We went to lunch in her new two door white truck, talking and laughing as only the young can. Hormones racing as sweet words dripped from her lips.
“Ever listened to Neil Young?”
I tried to be cool, but she immediately knew I hadn’t. As it played from her car stereo she told me about the artist, his history, and how she couldn’t wait to see him in concert later that month.
Ever since that day ( over twenty years ago) I’ve been a fan of Neil’s music. The girl has moved on ( married, kids, happy), but I always carry her with me, as it helps keep a smile on this wrinkled face.
With this memory, I’ve hoped to have the stars align so that I may also see Neil Young live.
On August 5th 2012, at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado, I fulfilled that dream.
Alabama Shakes, a hippie, bluesy group from the Southern part of the USA opened the evening in perfect fashion. As the sun started to set over the mountains, Neil and Crazy Horse started playing. From the epic fifteen minute “Cowgirl in the Sand” to “Cinnamon Girl”, an acoustic version of “the Needle and the Damage Done”, to the crowd singing along to “Fuckin’ Up”, the show most certainly didn’t disappoint.
A perfect evening to remember a cowgirl from the past while living in the present moment.
