Recently speaking to Howard Stern, Dave Matthews expressed his admiration for Neil Young‘s stage presence, which was similar to a full band experience, although he performed only with his guitar and a chair.
The Dave Matthews Band frontman remembered seeing Young live for the first time:
“The first time I saw Neil was at Farm Aid Live. He got in front of, like for me, it was like a hundred thousand people, just by himself on a chair. And he blew the place apart. I was like, ‘Wow, who can do that?‘”
The singer also reflected on Neil’s reaction to his cover of ‘The Needle and the Damage Done’:
“Maybe we talked about it afterwards. I think one time I played it for him, and he said, ‘Thanks, man.’ I surprised him. I love to share the stage with Neil, but if there was a fight in a bar, I’d like to be on Neil’s side. I think he could definitely throw a punch, too.”
In 2010, Dave Matthews performed ‘The Needle and the Damage Done’ frequently in his live shows, including a tribute concert for Neil Young. In the following years, too, he included the song in his setlist from time to time. Matthews also had the chance to perform with Young at Farm Aid multiple times.
Below, you can watch the rest of the interview and listen to Dave’s cover of the Young track.
