Review and Photos by Fred Kuhlman
Promoter: Danny Zelisko Presents (https://dzplive.com/ )
Venue: Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, AZ (https://celebritytheatre.com/ )
Date: April 16th, 2025
Tour: More Evenings of Songs and Stories
Most boys in their teenage years idolize sports personalities. Growing up in a small town in Ohio, I was not close to any major sports team, though I did like the Baltimore Orioles. For me I gravitated to idolize musicians. I saw these people as larger than life. But being from nowhere USA, I was not able to see many concerts in the late 60s or early 70s, so I had to settle for seeing them on TV. I was fascinated by Woodstock and loved the 3-disk album. The one group I really liked was Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN). To this day, one of my favorite albums (and the only 1 I have framed) is the original CSN album where they are seated on a couch in front of a house (in the wrong order). I loved the way these 3 musicians harmonized. Once I moved to the Phoenix area in 1973, I was fortunate to see Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young at a local outdoor baseball stadium. It was mind blowing 3-hour show. To this day I always seem to judge other artists and shows by this standard.
I love going to see musicians from the 60s and 70s. At these shows a lot of them tell stories about how they came up with their songs. One of my favorites is Graham Nash. I have followed Graham Nash over the years and I have seen him many times including his “Wild Times” tour in the 70s. Every show he tells either a little more about a song or a completely new story. That included tonight. He told the story about when he and his 50-year friend, David Crosby went out sailing on David’s sailboat. Graham thought it would be for the day, but instead it turned into a 9-week adventure. He said that during this trip, one morning he saw this amazing whale beside the ship, and he came up with the song “Wind On The Water”. So as a tribute to his friend David, he played “To the Last Whale – Critical Mass / Wind on the Water”. One day I was playing this on the car stereo and my granddaughter seemed to like it. Later she asked if I could play “That Whale Song”. SO even the younger generation like these songs.
Graham broke the show up into 2 sets. The first set was old classic songs from his time with Crosby and Stills. There was one exception. He told the story of how he got the Holly’s song “Bus Stop”. This is why I love seeing Graham, I get insights into how he and Crosby came up with some of the greatest (IMO) songs of my generation. Graham started with “Wasted on the Way” and “Marrakesh Express”. Later he performed two of my favorite songs, “To The Last Whale – Critical Mass / Wind on the Water” and “Love The One You’re With”.
The second set started with some of his newer songs, “Love of Mine” and “Sleep Song”. Included in this set were 2 of my favorite songs he did as a solo artist, “Simple Man” and “Military Madness”. I did miss that he didn’t play “Wild Times”. Then they ended the night with 4 of CSN’s greatest hits, “Teach Your Children”, “Woodstock”, “Find the Cost of Freedom” and the song that told the story about the 4 kids killed at Kent State in Ohio, simply called, “Ohio”.
Would I go see Graham Nash again, In a heartbeat. He is probably one of the greatest song writers of my generation and his harmonies with Crosby and Stills were classic.
As a side note, another reason I like Graham Nash is that he is also a great photographer. He has come up with a number of different printing processes (Hash Editions) and some of his photography of the 60s and 70s artists is the best I have ever seen. Some day I would love to interview him just on his photography. If you get a chance to see one of his exhibits, I would highly recommend it. Until then I will have to settle for his books, “Eye to Eye – Photographs by Graham Nash” and “A Life in Focus”. Both are available from Amazon.
Prior to the concert, Danny Zelisko and Blu Parr of Danny Zelisko Presents came on stage to do an auction a signed acoustic guitar by Graham Nash. Danny and his team do this at almost every concert they promote at the Celebrity Theatre. The auction helps raise money for St. Mary’s Food Band here in Phoenix, AZ. Every cent of the winning bid is donated to St. Mary’s. For each dollar, St. Mary’s is able to provide 5 meals to the less fortunate people here in the valley. Tonight was an amazing auction. The original signed guitar went for $5500. But Graham was nice enough to sign 2 additional guitars that went to 2 other people for the same amount. So tonight, they raised $16500 for St. Mary’s. I want to thank Danny, his crew, Graham Nash and especially the 3 individuals that won the bids.
You can see if Graham Nash is coming to a city near you on his social media sites. I very highly recommend seeing him if you want to relive the late 60s and early 70s. Also, if you love story telling and some of the best songs every written then this is the show for you. Hopefully I will see you at the next Graham Nash show that comes to Arizona. Until then, like Steven Stills wrote and CSN made famous, “Love The One You’re With”.
Social Media sites:
Website: https://grahamnash.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialGrahamNash
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialgrahamnash/
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@OfficialGrahamNash
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@grahamnash
Photos © Fred Kuhlman 2025, All Rights Reserved
Phoenix Setlist:
Set 1:
Wasted on the Way (Crosby, Stills & Nash song)
Marrakesh Express (Crosby, Stills & Nash song)
Just a Song Before I Go (Crosby, Stills & Nash song)
I Used to Be a King
Right Between the Eyes (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song)
Bus Stop (Graham Gouldman cover)
To the Last Whale…A. Critical Mass B. Wind on the Water
(Crosby & Nash song)
Immigration Man (Crosby & Nash song)
Better Days
Love the One You’re With (Stephen Stills cover)
Set 2:
Love of Mine
Sleep Song
Simple Man
Pre-Road Downs (Crosby, Stills & Nash song)
Military Madness
Cathedral (Crosby, Stills & Nash song)
Our House (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song)
Encore:
Teach Your Children (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song)
Woodstock (Joni Mitchell cover)
Find the Cost of Freedom (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song)
Ohio
