Neil Young treats crowd to rarities at kickoff of first tour since 2019

Neil Young made his return to the road this weekend, kicking off his Coastal Tour at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, California, his first tour since 2019. Young had promised fans he was going to be focusing on songs he rarely or hasn't played live before, and he wasn't kidding.

Neil kicked off the show Friday, June 30, with the track "I'm The Ocean," recorded with Pearl Jam for 1995's Mirror Ball. According to setlist.fm, he hadn't played that song since 1997 with his band Crazy Horse.

Other rarities that were played for the first time in years include the Buffalo Springfield track "Burned," which Neil hadn't performed since 2009, "If You Got Love" for the first time since 1986 and "Song X," which he last played in 1995 with Pearl Jam. Neil also performed "Prime of Life" for the first time since 1994, "Days That Used to Be" for the first time since 2014 and "When I Hold You In My Arms" for the first time since 2001.

There were also several songs that got their live debut, including “A Dream That Can Last,” “Don’t Forget Love,” and “Love Earth.”

The night wasn't completely filled with rarities, with at leasts two classics making the set: "Heart of Gold" and the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young tune "Ohio."

Young has two more shows at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, July 3 and 5, before he heads to Santa Barbara on July 7. A complete list of dates can be found at NeilYoungarchives.com.