When Is Neil Young Touring?
Cult Musicians’ fans eagerly anticipate his return to the stage.
Critically-acclaimed musician Neil Young has not embarked on tour since 2018 and his fans are excited to see him live in action again. The 76-year-old Young is famous for his energetic concerts and rather large-scale tours, so his inactivity for several years is quite noticeable.
Young’s Last Tour and Residency
Neil Young’s most recent tour was in 2018 The singer-songwriter embarked on a short summer tour across Europe, sharing the billing with Bob Dylan. They performed six consecutively sold-out dates in July and toured Ireland, UK, Germany, France, Belgium, Denmark, and Norway. The audience gave a positive response to the show and both artists were well applauded.
Before the Dylan collaboration, Young’s last proper solo tour was in 2016–2017, at least when it comes to full-fledged tours. On that tour, Young and his backing band, Promise of the Real, performed 98 shows in North America and Europe. This consisted of four shows at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, in January of 2017.
The Tower residency remains as one of the most memorable runs Young has had in recent history. He performed four different setlists in four consecutive days, going into his playlist archives. Performing young mixed classics such as “Heart of Gold” and “Old Man” and also combining it with some other less-known songs to the pleasure of the audience. The residency perfectly illustrated the artistry of Young in how he managed to maintain the freshness and the element of surprise in his concerts even at this stage in his career.
Time off stage for several years
Since a celebrated Tower Theater performance back in January of 2017, Neil Young has not embarked on one of his own tours. He performed sporadically in 2018 and 2019, and his last concert was at Farm Aid in Wisconsin in September of the latter year.
The emergence of COVID 19 in early twenty-first century halted all the touring schedules for Young and numerous other artists as well, of course. However, while many artists such as Bob Dylan or Paul McCartney still continue their performances after the lockdown, Young, at least till now, has not done the same.
Speculations of the Tour in 2022
At the start of the year, there were rumors that Neil Young was preparing for his first live shows since 2019. Rumors emerged that Young was going to perform in a few shows in North America in summer 2022, with Crazy Horse being his favorite backing group. Also, some expectations for Young could have been that he might have extended his tour into fall and winter in support of Promise of the Real.
However, those rumors are not current anymore, with no tour being announced in the first place. Young’s team and the potential tour promoters have not made any comments. Although fans are still holding on to their tents and expecting Young to go on tour this year, it seems almost impossible with every passing week.
An Icon Taking His Time
Lastly, Neil Young, as an outstanding and legendary singer and composer, should be allowed to go on tour whenever he wants to do it, without any limitations imposed by a record label. Young recently launched his 43rd album, known as “World Record,” in November to some benefits. Perhaps that release will excite Young to prepare for live concerts once again soon.
Young has spoken in recent interviews about suffering from tinnitus, which makes it difficult to perform on stage. Thus, he could be just patiently waiting for the right moment and right places that could help him organize the tour that he wants.
So, when Young finally gives his much-talked-about concert experience, it is certain that people will rush to buy tickets for his concert. They may have to wait a little longer, but the wait is well worth it for the ultimate fan. Neil Young’s next tour is going to be a cultural event celebration that could turn into another Never-Ending Tour like Bob Dylan’s late career renaissance.
