Concert Review: Crosby, Stills & Nash at Wolf Trap

by Rick Landers.

On Sunday, July 27, 2008, the formidable David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash rolled into the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts (Vienna, Virginia) to a sold out and enthusiastic crowd. As Crosby, Stills & Nash (also known as CSN), the trio unleashed some of the best albums in American popular music, all laden with exquisite harmonies. And it’s no slight to any of them to mention the later inclusion of Neil Young to their ranks on their Deja Vu (1970, Atlantic Records) album. Young's turgid beast guitar licks and songwriting talent added the temperment necessary to solidify the band's super-group status.

The night at Wolf Trap belonged to CSN, with a full house that filled the seats and blanketed the lawn. David, Stephen, and Graham did not disappoint. They roused the crowd with an opening of hits including the spunky “Marrakesh Express,” “Southern Cross,” “Long Time Gone,” "It's About Time," "Military Madness," and more.

Graham Nash, who began his road to fame with the Hollies, allowed his black and white T-shirt to proclaim his long held allegiance to world peace with the words “Veterans for Peace, Inc.” printed over a depiction of a black dove. A closer look at Nash informed that his comfort level on stage may have been due to his bare feet – or maybe it was the sweet quilted mahogany Graham Nash Limited Edition Martin guitar he held on to for most of the night.

Stills was decked out in blue jeans, loafers and a blue-and-white Aloha shirt, as well as a nice grouping of guitars that included a sunburst Stratocaster; a big-bodied Gretsch and a Gibson. During the course of the evening, he proved that his voice could still load out some thunder and his guitar skills are fully intact. He coaxed some well-tempered harmonics, turgid blues riffs and palm-bounced string vibes out of his axes.

David Crosby’s voice has always been as delicate as fine crystal and he wowed CSN fans on a nicely melodic “Guinevere” with Nash pulling up the rear. When the guitars began to wag with some twisted riffs, it soon became clear that he could still bellow out “Almost Cut My Hair,” a tune that launched the crowd into joining him on that classic hippie anthem.

The three were already established rock icons when they formed CSN, Nash from the Hollies, Stills from Buffalo Springfield and Crosby arrived with heavy credentials from the Byrds.

Nash announced, “This is the fortieth year we’ve been playing together!”

With that, Stephen cranked out a slow burn funk version of his hit “Love the One Your With.”
This last song of the the first set kept the audience primed enough to get back to their seats early after a short break to hear the plaintiff, “ You Don’t Have to Cry.” Even though the three were earnest in their attempt, the harmony flagged a little on this one. Fortunately, by the song's end, the guys managed to tighten the tune up enough to hold their own.

Graham told the audience, “That’s the first song we sang together and this is the second,” as the three rolled into a nice version of “Helplessly Hoping.” The Wolf Trap audience was spellbound by CSN as they moved into a flurry of songs including, “Delta,” and later, the majestic, “Wooden Ships,” with an encore featuring Buffalo Springfield’s 1967 song about turbulence between law enforcement and young patrons of a Los Angeles entertainment venue called Pandora’s Box, “For What It’s Worth.” They bid farewell to their fans with "Teach Your Children."

Crosby, Stills and Nash had a tight grip on the Wolf Trap crowd throughout the humid night that gave way for countless standing ovations, audience singalongs, and fans yelling out song requests or screams of adulation, like the lady next to me who repeatedly hollered out, “We love you!”

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Crosby, Stills & Nash
David Crosby
Stephen Stills
Graham Nash
Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts

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