Neil Young concert review: Icon brings raw power to Forest Hills

nypost.com:

Neil Young and his band Crazy Horse at Forest Hills Stadium when a light rain came down during their raucous ‘Love Earth’ concert.

At other outdoor shows, this minor inconvenience might have put a damper on the evening; everyone knows wearing ponchos is never cool.

However, on an eco-friendly, earth-loving night such as this, the drizzle was a welcome reminder to not only be present but appreciate the simple pleasures the planet has to offer.More than anything though, the sprinkle added a bit of texture to the 78-year-old Young’s inimitable guitar talents and otherworldly, warbly vocals at the tennis stadium turned concert venue.Over the course of the warm yet wet evening, the Godfather of Grunge ripped through 16 songs — a handful of hits and a slew of deep cuts — in a set shortened by his entertaining, eccentric opening act Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping going a touch long (the preacher sermonized about “the earth coming into us”) and unexpected technical difficulties.Let’s start at the beginning of Neil’s set, though.To kick things off, Young humbly ambled onstage with the imposing “crazy horse” large looming large on a backdrop behind him.

Never one for grandiosity, the Toronto native wore an unassuming trucker hat and jean jacket. If he wasn’t one of the world’s most gifted musicians, one might have mistaken him for a trucker emerging from a rest stop bathroom.The two-time Rock Hall of Fame inductee — for his solo work and Buffalo Springfield tenure — quickly jumped into his downbeat 1975 classic “Cortez The Killer.” For the next ten or so minutes, Young and Crazy Horse delivered their trademark searing, unassuming sound.