After a month After canceling all concert dates due to an unspecified illness, Neil Young will return to the stage as part of Farm Aid at the Saratoga Center for the Performing Arts in Saratoga Springs, New York, on September 21. He will be joined by Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews, along with Mavis Staples, Nathaniel Rateliff and The Nightsweets, Lukas Nelson with The Traveling McCormickies, Charlie Crockett, Joey Oladokun and Southern Avenue, Cassandra Lewis and Jessie Wells.
“We are excited to return to New York,” said Willie Nelson, founder and president of Farm Aid, in a statement. “Farmers here have always found ways to innovate and contribute to their communities, even as they deal with uncertainty, extreme weather, and policies that favor corporations over people. Farmers need us to stand with them as they work to grow our future.”
The second Farm Aid Festival was held in 2013 at the Saratoga Center for the Performing Arts. That night, Pete Seeger performed in public for the last time, just five months before his death. “At 94, I don’t have much of a voice left,” he told the crowd before playing “If I Had a Hammer” on his banjo. “But here’s a song I think you know. If you sing it, we’ll sound pretty good.”
Young has played every Farm Aid concert since the original in 1985 except for the 2021 and 2022 shows, which he missed due to coronavirus concerns. “My soul tells me it’s wrong to risk someone dying because they wanted to hear music and be with friends,” he wrote to fans in 2021. “Do what you have to do, but think about it carefully. We’ll be back. There’s a lot of work we have to do together.”
He returned to tour in June 2023, appearing at Farm Aid on September 23 in Noblesville, Indiana for a shortened solo acoustic set. Young launched a North American tour with Crazy Horse, but it was canceled after just 15 shows. “We will try to play some of the dates we missed over time when we are ready to rock again!” they wrote to disappointed fans. “We know many of you have made travel plans and we apologize for the inconvenience. Thank you for your understanding and patience. Health is #1. We want to stay and bring you more shows and more albums… and us.”
Young's performance at Farm Aid 2023 was followed by an unannounced appearance by Bob Dylan, who was backed by a rousing electric lineup from Mike Campbell and the Dirty Knobs with guest keyboardist Benmont Tench. It was an echo of the original Farm Aid concert where Dylan was first joined by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Ticket sales for this year’s Farm Aid Festival begin July 26, with prices ranging from $85 to $325. All proceeds will go to the organization, which has raised nearly $80 million to help family farmers.
