Photo: Adam CK Vollick

Back in September, Neil Young and Stephen Stills signed on to participate in an afternoon benefit concert, dubbed “Harvest Moon” on October 5 at the former’s camp location in Lake Hughes, Calif., 50 minutes from The Getty in Los Angeles. The arrival of the highly anticipated event yielded the long-awaited coming together of two former bandmates in the ‘60s ensemble Buffalo Springfield and later, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. During the benefit set, which raised funds for Painted Turtle and The Bridge School, the pair worked through selects, including the first “Hung Upside Down” since 1967, concluding a 57-year performance gap. 

Before the arrival of the Buffalo Springfield track, Young and Stills touched on another piece of their joint history, pulling the title track off their 1976 collaborative release, “Long May You Run.” Speaking to the sets collaborate throughline in a 1981 Rockline interview; Young said of their working partnership, “I think it’s been a pretty productive relationship inasmuch as there was a lot of balances that kept being adjusted and made the music alive really, especially in the earlier years. The Stills/Young band was a sort of attempt to wrap up something that we had started a long time ago. It really wasn’t as hot as the early stuff we did. When we were about twenty, we used to lock horns a bit and that was good for the group.”

For the set’s second number, Young and Stills revisited Comes A Time inclusion, “Human Highway,” before the most talked about moment of the frame, a run-through of “Hung Upside Down.” The song initially appeared on Buffalo Springfield Again, the band’s 1967 released sophomore set, and was performed frequently in the months following its debut, ultimately shelved before Friday’s long-awaited return. After fan favorite “Helplessly Hoping,” the pair reprised another rarity, “Field of Opportunity,” last performed during a private event in 2020 by Young, and before that, a public-facing play at 2009’s Farm Aid gathering. 

Hitting on CSNY material, the pair clicked into “Helpless,” with Young’s hometown description engulfing the onset of the number, “There is a town in North Ontario…” They upped the tempo on Stills’ greatest hit, “Love The One You’re With,” before the latter stepped off stage. His slot was filled by Lily Meola, who assisted Young with ensuing takes on “Heart of Gold” and “Harvest Moon.” With Stills back and Meola’s task complete, Young and his referred collaborator went with the protest anthem and the forever ponderous “For What It’s Worth.” 

Another rarity served as what seemed to be the set’s send-off, but upon completing “Bluebird,” it appeared there was more in waiting. After Young’s take on “Vampire Blues” sans fellow festival participants, he seemingly evoked family status with the re-emergence of Stills and Meola, who brought John Mayer along for a fully-fledged take on “Rockin’ in the Free World.” Watch below. 

The Painted Turtle – Lake Hughes, Calif. 

Oct. 5, 2024 

Set: Long May You Run*, Human Highway*, Hung Upside Down*, Helplessly Hoping*, Field of Opportunity*, Helpless*, Love The One You’re With*, Heart of Gold#, Harvest Moon#, For What It’s Worth, Bluebird

Enc.: Vampire Blues, Rockin’ n the Free World+

Notes:

* With Stephen Stills 

# With Lily Meola 

+ With John Mayer