“Are there any more real cowboys?” Neil Young sang Saturday night at the Hollywood Bowl on a rare evening when he was neither the headliner nor, at age 77, even close to the oldest artist on the bill.
The moment came three hours into the first of a two-night celebration of the country legend at the open-air Los Angeles amphitheater, where generations of stars sang his songs in tribute. The crowd, which ranged from small children to seniors, illustrated the point. The stands were dotted with cowboy hats while hippies danced in the aisles and weed smoke wafted in the air.
Chris Stapleton kept his guitar at his side through a soft, reflective rendition of “Always on My Mind,” Nelson’s biggest solo hit of the 1980s. Nelson’s son Lukas sang “Angel Flying Too Close to The Ground” alone with his acoustic guitar, his voice a dead ringer for his dad’s. Leon Bridges’ “Night Life” showed off Nelson’s affinity for the blues, as did Jones’ jazzy trip through “Funny How Time Slips Away” from 1961, when Nelson was known primarily as a songwriter of hits for others.