Ever since the pandemic, Neil Young has been reticent to return to the stage. After his peers started performing again, Young said that he still wasn’t comfortable. Last year, Young said that he and his team were “trying to figure out how to do a self-sustaining, renewable tour” but that he didn’t know whether that would ever happen: “I’m not sure I want to, I’m still feeling that out.” A few months ago, in response to the Cure’s Ticketmaster troubles, Young wrote that “CONCERT TOURS are no longer fun.” But now Young has announced that he’s finally ready to hit the road. He’s heading out on a short West Coast tour next month.

Neil Young’s tour announcement says that he’s working with Ticketmaster venues “to make sure tickets can only be resold at their original price.” As the Neil Young News fansite reports, Young teased this tour during a Zoom call with Patron-tier fans yesterday. Apparently, he told fans that the tour would be solo-acoustic and that 80% of his setlist would be songs that he’s never played live. He mentioned a couple of examples: 1994’s “Prime Of Life” — which he played live once, when it was new — and the the 1983 Trans song “If You Got Love” — which he’s played live a bunch of times, but not since 1986. So maybe these are more live rarities than never-performed-before songs. Still. Pretty cool.

Singer-songwriter Chris Pierce will open the West Coast shows, and the press release promises “more dates to follow.” Check out those tour dates below.

TOUR DATES:
7/01-02 – Los Angeles, CA @ John Anson Ford *
7/04/05 – Los Angeles, CA @ John Anson Ford *
7/07 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl *
7/08 – Paso Robles, CA @ Vina Robles Amphitheatre *
7/11 – San Diego, CA @ The Shell *
7/13 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Greek Theatre *
7/15 – Berkeley, CA @ The Greek *
7/17 – Bend, OR @ Hayden Homes Amphitheater *
7/18 – Ridgefield, WA @ RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater *
7/20 – Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheatre *
7/23 – Napa, CA @ Oxbow RiverStage *

* with Chris Pierce

The artwork for the tour features a train, so maybe that’s how Young will make the whole thing environmentally sustainable.