Do you love Neil Young? This Saturday, November 12, on Neil Young’s birthday, head to Carpinteria’s Plaza Playhouse Theater to honor the man, the myth, the legend, and his music, with S.B.’s Claude Hopper joining Bay Area band Shakey Zimmerman both playing covers of the renowned and rebellious rocker in a night deemed Forever Young. I chatted with Shakey Zimmerman’s Pat Nevins over e-mail about what inspired the night, performing Young’s material, and what makes Young such an enduring performer.
How did this concert come together?
The idea for a show at the Plaza Playhouse Theater in Carp actually came about a few years ago after my long time friend and music partner, Dave Cowan of Claude Hopper, and I began tossing ideas around for a bill that could combine both elements of our lifelong musical journeys and paths taken by influences and by our own music. I have always admired Dave’s prolific ability to write great songs and he has given me the nod of approval for what I enjoy most: paying tribute to the songs of Neil Young and Bob Dylan. I just like singing them and people enjoy my take, which brings the listener right into the ballpark and neighborhood of these two iconic songwriters.