positive response.

highplainsdem

(57,575 posts)
7. Sounds like a wonderful evening, DFW! I'm so glad you got to enjoy it - and glad to hear that Graham
Thu Jul 24, 2025, 04:39 PM
Thursday

was obviously enjoying it as well.

It made for bittersweet reading last night, though, after posting the news earlier in the day that Golden Earring's George Kooymans had died, after a battle with ALS ( https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143500597 ). He was 6 years younger than Graham, but Golden Earring had started doing American tours in the late '60s and on one tour George and lead singer Barry had stayed at Stephen Stills's house and possibly met Graham. Like so many musicians then, they used drugs and did a lot of drinking - George had to be carried onto a plane once when they were touring with the Who and he'd tried to keep up with Keith Moon partying the night before - but he'd taken good care of himself in recent decades. Even ran marathons. Had been so healthy that even in his early 70s he'd been able to write, record and tour with both an American guitarist in a duo, and with two other famous Dutch musicians in a supergroup trio, while still keeping Golden Earring together and selling out arenas. And then ALS ended all three groups, when George had had no intention of slowing down.

With some classic rock musicians, their staying healthy (or not) seems deliberately attributable to lifestyle choices. But with others it seems so random and unfair.

I hope Graham will have more years in pretty good health - and no more bad falls.

bif

(26,000 posts)
8. Sound like a wonderful evening.
Thu Jul 24, 2025, 05:47 PM
Thursday

I'll have to keep on the lookout to see if he's appearing here in Detroit anytime soon.

Paladin

(31,123 posts)
9. An old school friend of mine went to a Graham Nash concert in Virginia, a couple of years ago.
Thu Jul 24, 2025, 06:16 PM
Thursday

He told me that of all the concerts he'd ever been to, it was the very best.

Latest Discussions»The DU Lounge»An evening with Graham Na...