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News Flash
Fri., Feb 18, 2000
UPDATED: Sat., Feb 19, 2000
UPDATED: Sun., Feb 20, 2000
Direct bookmark: http://HyperRust.org/News/?f-CSNYonTV
(updated )

CSNY TV Specials Coming

Ever since VH1 signed on the dotted line to sponsor the CSNY2K tour (since renamed to the less trendy "CSNY 2000" moniker) they've been very agressive in getting the band onto home television and computer screens. Beginning with their sponsorship of the Tour Announcement news conference webcast, CSNY has been popping up regularly on VH1. Ahead of the tour, there were plenty of commercials promoting VH1's involvement. And then they did a live broadcast and webcast of the first four songs of the tour's opening night in Detroit.

Since that tour opener, the CSNY2K tour has been very warmly received by the fans and had many enthusiastic reviews from the press and fans alike. The shows have drawn the biggest box-office of the year, including six of the top ten grossing musical concerts up to now. By any measure this tour has been a major success so far. One journalist actually called it best reunion tour ever..!

Hot on the heals of this success, has come news of new television shows featuring CSNY in development by VH1. The first to be leaked was the plan for a CSNY installment of the Storytellers series. And more recently it was revealed that a new Legends show is in the works. Thankfully there's no indication that one of the (often sleazy) Behind The Music shows on them is being developed.

The Storytellers show is being recorded during the tour's run in the Los Angeles area. The participation of CSNY was first mentioned in a Variety article about the revival of the series, also featuring Steely Dan and Don Henley. The article mentioned that the CSNY show would be taping this week and would show during the week of April 24. Subsequently, L.A.'s KLOS radio began running a contest to get a couple of winners into the taping of the Storytellers show, which they said was going to be at a "secret location". The taping was confirmed to be tonight (Friday, February 18) at 8:00pm in Los Angeles.

Production of new Legends shows on VH1 had pretty much stopped a while back when Behind The Music and Storytellers had become regular features on the network. However word that a new Legends show featuring CSNY was in the works was revealed on the Lee Shore mailing list in a post by Denny Sarokin (the author of the song Sanibel, which is featured on CSNY's Looking Forward album). He said:

"By the way, there's been a buzz about a VH1 Legends show. It's a done deal! I was contacted by VH1 about legal rights to the song today. It's slated to air mid-March."
Subsequently, Rustie Tom Hambleton checked in with VH1 to see if more details about the Storytellers taping were forthcoming. Their response confirmed both shows, and even set the exact date for them to be broadcast:
"...Yes, we recently plan to tape a Storytellers with CSNY, but there are no tickets available to the show. It will be taped on a closed set and audience members are invited guests of VH1, the band, and the record label. I'm sure that the label will designate a certain number of tickets to fan club members [HyperRust editor's note: HA!] and we will also have a limited number of giveaways on local radio stations (KLOS for sure).

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but we hope you're as happy about the upcoming special as we are. We'll also air a Legends on CSNY. Both shows are scheduled to premiere on Sunday, March 12 at 11 AM and Noon (ET/PT) and repeat that night at 9 PM and 10 PM (ET/PT)..."

So there you have it. Two straight hours on CSNY on March 12. Set up those VCRs now...!


The Storytellers Taping Set List & Experience
by Gary Goltz

Just got back from the Storytellers taping at Hollywood Center Studios near Melrose. The crowd was about 250, mostly radio contest winners and friends of the band. CSNY took the stage a little after 9PM PST and played the acoustic set from the tour, with Dunn's and Keltner's backing. I was in the front row about 9 feet away from Neil!

Here's the set list...

  1. Helplessly Hoping
  2. Our House
  3. Only Love Can Break Your Heart
  4. Dream For Him
  5. Someday Soon
  6. Looking Forward
  7. After The Goldrush
  8. Guinnevere
  9. Out of Control
  10. Seen Enough
  11. Teach Your Children
    Encores
  12. Helplessly Hoping   (Re-done at Neil's request.)
  13. Long May You Run
I'm trying to think of any other memories from the taping. When I first pulled up to the gate Will Smith was arriving. He must have been shooting something there. All the tour buses were parked around the studios. Afterwards I ran into Graham outside of Neil's bus. He was in good spirits and had to leave quickly to get some photos taken with CS_Y.

The VH1 host of Storytellers told me the stage we were in was at one time used for I Love Lucy. During the taping he seemed a little frazzled by CSNY's reluctance to tell stories. He told the audience that Storytellers was created with CSNY in mind. Several times he tried to get them to explain their songs in detail but they seemed rather glib. Neil said something like "Our songs themselves tell the stories."

The acoustics were really different from the tour shows. From where I sat you could hear them singing without the amplifiers. It was an awesome effect. I guess it was as close as you can get to having them play in your living room. Lucky me!

A few years ago I met Neil at Irvine Meadows and showed him my 1955 Buick Highway Patrol car. Elliot took a picture of us with my camera back then. I reminded Ellito of the incident, and he remebered.

Gary


The Storytellers Taping
by Bearly

The VH1 Storytellers taping last night was short and very sweet. The stage was set up pretty much like the other venues, but smaller, of course; lamps, potted palm, wooden Indian, pipe organ rear of stage, sage... Kristen and Eleanor Stills were front row center, we were off on the side and towards the back, which in such a small studio meant the 4th row...   ;-)

They played for about 75 minutes, a mini-version of the tour setlists. I especially liked Only Love Can Break Your Heart, as we didn't get that one at the Staples Center show I experienced. Stephen's Seen Enough was wonderful, and Guinnevere was lovely (despite the director or DP or whomever he was talking all the way through the song. I hope they can still use it...)

They ended up doing Helplessly Hoping over again at the end of the show, because Neil said he'd screwed it up the first time. Of course we all thought the first one was great, but he insisted, saying he could sing that song 5 more times, he loves it so much... Of course, both versions sounded beautiful.

The show will be great. Beautiful songs, acoustic and electric, lots of banter back and forth between the guys, but don't expect to learn the long-debated "meanings" of your favorite songs. There weren't many "inside stories", per se, mostly kidding and ribbing and goofing around... Basically just a lot of fun and a very, very special evening.

Peace,
Bearly

 

 

 

 

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