The Spoksman Review: Graham Nash to play solo show at Bing Crosby Theater
Nathan Weinbender The Spokesman-Review
July 9, 2015 - Updated: 1:38 p.m.
In his memoir “Wild Tales,” musician Graham Nash describes his famous (and famously erratic) ’60s supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young as an open marriage: “We fought, splintered, swore vengeance and swore off each other,” he wrote of his band mates. “But despite all that, to this day we remain a group.”
“We’re brothers, and we don’t always agree,” Nash said during a recent phone interview. “We’re very strong individuals, and we have strong personalities and strong opinions. It’s always been that way.”
In their heyday, Crosby, Stills and Nash (Neil Young was only an occasional member) embodied the turbulence of their time, and “Wild Tales” is full of anecdotes about drugs, affairs and physical confrontations. But now that they’re all in their 70s, things seem to have settled down considerably.
Nash, who brings his solo tour to the Bing Crosby Theater on Wednesday, said he’s been able to dedicate more time to his own music and his interest in photography in recent years. Each member of CSN has always had the same amount of creative control over the band, he said, but as a solo act he can make his own rules.
“I’ve always tried to make everything equal in the band, including how many of our songs are on each album and in each show,” Nash said. “I’ve always been the democratic one. But when I’m doing a solo show, all I have to concentrate on is my music. And that’s kind of refreshing, remembering songs I never got to sing with David (Crosby) and Stephen (Stills).”
Crosby, Stills and Nash still perform regularly: They released a concert album in 2012 and are embarking on a European tour in September. (CSNY, who only released three proper studio albums since 1970, is stagnant at the moment: Crosby and Young are, according to Nash, not currently on speaking terms.)
It’s kind of stunning, Nash said, that he’s still playing with the same two guys who shared a stage with him at Woodstock.
“It never, ever, ever occurred to us,” Nash said. “No, seriously. I mean, I knew it would go on for a couple of years, but 40? Well, it’s been way more than 40, hasn’t it?”
Wednesday’s show will feature just Nash and accompanying guitarist Shane Fontayne, who also plays in the Crosby, Stills and Nash band. They will perform a mix of the old and new: The set list will feature some classic Crosby, Stills and Nash songs, some of Nash’s solo material and even a few tracks originally recorded by the Hollies, the acclaimed British pop band Nash co-founded in early ’60s.
But Nash might also pull out some songs nobody in the crowd will have heard before.
“It’s why our audiences love us, I must say,” Nash said. “Not only do they expect to hear ‘Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,’ ‘Guinevere,’ ‘Our House,’ ‘Teach Your Children,’ that kind of stuff – which we’re glad to do – but they may very well, and have on many occasions, hear a song that was written that morning.”
Nash hasn’t released a solo album since “Songs for Survivors” in 2002, but he said he’s planning to release a new record next spring. He recently wrapped a recording session with producer T. Bone Burnett’s backing band, and Nash says they knocked out 20 new songs in just 8 days.
“I’m very happy with it,” he said of the material. “It makes me smile every time I think of it. I love plotting a beautiful journey on an album.”
If you go
An Evening with Graham Nash
With Shane Fontayne
When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Bing Crosby Theater,
901 W. Sprague Ave.
Cost: $46-$56; tickets available through all TicketsWest outlets