At 77, Neil Young is still a hippie at heart: ‘I feel a lot of hope’
Posted: Thu, Jan 19th, 2011 4:51 PM
by Liz James
After a two-year hiatus, Neil Young has returned to his first love, making his first appearance this weekend at the California State Fair — and it is not just for the fun of it.
The show is just one of the many activities that the American rock artist has been participating in to help raise money for charity. In the past two years, he has taken part in the Super Bowl, raised money for the tsunami relief in Japan, and was an official inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s class of 2008. And, naturally, Young is also a huge supporter of the US Forest Service, having participated in the agency’s “Wilderness Awareness Day” in 2009.
There’s a lot going on this weekend at the annual fair, which takes place at the Exposition Park in Pomona, Calif. (and will be on TV on ESPN2 throughout the day). For example, Young and his band, The Tragically Hip, will perform before the 1,000-plus concert-goers will see The Who on Saturday. Young is also working with the Fair’s charity, the Red Cross, to raise money for relief efforts after the massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
The hip-hop star, who in recent years earned a reputation among his peers for having the most charitable and philanthropic attitude among his peers, will be in New York City during this week for a benefit concert called “Neil Young and Friends: A Tribute to Bob Dylan” on Wednesday, January 25th at the Beacon Theater. Tickets cost $45-$55.
And for all of the talk about the state of music in 2012 and its influence on the world of music, Young will be spending a day in the studio again in mid-January, and releasing a new album, Random Music.
But first, Young plans to play two shows this weekend in his hometown of Nashville, Tenn. It is the first time he has visited since March 2011 — and, according to Young, it will be a homecoming. But he would like
