Neil Young Performs Songs From “Tonight’s The Night” For The First Time In 50 Years

In 1973, Lou Adler opened the Roxy Theatre on the Sunset Strip. Neil Young and his band the Santa Monica Flyers played the venue’s first three nights. Young had just finished recording Tonight’s The Night. Recordings from those Roxy shows became the live LP Roxy: Tonight’s the Night Live, which Young released in 2018. Over time, the Roxy became a legendary West Hollywood fixture. Last night, Neil Young returned, celebrating the venue’s 50th anniversary with a very special set.

Last night’s Neil Young & Crazy Horse show — their first since 2019 — marked the exact 50th anniversary of the Roxy’s opening. The gig raised money for the Painted Turtle and Bridge School. To mark the occasion, Young and Crazy Horse did something that they’ve never done before. They played two classic albums in full: Tonight’s The Night and 1969’s Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere.

Some songs that Neil Young And Crazy Horse played last night, like “Cinnamon Girl,” are staples of the band’s live shows. Others were true rarities. Three of the Tonight’s The Night songs that the band played last night — “Borrowed Tune,” “Lookout Joe,” and “Tired Eyes” — are songs that Crazy Horse haven’t played live since 1973, which means they hadn’t even played them since those songs came out.