Monday, September 2, 2019

David Crosby and the Sky Trails Band were incredible at Lincoln Center


              


              I saw David Crosby and the Sky Trails Band on August 11th at Lincoln Center Outdoors.  It was the last concert of their free summer Americana series.  It was too soon to call it quits on the summer.  Here it is a couple of weeks later, I am writing this on September 2, Labor Day.  Summer is still lingering in the warm afternoons, although the days are growing shorter. 
              There was an opener, Anais Mitchell and her partner.  She won a Tony for the adaptation for her album Hadestown.  Interesting voice and yet she had some technical difficulties which were distracting.      
               It was a beautiful night in the city.  I bought my Icon discount parking voucher earlier and left work a couple of hours early to see the event. I assumed if I got there early, I mean how many older folkies would tread into the city to see Cros?  There were more than 700 in front of me, and I was there an hour and a half before the gates opened.  Gates opened at 6:30, general seating.  Slowly, we made our way up the block, through the entrance and I was in.  The place was already filling up, there were 3,000 seats, so I needed to move fast.  I saw an open spot in the center and asked a woman who was there with her friends, after a little banter she finally understood, I was speaking English and I wanted to take a seat.  I got up and came back with a beer and noticed the large head in front of me.  It was strange since the back of this stranger’s head, looked like the back of my head.  I was blocked.  Being six foot four or around this height; I am sure I have blocked many unsuspecting people who may have paid a good price to attend any concert which I also happened to attend.  I am aware of my height.  At the shows where I must stand, I try to make my way – most of the time to the back.  When I was younger, I was hands on the stage and wanting to get as close as possible.  I guess it depends on the artist.  By the grace of God a woman left her seat and a friend’s and I watched her tell another person, she had to leave.  I bolted and took a seat just as another guy was making his way.  Great view, saw the whole stage and enjoyed Cros for all of his worth. 
              The band was incredible; many CSN&Y songs were played.  A huge surprise was 8 Miles High, from the Byrds.  One of my favorite songs, and yet the crowd was calm, passive almost, unfortunately when the song Ohio was played, David tried to rally troops to the song, four dead in Ohio and yet the heart palpitations and gastritis was a little too much to weigh in on the chorus, disappointed, I saw Crosby look back at his band.  The bass player just shrugged as if to say, they don’t got it.  They are old.

Thank you for reading this.


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