In 1974, I was finishing up High School and working part time at a local gas station. It was just 5 years after Woodstock, and tons of new music, new sounds and new acts had exploded onto the scene. So my friends and I would pass the time at the gas station listening to all of this great new music on the radio. As a big fan of Neil Young, who really inspired me to pic up a guitar, I jumped at the chance to go see the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young reunion tour.

They opened with an acoustic set and closed with an electric set—leaving the audience pumped up and wanting more. There was a lot of great material between the group’s previous album and their collective solo albums, like Neil Young’s ‘On The Beach’. That was one of my favorites, and I nearly wore that 8 Track out in my car.

Looking back on that show, it’s too bad that CSN&Y never did get around to finishing their planned second album. It’s also a little sad that the stadium where I saw so many Bulls and Blackhawks games has been demolished. But I have to laugh when I remember that during the show, Neil Young’s dog happened to wander out on stage right in the middle of the performance.  The crowd got excited, and Neil said: “He only comes out when he likes what he hears.”

Contributed by Bill Spencer