The Barstool Blues at Old Princeton Landing
The March and April shows featured a wonderful spattering of Neil's large repertoire, showcasing more than a handful of great songs that had been seldom played or never played before-- including the Zuma classics "Dangerbird" (previously only played live at The Catalyst in Santa Cruz back in Novemeber of 1990)
In May, before returning to the Old Princeton Landing, Neil and Crazyhorse played a couple of surprise gigs at the larger, yet still small and intimate Santa Cruz club The Catalyst. By the late May shows, Neil began debuting songs from Broken Arrow. By June he was playing the entire album and the rumors of a European and US tour were becoming reality. The Junes shows, especially the 5th and 6th, were the strongest of the fourteen. Not only did Neil pump out some amazing versions of the new songs, but he also played what might be considered definitive performances of chestnuts like "Cowgirl in the Sand," "Cortez the Killer," and "Dangerbird."
None of the performances of the European or US tours, as great as they were, ever matched the same level of intensity found at the Old Princeton Landing shows. There was just something about the intimacy of the small bar that fueled Neil and his longtime sidekicks into a groove that was not only insatiable, but unstoppable! Check out the scintillating jams on "Cowgirl in the Sand" from the 5th of June show. They will give you goosebumps. Keep in mind, as you listen to the tapes (or discs) from these shows, that, as Neil and Crazyhorse frantically jammed, they had to be sure not to crash into the crowd standing around them-- some members mere feet away from a guitar in the jaw if they weren't paying attention!
One has to wonder if he'll do it again sometime.
Check out this excellent web site for more details.
In 1996, Neil Young and Crazyhorse let out some steam at the small Old Princeton Landing bar in Princeton By the Sea, a sleepy ocean-side community about a half hour down the coast from San Francisco. Billed as the Echos, Neil and Crazyhorse filled nearly half the bar with their equipment-- the other half reserved for those lucky few in attendence, a combination of family, VIP's and die-hard fans who had caught wind of the event through the grapevine. Those in the know waited outside in the hopes of earning the extremely limited, and quite coveted, wristband that would grant them entrance. Those that did not make it one day, often made it the next. Others were just content to cram near a window and listen to the music shake the walls of the tiny wooden bar.
and the never-before played "Stupid Girl." "Wonderin'," a curious doo-wop tinged tune from his early Crazyhorse days (also reworked with the Shocking Pinks) resurfaced with a decidely more rock and roll edge. In addition, the seldom-played "Old Country Waltz" was given a more edgier reading than usual-- as well as a curious, but quite effective, cover of Jimmy Reed's classic blues shuffle "Baby What You Wante Me to Do."
96-05-08, The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, California
Country Home / Stupid Girl / Bite The Bullet / Drive Back // The Losing End / Dangerbird / Barstool Blues / Homegrown / Like A Hurricane // Pocahontas / Roll Another Number / When Your Lonely Heart Breaks / Down By The River / Prisoner's Of Rock & Roll
96-05-09, The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, California
Country Home / Don't Cry No Tears / Stupid Girl / Bite The Bullet / Drive Back / The Losing End / Dangerbird / When Your Lonely Heart Breaks / Like A Hurricane / Homegrown / Pocahontas / Roll Another Number / Barstool Blues / Rockin' In The Free World / Cortez The Killer / Prisoner's Of Rock & Roll / Powderfinger / Down By The River
96-03-18, Old Princeton Landing, Princeton-By-The-Sea, California
Country Home / Stupid Girl / Bite The Bullet / Drive Back / Baby What You Want Me To Do? / Wonderin' / Barstool Blues // The Losing End / Dangerbird / When Your Lonely Heart Breaks / Prisoner's Of Rock & Roll / Roll Another Number / Homegrown // Down By the River
96-03-19, Old Princeton Landing, Princeton-By-The-Sea, California
Country Home / Stupid Girl / Bite The Bullet / Barstool Blues / Wonderin' / Drive Back // The Losing End / Dangerbird / Like A Hurricane / Prisoner's Of Rock & Roll / Baby What You Want Me To Do? / Roll Another Number // The Old Country Waltz / Down By The River / Don't Cry No Tears / Powderfinger
96-03-20, Old Princeton Landing, Princeton-By-The-Sea, California
Country Home / Stupid Girl / Bite The Bullet / When Your Lonely Heart Breaks / Drive Back / Wonderin' // The Losing End / Barstool Blues / Like A Hurricane / Roll Another Number / Dangerbird // Don't Cry No Tears / Down By The River / Homegrown / Prisoner's Of Rock & Roll / Old Country Waltz / Powderfinger / Baby What You Want Me To Do?
96-03-21, Old Princeton Landing, Princeton-By-The-Sea, California
Country Home / Stupid Girl / Bite The Bullet / Drive Back / Wonderin' / Like A Hurricane // The Losing End / Dangerbird / Roll Another Number / Barstool Blues / When Your Lonely Heart Breaks / Homegrown / Prisoner's Of Rock & Roll // Don't Cry No Tears / Down By The River / Baby What You Want Me To Do? / Powderfinger
96-04-09, Old Princeton Landing, Princeton-By-The-Sea, California
Country Home / Stupid Girl / Bite The Bullet / Baby What You Want Me To Do? // Barstool Blues / The Losing End / Driveback / When Your Lonely Heart Breaks / Homegrown / Dangerbird / Hurricane // Roll Another Number / Don't Cry No Tears / Down By The River>
96-04-10, Old Princeton Landing, Princeton-By-The-Sea, California
Country Home / Stupid Girl / Bite The Bullet / Drive Back / Look Out For My Love / Only Love Can Break Your Heart / Barstool Blues / Dangerbird / Prisoner's Of Rock & Roll / Homegrown / Like A Hurricane / The Losing End / Baby What You Want Me To Do? / Tonight's The Night
96-04-13, Old Princeton Landing, Princeton-By-The-Sea, California
Country Home / Stupid Girl / Bite The Bullet / Lookin For A Love / Pocahontas / Drive Back / The Losing End / Dangerbird / Prisoner's Of Rock & Roll / Barstool Blues / Cowgirl In The Sand / Don't Cry No Tears / Roll Another Number / Like A Hurricane / Homegrown / When Your Lonely Heart Breaks / Rockin' In The Free World
96-04-14, Old Princeton Landing, Princeton-By-The-Sea, California
Country Home / Stupid Girl / Bite The Bullet / Roll Another Number // Barstool Blues / Cowgirl In The Sand / Drive Back / Homegrown / Pocahontas / Dangerbird / The Losing End / Prisoner's Of Rock & Roll // Cortez The Killer / Fucking Up / The Loner / Powderfinger
96-05-22, Old Princeton Landing, Princeton-By-The-Sea, California
Country Home / Stupid Girl / Bite The Bullet / When Your Lonely Heart Breaks / Like A Hurricane / Barstool Blues // Drive Back / The Losing End / Prisoner's Of Rock & Roll / Roll Another Number / Big Time / Homegrown / Dangerbird / Rockin' In The Free World
96-05-23, Old Princeton Landing, Princeton-By-The-Sea, California
Cowgirl in the Sand / Stupid Girl / The Losing End / Drive Back / Pocohontas / Bite The Bullet / The Loner / Cortez The Killer / Barstool Blues / Big Time / Powderfinger / Scattered / Cinnamon Girl / Fucking Up / Down By the River / Prisoner's Of Rock & Roll
96-06-04, Old Princeton Landing, Princeton-By-The-Sea, California
Big Time / Loose Change / Slip Away / Changing Highways / Scattered / This Town / Music Arcade / Baby What You Want Me To Do? // Drive Back / Prisoners of Rock And Roll / Roll Another Number / Pocahontas / Dangerbird / Bite The Bullet / Homegrown // Barstool Blues / Stupid Girl / Rockin' In The Free World / Sedan Delivery / Don't Cry No Tears / Slip Away / The Loner / Like A Hurricane
96-06-05, Old Princeton Landing, Princeton-By-The-Sea, California
Cowgirl In The Sand / Stupid Girl / Drive Back // Big Time / Loose Change / The Losing End / Slip Away / Roll Another Number / Tonight's The Night // Cinnamon Girl / Cortez The Killer / Pocahontas / Big Time / This Town / Barstool Blues / When Your Lonely Heart Breaks / Prisoner's Of Rock & Roll / Rockin' In The Free World
96-06-06, Old Princeton Landing, Princeton-By-The-Sea, California
Country Home / Stupid Girl / Slip Away / Bite the Bullet // Big Time / The Losing End / Loose Change / Roll Another Number / Dangerbird / Drive Back // Scattered / This Town / Pocahontas / Powderfinger / Changing Highways / Sedan Delivery / When Your Lonely Heart Breaks / Like A Hurricane
96-06-09 Old Princeton Landing, Princeton-By-The-Sea, California
Cowgirl In The Sand / Stupid Girl / Barstool Blues / Baby What You Want Me To Do? // Big Time / Loose Change / Slip Away / Changing Highways / Scattered / This Town / Pocahontas / Music Arcade / Prisoner's Of Rock & Roll // The Losing End / Drive Back / Homegrown / Cinnamon Girl / Cortez The Killer / Fuckin' Up / Down By The River