Welcome to a new feature on the blog:
“What I’m listening to on Tuesday”
These new bi-weekly posts will be an ongoing series, taking a look at some of the songs, albums, or
concerts that have inspired me in some way. It’s a chance for me to tell you a bit about myself through the music that I listen to, and you can tell me a bit about yourself (if you’d like) by commenting here or on a social media post.
So, first up is a gem of a concert from 1984 (when I was 10!), which I first saw on PBS in 1993. It was a very important concert for me personally, but I’ll get to that in a bit…
In September of 1984, Neil Young hit the stage of the world famous Austin City Limits with his band at the time, the International Harvesters, performing many of his classic hits like Heart of Gold, The Needle and the Damage Done, and Down by the River. The concert itself flows flawlessly from one song to the next, the band solidly backs Neil throughout.
The standout performance for me is that of fiddle player Rufus Thibodeaux - a veteran of the Nashville music scene for decades. He picks his spots to shine perfectly, and really helps bring an already fantastic song like Comes a Time or a newer one (at that time) California Sunset to a whole new classic country level.
An extra added bonus, along with the great music in this concert, is the glimpse into mid 1980’s fashion and style! There are some great audience reaction shots during the concert and the fashions (especially the BIG glasses) are 100% eighties - a real trip down memory lane for some of us.
The link for the entire episode is below, and it includes all the classic PBS donation-drive breaks too. It’s classic 1980’s must-see TV!
“In the field of opportunity, it’s plowin’ time again. Ain’t no way of telling where these seeds will rise or when…” - Neil Young (From the song Field of Opportunity, recorded in 1978)
Well, you’re probably asking at this point, what’s my connection to a concert that was recorded when I was 10-years old and saw for the first time when I was 19 or 20... Well, I’m pretty sure that if I had not seen a broadcast of this concert in 1993, my music career would have probably started, and ended in 1993! So, here’s the story…
When I first began playing guitar, it felt like fate had stepped in and sent my life in a different direction, the path I was supposed to be on. Through what was probably mostly luck (or fate again), I was able to buy a beautiful Fender Stratocaster. Unfortunately, I did not really know how to play guitar. Many of my friends did though, and when they asked to check out my new purchase, wow, could they ever make that guitar sing!!
I quickly became discouraged and kind of stopped playing entirely. I felt that I could not be the guitar player this instrument needed as an owner. We just were not a good match. But fate stepped in again, and a short time later, I happened to see a concert on PBS - yes, you know the one… During the song Helpless, they zoomed in on Neil’s hands and I saw that this legendary song was only three chords - D, A and G, all the way through.
My first thought was, "Hey, I knew those chords!"
It was my “lightbulb moment” as Oprah used to say… That was the day I realized I could be a solid rhythm guitar player and a singer-songwriter. My fate wasn’t to be a flashy lead guitar player, I was meant to be a storyteller like some of my idols - Neil, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash.
I sold that Fender guitar and spent $20 at a flea market buying an old, beat up acoustic guitar. That guitar is long gone, but this Neil Young concert led to 29-years of songwriting - and I’m still working in the field of opportunity. Now that I think about it, I should probably make a donation to my nearest PBS station...
Thanks for sticking around to hear about what I’m listening to on Tuesday - see ya next time!
Here's the concert video:
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