
- Share this article on Facebook
- Share this article on Twitter
- Share this article on Email
- Show additional share options
- Share this article on Print
- Share this article on Comment
- Share this article on Whatsapp
- Share this article on Linkedin
- Share this article on Reddit
- Share this article on Pinit
- Share this article on Tumblr
Neil Young voiced support for immigrant children who have been separated from their parents at the U.S. southern border during his live-streamed concert Wednesday night at Detroit’s Fox Theatre.
Adding Buffalo Springfield’s “I Am a Child” to the set, Young pointed out that the children “are in the United States of America,” adding that “a lot of people are looking at that.” The introduction received a huge ovation from the crowd, some of whom shouted, “So are we!”
It was the most overt of Young’s political statements during the hour-and-45-minute show, one of six solo acoustic dates he’s playing this summer. Young let the music do the talking for the others, lacing commentary tracks such as “Ohio,” “After the Gold Rush,” “Angry World,” “Love and War,” “Peaceful Valley Boulevard” and another Buffalo Springfield song, “Broken Arrow,” into the set list.
And during “Are You Ready for the Country?” he followed the line “Are you ready for the country, because it’s time to go” with a meaningful nod to the crowd.
Young, of course, has never shied away from issues or being outspoken. Back in March, he told Billboard that he’s, not surprisingly, unhappy with the current state of affairs in the U.S.
“It’s a fucking mess. [Trump] is bent on destroying the environment. He has absolutely no knowledge of what’s real. He’s decided because he doesn’t believe in science he can lead the country with no regards for science and recklessness,” said Young. “All the stuff he’s changed…the other tasteless shit he does, it’s not important compared to those other things. I don’t know how America is sleeping through this.”
Young next performs July 6 with Promise of the Real at the Festival d’ete de Quebec, then finishes the solo acoustic dates with shows July 11-12 at the Wang Theatre in Boston.
This article originally appeared on Billboard.com.
THR Newsletters
Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day