The Hamilton Live played host to the Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young tribute band, Our House, for a two night run last weekend. Tribute bands, generally speaking, can be a lot of fun. Our House was no exception but with a bit of a difference. Every member of the band has a tie to David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, and/or Neil Young. That’s a pretty elite group of musicians so you know they are going to do justice and pay homage to the music. The show is masterfully performed and split into two sets.

Our House is made up of a formidable group of musicians, led by guitarist Steve Postell. Steve’s expansive career includes being guitarist and musical director for David Crosby and Immediate Family, an all-star band of studio veterans. Lead guitar and lap steel was handled by Jeff Pevar, who played for years with David Crosby, Graham Nash, CSN, and Phil Lesh. Bass was held down by Eli Thompson from Father John Misty. Drums were handled by Steve DiStanislao, who not only played with Crosby but with David Gilmour as well. Half of the keyboard duties and vocals were performed by Michelle Wills. Michelle played keyboard for Crosby for many years, on several projects. The other half of the keyboard duties were handled by James Raymond, who not only collaborated with David Crosby for years but is also his son. Chris Pierce, who was hand-picked by Neil Young to open his last tour, sang and played guitar and harmonica. And finally, special guest Astrid Young sang backup during the band’s performances. She also opened both sets with a mix of originals and a Neil Young song at The Hamilton Live on August 9 and 10.

The show has a great flow with the band playing a mix of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and sometimes Young’s best-known songs. Each song was played with with an ear toward staying faithful to the originals but still branching off into jams, much like the guys would do when the music was new.

The lone exception was the Neil Young song “Southern Man.” The band slowed it down and, if you can believe it, made it even more intense than the original. Much of the credit for this has to go to Chris Pierce’s delivery. Watching his performance, you can tell he took the lyrics to heart and delivered them with the same conviction he’d have if he had written them himself.

I had the opportunity to see both nights at The Hamilton Live and even though the setlist was the same for both nights, the highlights for me were different each time. One of the highlights was the opportunity to hear stories about each musician’s connection to the music and the musicians.

In all, the shows lasted approximately three hours each. But it sure didn’t feel like it. It’s really easy to get caught up in the music when it’s done so well. They did an impressive job of recreating the classic CSN harmonies. When the coda came up for “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” or the band got to the chorus of their namesake, “Our House,” the crowd joined right in. And the crowd was something else. It was a mix of fans as young as their teens to seniors who just may have seen the band at Woodstock. There was singing and dancing all night long and I think that’s exactly what the band members would have wanted to see.

Setlist

Astrid Young First Set

• Sugar Mountain
• Amy’s Song

Our House First Set

• Long Time Gone
• Southern Cross
• Lee Shore
• Carry On
• 4+20
• Southern Man
• Guinevere
• Déjà Vu

Intermission

Astrid Young Second Set

• Integratron

Our House Second Set

• Love The One You’re With
• Helplessly Hoping
• Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
• Almost Cut My Hair
• Harvest Moon
• Wooden Ships
• Teach Your Children
• Woodstock

Encore

• Our House
• Ohio

Here are some photos of Our House performing at The Hamilton Live on August 9, 2024. All pictures are copyright and copyright of Marc Shea.