October 4, 2014
Destination: Greek Theater
Cost: $56.75 plus gas
It was near the end of junior high, May 1969, and
somehow this geeky fourteen year old had entered the heights of society, wrangling
an invite to Kerri Vest’s slumber party and getting to hang out with the
Charles Evans Hughes Junior High literati – the brightest and coolest kids in
the West Valley during those wonder years.
Kerri had a new album to share with us, and pulled
Crosby, Stills and Nash off the top
of the stack of LP’s. We played that record over and over on that warm
just-before-summer night, in the glow of black-light posters while putting on
Yardley nail polish, all of us entranced. It was different music than what we
were used to as Beatles and Monkees fans. These boys would not be in Tiger
Beat. Listening to their soulful folk-rock may have marked our first adult musical
experience.
How can that memory be 45 years old? How can Crosby, Stills and Nash still be
together? Their appearance at the Greek
Theatre on Friday proved they’re very much together and thriving: they
created a magical evening. I had previously
seen Buffalo Springfield at The Santa Barbara Bowl (with Steve Stills and Neil
Young), but never saw CS&N perform live.
Thanks to Goldstar, I was able to get a $69.00 ticket for $40.00. After
that, I found out about the Greek parking shuttle
lot near the pony rides in Griffith Park, where it costs only $7 to park. So
I was able to justify stretching my budget to see this iconic band.
They opened with an all-time favorite, “Carry On”
and it was clear from the outset they had a crack backing band. Over the next three hours (with
one intermission) they played a variety of old and new tunes for the adoring
crowd. David Crosby’s
strong vocals were a big surprise – “Guinnivere” was an unexpected
highlight of the evening.
We’ve all weathered a bit in the ensuing years, but it was
gratifying to see the Greek packed to the non-existent rafters with members of
the peace and love generation. We 
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