Neil Young returned to the Hollywood Bowl in southern California on Monday September 15, 2025 with his new backing band, The Chrome Hearts for the last stop on their Love Earth tour. A sold-out crowd enjoyed a mixed bag of classics, deep tracks and a few newer songs as Young did a masterful job of juxtaposing slower, acoustic, countrified folk tunes with electric, fuzzy, distorted high tempo tracks.
Reverend Billy & The Stop Shopping Choir warmed up the audience with a brief opening set. Reverend Billy was developed in the mid-1990s by actor and playwright, William Talen and the band is a parody of a gospel preacher and his orchestra, but makes a serious effort to spread the word about environmentalism and protecting the planet, one of Neil Young’s pet causes. Their brief show had a fun, exuberant vibe while delivering a strong message.
Neil Young’s newest supporting musicians are “The Chrome Hearts,” including bassist Corey McCormick, guitarist Micah Nelson, drummer Anthony LoGerfo and organist Spooner Oldham. As always, Young is out front singing while playing a variety of guitars, harmonicas and both upright piano and pipe organ. The new group replaced the long-standing Crazy Horse and brings the rhythm section from Lukas Nelson’s recently disbanded Promise of the Real (McCormick and LoGerfo), plus one of their guitarists, Micah Nelson, who is the youngest son of Willie Nelson and Lukas’ brother.
Along with Lukas Nelson, they served as Young’s backing band in the mid- 2010s. This formation debuted at Farm Aid in 2024, released the album Talkin’ to the Trees in 2025, and are concluding their Love Earth tour with the Hollywood Bowl show.
McCormick and LoGerfo did an excellent job handling the low end of Young’s tunes while Nelson expertly played the rhythm guitar parts. Oldham, a longtime Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section member has been an occasional part of Young’s band since 1982. He delivered pleasant organ fills all show, but never played a solo or was featured during a song.
It was a comfortable, cool evening at the Bowl and the focus was kept on the band members with the spotlights mostly on Young. There were no distracting video screens behind the stage and the lighting effects were minimal. The sound quality was crisp and clear while the heavy rocking tunes got quite loud. Young’s distinctive look (faded jeans, flannel shirt, weather beaten train engineer’s cap with silvery mutton chops peeking out) were on full display.
Young has always incorporated his political and social views in his music. The Young penned CSN&Y song “Ohio” was a protest song and counterculture anthem in reaction to the Kent State shootings in 1970. It was telling that the band played that early in the show and followed with his newest statement song called “Big Crime.” It characterizes the current US administration as fascistic. During the song, Young switches from a regular microphone to one attached to a rotating bullhorn – his vocal tone changes to reflect someone on a pulpit in a town square.
Young chose to bunch together several of his mellower acoustic tunes in the middle of the show. He was on the upright piano with his harmonica for “Long Walk Home.” He played his acoustic Martin D-45 on “Silver Eagle,” “Sail Away” plus the classics, “Harvest Moon” and “Only Love Can Break Your Heart.” He switched to his trusty “Old Black,” a heavily modified 1953 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop electric guitar for the faster, harder songs. “Cowgirl in the Sand” had lots of scratchy distortion. Micah Nelson moved to the upright piano for “Southern Man” which had more fuzzy Young guitar riffs. Nelson, McCormick and LoGerfo all provided smooth harmonies which they repeated through the show. More hard rocking arrived with “Hey Hey My My (Into the Black)” that transitioned to “Like a Hurricane.”
Near the end of the show Young moved to the back of the stage where the old Estay Reed pipe organ was set up. He sat down and played the CSN&Y pretty ballad “Name of Love.” He then moved back to the front of the stage and switched back to his Martin acoustic for “Old Man.” Micah Nelson played some really nice pedal steel fills and a trippy solo. After the song, Young said thanks for coming and introduced the band members. As the band got a standing ovation, none of them left the stage and the lights stayed up. They finished the show with “Roll Another Number (for the Road),” the catchy, folk infused tune from 1975. Young and Nelson traded guitar solos to end the show.
The 79-year-old, two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and his new band put on a career spanning sonic journey for an adoring Hollywood Bowl crowd. No one can know when Young will quit touring, but with this successful performance and the infusion of youthful bandmates, maybe he will be playing live for a few more years. His fans certainly hope so.
Photos courtesy of Andy J Gordon ©2025
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