Throughout a long and storied career, Graham Nash has seen and done it all.
From his days in the early ’60s as a member of the Merseybeat act The Hollies in his home country of England, through high-profile times in Crosby, Stills & Nash and, later, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, he’s always sought to accomplish something.
“I think CSN and CSNY, particularly, I’ve always wanted to make music that would encourage people to shake their ass and encourage people to think,” he tells Rock Music Menu. “We’ve always tried to do that.
We’ve always tried to do the best music that we can. And that’s what happens when people come and see me today. In this chaotic world, as it is politically and with climate change, it’s nice for people to come and have an experience of at least a couple of hours of peace.”
Nash will be hoping to provide a period of tranquility tomorrow night as he kicks off his latest tour at the Lansdowne Theater, the first of a full slate of shows that extend into the fall. Not bad for one of the key singer/songwriters of the Woodstock Generation, who turned 84 years old recently.
As part of the vaunted counterculture movement of the ’60s and ’70s, Nash has often found himself on the front lines of speaking up for those without a voice. He’s often targeted the corruption in politics or those in charge who take advantage of the regular people just trying to get by.
The result is a catalog of downright timeless songs, like the 1972 hit “Immigration Man,” which was based on a real-life issue he had trying to enter the United States, something that couldn’t be more appropriate given the current situation in the country.
“It seems to happen to me a lot,” Nash says of his material continuing to resonate. “I mean, ‘Teach Your Children’ is still incredibly relevant today. And, as you say, ‘Immigration Man,’ and ‘Chicago/We Can Change the World,’ and ‘Military Madness.’ They’re all incredibly relevant even today.
“And it’s both a thrill for me and an honor. At the same time, it’s a pain in the ass that we haven’t learned much from history.”
Graham Nash isn’t shy about weighing in on social and political issues. (COURTESY OF AMY GRANTHAM)
With a cursory look at Nash’s social media it’s obvious he’s not in the habit of holding his tongue, especially when it comes to the current presidential administration.
Asked if he had more hope now for the future of the world than he did when he was younger, when all of those important, era-defining songs about change were coming from the likes of Jefferson Airplane, Joan Baez, and, of course, Crosby, Stills &Nash and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, his response was blunt.
“No. Look at what’s happening to humanity, look what’s happening to what Trump is doing,” he says. “And I really believe that a lot of people that voted Trump in for the second time, they were much more interested in the price of eggs rather than what Trump is doing. I mean, he’s very autocratic. He’s very much a dictator.”
It’s not all black and white, though, in some respects. One thing Nash is conscious of is that as a civilization, and the humanity he keeps referring to, we’re all in this together, despite all of the differences.
“And particularly with a president that we have right now that is intent on dividing us and making us fear the future rather than embrace the wonderful things about humanity,” he says. “I mean, humanity goes from Jeffrey Dahmer, (who) eats people, to somebody that put us on the moon, and Einstein, this incredible range of humanity is very apparent to me these days.”
Nowadays, there’s so much on Nash’s radar that’s come into view with a much clearer lens. Sober for some time, he says he’s not addicted to anything, “except maybe sugar.” Discussing the trend among today’s youth of being “sober curious” and abstaining from alcohol but embracing marijuana, he brings it back to one of his most well-known compositions.
“I think it’s kind of like my song, ‘Teach Your Children.’ We have a lot to learn from our kids, but they have a lot to learn from us, too,” Nash says. “And one of the things that they’re learning is that drink really (messes) people up. I don’t know many … I’ve never heard of many murderers that smoke weed; we’re smoking weed. It’s usually that they’re blind drunk and have no control over their faculties.
So, there is a lot to learn from our kids, and our kids are learning from us, and it seems to be that they’re taking it in good stride here.”
A two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee — with both The Hollies and Crosby, Stills & Nash — and a recipient of the Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, better known as an OBE, Nash certainly doesn’t sound like someone who is nearing the finish line.
“I’m English. I want to get the job done, whatever the job is,” he says. “If we’re making an album, then let’s make the best album we can right now. And I feel incredibly healthy. I’m 84, and I know that my life is probably coming to an end soon, but I certainly want to stick around until I’m at least 100.”
A few tickets remain for Graham Nash at the Lansdowne Theater on Saturday. Visit thelansdownetheater.com for more information.
The Hit List: Thievery Corporation at Franklin Music Hall, April 4
Occasionally, we’ll be dropping an upcoming show here that didn’t make it into the weekly Seven in Seven, one that’s a late addition to our Hit List.
The upcoming warm Saturday night downtown offers up a perfect excuse to settle in at Franklin Music Hall and let Thievery Corporation do what they’ve been doing better than just about anyone for the better part of 30 years.
Thievery Corporation (COURTESY OF LACEY TERRELL)
Helmed by Rob Garza and Eric Hilton, the D.C.-bred outfit continues to pull from a deep well of global influences, stitching together dub, bossa nova, trip hop, and everything in between with the ease of seasoned crate diggers who’ve seen it all.
There’s a message in there if you want it, but it never comes at you head-on.
Their music operates more like atmosphere than argument, something that settles over the room, subtle but immersive, the kind ofdowntempo sound that feels tailor-made for dim lighting and unhurried moments.
If anything deeper reveals itself along the way, that’s just part of the deal.
Live, the collective takes on a fluidity as it shapeshifts, with a rotating cast of vocalists stepping in and out across the set. Expect familiar faces in the mix — including longtime collaborators Mr. Lif, Laura Vall, and Puma Ptah — helping bring staples like “Culture of Fear,” “Warning Shots,” and “Lebanese Blonde” to life in a way that leans less on nostalgia and more on pure, in-the-moment feel.
Vinyl of the Week returns next week.
To contact music columnist Michael Christopher, send an email to rockmusicmenu@gmail.com. Also, check out his website at thechroniclesofmc.com.