Graham Nash – McDonald Theater, Eugene Oregon July 17, 2015
By Andy Goldfinger

For the first time in over a decade Graham Nash has taken to the road by himself and he is drawing from 50 years worth of material, all his own. On stage he is joined by longtime Crosby, Still & Nash guitarist Shane Fontayne. Nash is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee-with Crosby, Stills, and Nash and with the Hollies. In addition, he was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame twice, as a solo artist and with CSN. Let’s not forget he is also a Grammy Award winner.

Finally, In September 2013 Nash released his long-awaited autobiography Wild Tales, which provides a mesmerizing, truthful look through time at his remarkable career, and the music that helped change a generation and a culture. It found him on the New York Times Best Sellers list, and will be released in paperback format this fall.  As if that’s not enough. In recognition for his contributions as a musician and philanthropist, Graham was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth.

The performance in Eugene was emotional and stirring as he played songs from his entire catalogue. Songs like King Midas in Reverse from the Hollies, Immigration Man, Military Madness, To The Last Whale, Simple Man, Used To be A King, and so many more. Each song played and sung flawlessly. The new songs were thoughtful, truthful, and to the point. Graham’s stories and the thoughts behind the songs was an added bonus.

We had the opportunity to sit down before the show in Eugene and discussed a wide range of topics including Graham’s first memories of music he heard as a kid, why Neil Young was brought into CSN and so many other topics. While his musical legacy continues to expand with rich new music, Nash is also a renowned photographer and visual artist whose work has been shown in galleries and museums worldwide, including the Smithsonian.

Nash’s passionate voice continues to be heard in support of peace, and social and environmental justice. The No Nukes/Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) concerts he organized with Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt in 1979 remain seminal benefit events. In 2011, Nash was instrumental in bringing MUSE back to the forefront with a concert to benefit Japan disaster relief and groups promoting non-nuclear energy worldwide.