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

              

              I saw David Crosby and the Sky Trails Band on August 11^th 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.

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David Crosby is weathered and sober today

7/17/19 21:52 Bethlehem, PA

I left work early on Monday and drove into Manhattan to see a documentary on David Crosby, Remember my name.  It was hosted by NY Times, Cameron Crowe, who conducted the interviews with Mr. Crosby, as well as the director, AJ Eaton and Melena Ryzik, a music/cultural journalist from the Times sat around David Crosby.  I have to say the movie was very good and yet, it was a shame the others from CSNY were either not present or were not interviewed for the movie, but as Crowe mentioned, he thought it was better to keep the movie on the main subject, David Crosby.  This was my first journey into the city from Bethlehem.  I was not sure what to expect and lo and behold it took a little less than two hours.  Left at three and pulled into the parking garage (East 61^st) at 4:55. It was hot in the city and I wanted to find a cheap place to eat.  I’m on a tight budget and the night was already expensive, I don’t want to say what I paid for the ticket, but this was a gift to myself.  I found a cheap place, ate and walked to the theater and waited in line.  The event was sold out.  There are only three hundred seats in the place and once inside, I sat in the third row, between two men who each used the arm rest, the one to my left took his right arm and plopped it down and the one to the right took his left and plopped it down; so I sat there during the movie thinking what do I do with my hands?  I can rub my mouth, scratch myself, and put them in a sort of pray full pose.  I know what you’re thinking, who gives a shit about your hands tell me about the movie.  It was very good, insightful and I felt the movie caught David Crosby in his highs and lows.  Now he is 77 and having to get out on the road to pay the bills as he said.  Eight heart stents and diabetic.  Scenes of him testing his sugar level and injecting himself with insulin back stage. There were stories about The Byrds, touring, clubs, childhood, Jim Morrison, Joanie Mitchell, Mama Cass, CSN concerts, women, drugs and sex and his dick.  Maybe not in that order.  Here’s a secret, on August 11^th Cros is playing a free concert as part of Lincoln Center free series in NYC.  I intend to go.  I want to see him perform.  It may seem ironic, but as I was driving back to this place, I realized on July 22, 2017 I was kicked out of the house and still went to see Graham Nash who played at The Landmark in Port Washington and now almost to the day, two years later, I’m leaving Crosby back in the city, in the lights fading in the rear view mirror and pray for his continued path in this life.

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