Photos and review by ALYSON CAMUS
LOS ANGELES – Each year, Neil Young organizes the annual Bridge School Benefit Concert in Mountain View to support individuals with severe speech and physical impairments; meanwhile, his old friend Stephen Stills organizes a semi-annual Light Up the Blues charity show to promote understanding and inclusion of people with autism. For its seventh year, a long list of musicians and celebrities joined the two old friends on the stage of the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on a chilly Saturday night.
Hosts Stephen Stills and his wife, Kristen, opened the night, and for close to four hours, actor Ken Jeong served as the master of ceremonies, successively introducing the very special guests with humor. The lineup was very diverse, featuring people from the Netflix documentary Love on the Spectrum — Abbey Romeo sang one of her songs — the Spectrum Bluegrass Band, consisting of autistic musicians, and well-known musical artists such as Cat Power, Nathaniel Rateliff, Rufus Wainwright, Linda Perry, and Billy Idol.
During the night, facts about autism were projected on the two large screens on each side of the stage to raise awareness about the difficulties faced by people on the autism spectrum: one in five autistic adults is unemployed; 75% of autistic adults still live with their parents or family members; 26.7% of them have profound autism — now called Level 3; autistic people have, on average, a 17-year shorter life expectancy; and one in 31 children in the U.S. is now diagnosed with autism.
Actress Christina Applegate introduced Chris Stills, and Ken Jeong told us she was the reason he was this year’s presenter. After a few songs, Stephen and French singer-songwriter Véronique Sanson’s son was soon joined by “his dear friend” Rufus Wainwright. Chris and Rufus performed a version of “Going to a Town,” with Rufus on piano — a song which includes the line “I’m so tired of you, America.” “I have to perform this song a lot these days,” he admitted. “I had to get this off my chest,” he added.
Linda Perry took the stage to sing a couple of songs, including “Feathers in a Storm” from her 1996 solo LP In Flight.Later, Cat Power was introduced by actress Katey Sagal and performed a medley of her famous song “The Greatest” with “When the Saints Come Marching In.” Billy Idol rocked the place with the help of longtime collaborator and guitarist Steve Stevens, getting the audience to sing along to stripped-down renditions of “White Wedding,” “Eyes Without a Face,” and “Rebel Yell.” The star-studded event also featured Nathaniel Rateliff, who performed “Time Stands” and “Heartless” with just his acoustic guitar.
After an intermission and a charity auction featuring a Martin Custom Shop guitar signed by all the artists, another Martin guitar signed and played by Stephen Stills, and a stunning print of a John Mellencamp oil painting, it was Stephen Stills’s turn to entertain the already-delighted crowd. He took the stage alongside the Chrome Hearts band — featuring guitarist Micah Nelson, organist Spooner Oldham, bassist Corey McCormick, and drummer Anthony LoGerfo — and performed “Colorado,” a Manassas song, with the help of Nathaniel Rateliff on vocals, followed by a Buffalo Springfield song, “Hung Upside Down,” and a Crosby, Stills & Nash song, “Dark Star.” He was finally joined by Neil Young for another Buffalo Springfield song, “For What It’s Worth.”
I had already seen Neil Young at the Bernie Sanders/AOC “Fighting Oligarchy” rally in L.A. a couple of weeks earlier, and I didn’t expect to see him again so soon. Bringing back the “Take America back!” chant from the Sanders rally, he headlined the event with a treat for his fans, including the live debut of “Let’s Roll Again” from his upcoming LP Talkin’ to the Trees. A line mentioning “Tesla” — “If you’re a fascist / Then get a Tesla” — drew roars from the crowd, as expected.
This was followed by the Monsanto Years deep cut “Big Box,” and since Neil was clearly in his most passionate, angry protest mood, he launched the band into an epic rendition of “Ordinary People,” a song he apparently hadn’t played live since 1988. Close to 20 minutes long, the repetitive chant was without a doubt the longest song of the night, and the version still sounded incredibly relevant despite the dated cultural references. With Stephen Stills back on stage, Neil closed his set with “Human Highway,” dedicating it to “Kennedy — the new one, not the old one,” he added. The night wrapped up with the always punchy and furious “Rockin’ in the Free World,” which had everyone on their feet.
With Neil Young’s surprising setlist (beside the last song), the night definitively ended on a high note. Beyond the incredible performances and heartfelt moments, the true purpose of the event remained front and center: proceeds from the show support Autism Speaks’ mission to provide resources and services for autistic individuals across the spectrum and throughout their lifespan. It was a powerful reminder that music can not only entertain but also bring about meaningful change.
