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Neil Young was rocking along on the main stage as the clock struck 10 p.m. on Day Two (Saturday, May 25) of the seventh annual BottleRock Napa Valley.
That marks curfew time for the festival. Just ask the Cure and the Foo Fighters, who hit curfew and had the plugs pulled on their sets in 2014 and 2017, respectively.
Would organizers make an exception for Young and let him stretch past the 10 p.m. hour?
Well, yeah, for a minute. Young and his band, Promise of the Real, were still going strong on “Rockin’ in the Free World” at 10:01 p.m. when the sound was abruptly shut off.
What did Young do?
He just kept on rocking in the free world, silently strumming his guitar and jamming away for no one to see.
Here’s the video of when it happened:
WATCH: @Neilyoung gets the plug pulled on his set at @BottleRockNapa and Neil just keeps on rocking pic.twitter.com/CUr8ELdUhc
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) May 26, 2019
The crowd was clearly perplexed. There was the headliner still onstage, moving and grooving, but the only sound to be heard was the grumbling of angry Neil Young fans.
Chalk it up as further proof that the BottleRock organizers take the curfew issue very seriously, clearly not wanting to inconvenience their neighbors with any late night rock ‘n’ roll.
It was a bizarre ending to what had been a triumphant set by Young, who was performing his first concert in Northern California since the last Bridge School Benefit concerts in October 2016.
Heart of Gold @Neilyoung @BottleRockNapa pic.twitter.com/Oi1nArewUq
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) May 26, 2019
His set was one of the highlights of the 2019 BottleRock Napa Valley, which opened on May 24 and continues through May 26 in downtown Napa.
Young and Promise of the Real — the cool rock act led by Lukas Nelson — took the stage right around 8:30, some 15 minutes later than scheduled. The late start made the whole curfew problem feel almost inevitable.
Harvest Moon @Neilyoung @BottleRockNapa pic.twitter.com/jqIZSaFO6B
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) May 26, 2019
The 73-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and long-time Bay Area resident, who only recently relocated to the Los Angeles area, spent the first five minutes basically making noise on the guitar. Eventually, it crystallized into “Love and Only Love” (from 1990’s “Ragged Glory”). Young and the five-piece supporting band ventured into one jam after another. Some 15 minutes after taking the stage, they had only played one song.
It felt like it was going to be one of those nights where Young just jams to his heart’s content on songs that the most casual fans can’t name.
. @Neilyoung opens @BottleRockNapa set by making noise for like 5 minutes. Oh, it's going to be one of THOSE nights. pic.twitter.com/HmrQUQ93jE
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) May 26, 2019
But that didn’t end up being the case. Yes, there were some mammoth space jams (although, to be honest, not as many as I would have liked). But mainly, it was a festival-friendly set that included some of Young’s biggest hits, including “Harvest Moon” and “Like a Hurricane.”
The set capped off a day that also included sets from Gary Clark Jr., Pharrell Williams, Elle King and the Regrettes, among many others.
Tonight, we jam. @Neilyoung @Neilyoung pic.twitter.com/F1ebpzm1mf
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) May 26, 2019
The 2019 festival concludes on Sunday with a lineup that includes headliner Mumford & Sons, Santana, Tash Sultana, Bishop Briggs, Big Boi and Michael Franti and Spearhead.
The @imaginedragons front man Dan Reynolds apparently thinks @BottleRockNapa is located in Los Angeles. https://t.co/aNYTsqgXGm
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) May 26, 2019
Yet another Guinness World Record was set at @BottleRockNapa yesterday. @GWR @chef_morimoto @foodiechap https://t.co/lFrAGQP6yo
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) May 25, 2019
Day 1 in review, photos: @BottleRockNapa has "truly become one of the most cherished annual events on the West Coast." https://t.co/rHDl6xgSqR
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) May 25, 2019
What happens if it rains at @BottleRockNapa? https://t.co/JbkB3ZSyJY
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) May 24, 2019
