I first saw CSN at the Spectrum in 1982. It was a great show—hearing the entire stadium singing along to every song was unforgettable. However, it was their 1984 concert at the Mann Music Center that became one of the most important learning experiences of my life about the music business.
By then I had already begun getting an in-depth education through my relationship with Robert Hazard, and by meeting artists such as Peter Gabriel at various shows. Still, this night revealed the harsh reality of long-term touring. It was the first time I ever compared being in a band to being married to several people at once—and then going through multiple divorces at the same time.
At this point in their career, Crosby, Stills, and Nash each had their own tour buses and really only saw one another onstage. My girlfriend and I managed to get backstage after the show and discovered that they even had separate dressing rooms. It was the first time I had seen that level of fragmentation, and it was eye-opening.
Outside Graham Nash’s dressing room sat local WMMR legend Pierre Robert and a friend, armed with a small handheld tape recorder. We were all hoping to meet Graham. Eventually, his bodyguard invited Pierre inside. The rest of us stayed outside drinking their Heinekens while we waited. When Pierre finally came out, he was grinning from ear to ear, shouting, “I got it!” He sat down with us and played back the interview, which he later recounted on the air the next day.
That night turned out to be pivotal in how I would eventually build my own music-business model. I vowed never to let my name become famous, egocentric, or trapped in a cycle of relentless touring.
Love the One You're With (Stephen Stills song)
Chicago (Graham Nash song)
Turn Your Back on Love
The Lee Shore (CSNY cover)
Vote
Bluebird (Buffalo Springfield cover)
Just a Song Before I Go
To the Last Whale…
A. Critical Mass
B. Wind on the Water (Crosby & Nash cover)
Southern Cross
Change Partners (Stephen Stills song)
Long Time Gone
Set 2:
You Don't Have to Cry
Blackbird (The Beatles cover)
Wasted on the Way
Delta
Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
Cathedral
Déjà Vu (CSNY cover)
Barrel of Pain (Half-Life) (Graham Nash song)
Stranger (Stephen Stills song)
For What It's Worth (Buffalo Springfield cover)
Wooden Ships
Encore:
Carry On (CSNY cover)
Encore 2:
Teach Your Children (CSNY cover)