Neil Young hosted his latest Bridge School charity concert last night. Dubbed “Harvest Moon: A Gathering,” the event included performances from Norah Jones, Father John Misty, and Young himself, who took the opportunity to perform a 14-song acoustic set of classics including “Old Man” and “Heart of Gold.” And as Rolling Stone points out, Young also performed “New Mama,” the standout track from his 1975 album Tonight’s The Night, live for the first time since 1977.
“All these places start off with kids,” he said as he introduced the track. “Kids make it happen and families slowly realize how real it is and they realize they have nowhere to go. Then they find a place like this and a place like the Bridge School. That’s why it’s so important because it’s all about those little kids and their eyes looking at you.”
The concert is the latest event to grow out of Young’s longstanding relationship with the Bridge School, which was co-founded by his wife Pegi Young in 1986 to help children with severe speech and physical impairments including their son, Ben Young, who was born with cerebral palsy. Neil Young hosted annual Bridge School Benefit concerts until 2016, which included five Norah Jones performances between 2005 and 2016.
Neil Young recently announced COLORADO, his latest album with Crazy Horse, would be released October 25 via Reprise Records. The album will include recent singles “Milky Way” and “Rainbow of Colors.” Watch footage of his recent “Harvest Moon: A Gathering” performance below; “New Mama” begins around the 52:58 mark.
