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The air at Deer Lake Park was thick with anticipation, but a familiar sense of calm settled over the crowd as Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts took the stage for their “Love Earth World Tour.” Without a word, Young, with his trusty G key harmonica, opened the night with the haunting beauty of “Ambulance Blues.” It was a perfect beginning, a quiet declaration that this was not a show of flash and spectacle, but one of raw, honest music.

The band quickly moved into a career-spanning journey, blending classic Neil Young and Crazy Horse cuts with a few carefully chosen covers. The audience was treated to the distinctively loose groove of “Cowgirl in the Sand” and the powerful stomp of “Powderfinger,” a narrative masterpiece that felt as epic as ever. The setlist was a masterclass in a deep dive, with tracks like “Be The Rain” and “Long Walk Home” showcasing the band’s ability to navigate Young’s diverse catalog.

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A palpable energy swept through the park during the covers. The band’s fiery take on the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young classic “Ohio” was a powerful moment, its protest message as relevant today as it was decades ago. Similarly, a fierce rendition of Buffalo Springfield’s “Mr. Soul” showed the band’s teeth, with Young’s guitar work as sharp and electrifying as ever.

The acoustic portion of the night was equally moving. Young’s singular voice, weathered but full of a lifetime of stories, resonated deeply on timeless tracks like “Harvest Moon” and “Old Man.” These songs, stripped to their emotional core, felt like a private conversation with the artist. The night concluded with a powerful one-two punch of “Like a Hurricane” and “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black),” a perfect summary of the two sides of Young’s genius—the tender balladeer and the rock-and-roll icon. The final, reflective notes of “Roll Another Number (For the Road)” left the crowd with a feeling of quiet contentment, a fitting end to a show that felt less like a concert and more like a pilgrimage.

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