Deja Vu

And I feel like I've been here before . . .

David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash must have felt that way tonight when they played at Bethel Woods, the concert venue on the site of the Woodstock Festival in 1969.  Forty-five years ago!  Can it be possible?  I was not at that festival ("I had to work that weekend" . . . lamest excuse ever), but I have vivid memories of first hearing Crosby, Stills & Nash that summer.  Talk about an album that transformed music!
They were in their mid-twenties then, all veterans of previous bands (The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, The Hollies), but the harmonies that emerged from this trio would win over the hearts of millions.

I've seen CS&N a few times over the last several years, and I would have to admit that Stephen Stills was a bit of a disappointment, unable to sing well and appearing uncomfortable on stage.  This was not the case tonight.  Although the nuances in his speaking and singing seem to be the result of years of abuse, his confidence was much improved, as he told several funny stories and did some solo work.  Confidence, or lack thereof, was never an issue with his guitar work, however, and he delivered a blistering performance on several songs.

My favorite song of the night was Cathedral.  The power of that song, lyrically and musically, has always blown me away, and tonight was no exception.  On a sweeter note, the encore, which Graham Nash dedicated "to all the teachers" was Teach Your Children, an anthem that, for those of us who navigated our way through the late 60s and thereafter, kept us focused and grounded in our beliefs.  Of course the crowd, a majority of whom were survivors of that time period, sang along.  It was very sweet.

Deja vu?  Absolutely.  And, you know, it makes me wonder . . .