Watch Neil Young Debut Monsanto Concept Album At Secret Club Gig With New Band
Back in January, Neil Young announced that he was working on a new concept album with Lukas and Micah Nelson, two sons of his friend and duet partner Willie. He joked that he’d name the album The Monsanto Years after the villainous corporate agriculture giant. Or at least, people thought he was joking. He may not have been. Jambase reports that Young played a secret show on Thursday night at SLO Brewing Co. in San Luis Obispo, California. He debuted his new band, which includes the two Nelson brothers, and he debuted a bunch of new songs that, according to people who were there, rail against companies like Monsanto and Starbucks (which Young railed against last fall). Their titles include “Monsanto Years,” “Seeds,” “Rock Starbucks,” and “Too Big to Fail.” They also played a generous handful of older songs. Check out a few fan-made videos below.
Magic in #SLO last night! @Neilyoung @LukasNelsonPOTR @SLOBrewingCo #ShareSLO pic.twitter.com/MCIxLhF6t4
— Suzanne Schonig (@suzbot5000) April 17, 2015
No word yet on when this new album will be out, but Young works quickly.
UPDATE: According to Rolling Stone, Neil Young And Promise Of The Real’s The Monsanto Years is out 6/16 and will be followed by the Rebel Content Tour.
7/5 Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest
7/8-9 Denver, CO @ Red Rocks
7/11 Lincoln, NE @ Pinnacle Bank Arena
7/13 Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
7/14 Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
7/16 Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center
7/17 Bethel, NY @ Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
7/19 Essex Junction, VT @ Champlain Valley Expo
7/20 Wantagh, NY @ Jones Beach
7/21 Great Woods, MA @ Xfinity Center
7/22 Oro-Medonte, ONT @ Wayhome Festival
It’ll apparently be Young’s first concert in Vermont, which Burlington Free Press speculates is connected to the state’s stance on genetically modified organisms.
UPDATE 2: The album will be accompanied by a documentary, also called The Monsanto Years. The IFC Center in NYC will host two “work-in-progress” screenings tonight at 11:20PM and 11:45PM; Young will personally introduce each screening. Click to IFC for more info.