Billed as 'Sixty Years Of Songs & Stories', there was potential for the nostalgic, conversational element of the show to limit the number songs but this did not eventuate, Graham Nash maintaining just the right blend to appease an audience who were there for a predominantly musical performance (13 March).
Early on Graham tells us: "We have a lot of music to play tonight. We're gonna start with this one," commencing with 'Wasted On The Way'.With the opening lines: 'Look around me / I can see my life before me / Running rings around the way / It used to be / I am older now,' it is immediately apparent that not only is Graham looking back and telling stories in-between the songs, but there is a narrative within the songs themselves.
Far from a chronological survey of 'sixty years of songs', he is taking us through his life in music, music that I'm sure we all know and stories that enhance what we already know.
Preceding 'I Used To Be A King', he says: "A song I wrote for Joni. . . after we broke up," and although it's only a first name he uses, we know who he's talking about; there is an intimacy as though we are all friends and are reminiscing together.
Accompanying Graham on this tour is Todd Caldwell on keys, a long-time associate having even having been a latter-day member of the Crosby Stills & Nash band.
Guitarist Zach Djanikian, who plays guitar as well as mandolin, bass, and saxophone, looks enough like a youthful Graham Nash that at times during their interactions it's like the older, present-day Nash is looking back at his younger self.
Multi-instrumentalist Adam Minkoff is a revelation, starting on drums but progressing to guitar and even at one stage playing drums and bass simultaneously on 'Better Days'. This isn't Crosby Stills & Nash, but the vocal harmonies couldn't be closer.
Over the course of two sets and as many encores, Graham introduces songs about relationships with famous partners such as 'Better Days' (Rita Coolidge) and a sublime 'Our House' (Joni again) as well as those less direct such as 'Wounded Bird' (about the relationship between Stephen Stills and Judy Collins).
A recording of the choral a cappella 'Critical Mass' preceding a performance of 'Wind On The Water' is in remembrance of departed former bandmate David Crosby.
Nash's early band The Hollies get a look in with a folk minstrel version of 'Bus Stop', while the group's musical versatility tonight continues to be demonstrated in the beautiful instrumental interaction on 'Right Between The Eyes'.
With the performance of the story of a positive LSD trip 'Cathedral', it is no wonder he couldn't stay with The Hollies with these kind of progressive songs being channelled through him.
The rousing 'Love The One You're With' is enough to sate the audience for a break before Graham returns unaccompanied and plays 'Simple Man'.
Similarly, with the second set ending in joyous sing-along of 'Our House', it is apparent Graham has been holding back the best for later, confirmed by the encore's country-rock of 'Teach Your Children', the thumping 'Chicago' & 'We Can Change The World', and the charged 'Ohio', with Zach channelling Neil Young, and the audience participating in an incendiary chant of "four dead in Ohio".
Graham may not know our lives and who we were and what was happening in our lives as we originally heard these songs, but to the audience his life is somewhat of an open book as he has poured his feelings and experiences into mostly autobiographical songs we have learnt word for word and sung along with as we have done again tonight.
