Music’s Finest Shower Neil Young With Love

“I’m watching… so I don’t have to remember the words,” joked Neil Young on Friday night, explaining why he wasn’t planning on joining the all-star cast of musicians who had gathered to fete the songwriting legend at MusiCare’s Person Of The Year tribute concert in Los Angeles.

The line-up included Wilco, John Mellencamp, Jackson Browne, Dave Matthews, Elvis Costello, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, James Taylor, Ben Harper, Sheryl Crow, Norah Jones, Patti Griffin, Lucinda Williams and Neko Case. So who covered what?

John Mellencamp tackled “Down By The River,” Wilco fired up “Broken Arrow” (“it’s really episodic and strange and when you hear it, it’s pretty obvious that Wilco has taken a lot from this one song,” frontman Jeff Tweedy told Rolling Stone“) and Dave Matthews covered “Needle and the Damage Done.” Elvis Costello leaned into “The Losing End (When You’re On)” and Norah Jones sang “Tell Me Why.” James Taylor offered “Heart of Gold,” and the Red Hot Chili Peppers rocked “A Man Needs A Maid.” It all built to an all-star jam, a la The Last Waltz, of Young’s “Helpless,” featuring T Bone Burnett and Elton John, among others. Crosby, Stills and Nash closed out the evening with “Human Highway.”

To read a detailed report of the evening, click here.