For What it's Worth: Stephen Stills at the Belly Up
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3/24/10 - It was my own fault. I knew the Stephen Stills show would be standing room only, and we'd have to get there early for a good spot. But the place was already packed, so I ended up standing behind a 7-foot dude in a black t-shirt that said "Freedom." For two hours.
Now I'm thinking maybe that was a blessing in disguise. (Because let's face it, Stephen is no longer the handsome young prince he was in Buffalo Springfield).
So with nothing much to look at, I closed my eyes and let my ears take over. And what I heard was one of the greatest voices of my generation -- the very same voice I knew so well, singing the same songs that struck such a chord in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Yes, it was the graveled throat of a salty old singer, but he hit all the highs and lows with very few compromises, other than adjusting the key on some tunes.
After seeing Stills in concert a few days earlier, Orange County Register critic Ben Wener questioned whether the show was even worth the price of admission, saying the legendary performer sounded like "a recovering stroke patient." (Actually the 65-year-old is a recovering prostate cancer patient.)
As for his command of the lyrics, I never heard a lapse during the Belly Up show on Sunday night, but Stills did poke fun at himself as he embarked on a long Bob Dylan song:
"This one requires some concentration ... It has, like eleven-ty seven verses, and I forgot most of them in the 80s."
Although "Helplessly Hoping" wasn't an auspicious start, Stills found his feet with "Change Partners," "Treetop Flyer," "Southern Cross" and "Johnny's Garden" in the first (acoustic) set.
He also wove together a brilliant blend of "Daylight Again" and "Find the Cost of Freedom," when the entire crowd chimed in, complete with three-part harmonies. [Note to Mr. Wener: Stephen Stills doesn't really need to remember all the words sometimes.]
The second (electric) set rocked with a full band, including bass, drums and Hammond organ. On top of classics like "Bluebird" and "Woodstock," Stills served up a great cover of "Dear Mr. Fantasy." Although I couldn't actually see his fingers on the fretboard, it was clear that he was still captain of the guitar.
He polished off the night with "Love the One You're With" and "For What it's Worth."
All in all, I'd say it was worth every penny.
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