Neil Young reunited with his former Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young bandmate Stephen Stills on Saturday at Young’s Harvest Moon Gathering and capped off the benefit concert by welcoming John Mayer to join them for an unforgettable performance of “Rockin’ in the Free World”.
Held in Lake Hughes, CA at The Painted Turtle—a camp for children with serious medical conditions—Harvest Moon Gathering was not only a musical triumph but a philanthropic one, as the event raised vital funds for both The Painted Turtle and The Bridge School, an education center for children with severe speech and physical impediments founded by Neil’s late wife Pegi Young in 1986.
The event kicked off in the early afternoon with the vibrant marimba sounds of Masanga. Next came a performance by singer-songwriter Lily Meola, who would later shine during Neil Young’s headlining set.
At 4:00 p.m., John Mayer took take the stage and opened a solo acoustic set with the mellow “Who Says”. The Dead & Company guitarist continued with standouts like “Something Like Olivia” and “Vultures”, in which he cheekily teased the Grateful Dead’s “The Eleven” at the crowd’s request, highlighting his versatility and the playful connection with fans he has developed during his recent solo arena tours. After abandoning “New Deep” in favor of crowd favorite “Slow Dancing In A Burning Room”, he punctuated the performance with the thematically suitable “Waiting on the World to Change”.
At 5:00 p.m., the day’s much-anticipated headlining set began, as Neil Young and Stephen Stills took the stage together. The two former bandmates, who last collaborated at Stills’ Light Up The Blues autism benefit in 2023, wasted no time rekindling their magic. They opened with “Long May You Run”, a classic from their days as The Stills–Young Band, and continued to weave through a set that included timeless gems like Buffalo Springfield’s “Hung Upside Down” and Crosby, Stills & Nash’s “Helplessly Hoping”.
A particularly moving moment came when Young invited Lily Meola back to the stage for hauntingly beautiful renditions of “Heart of Gold” and “Harvest Moon”. However, the night’s high point came during the encore. Stills and Mayer joined Young and his band as they launched into the unmistakable opening chords of “Rockin’ in the Free World”. Lily Meola and the rest of the band joined in on backing vocals, amplifying the anthem’s message of freedom and resistance.
Neil Young, Stephen Stills, John Mayer – “Rockin’ In The Free World” – 10/5/24
[Video: Todd Norris]
Check out a playlist of fan-shot footage from Harvest Moon Gathering, including Neil Young, John Mayer, and Stephen Stills’ performance of “Rockin’ in the Free World” below.
Harvest Moon Gathering – 10/5/24 [Video Playlist]
[Videos: Todd Norris]
The post Neil Young, Stephen Stills, John Mayer Team Up On “Rockin’ In The Free World” At Harvest Moon Gathering [Videos] appeared first on L4LM.
