PARK CITY, Utah — A concert film closes the Sundance Film Festival
tonight, and the subject is the group CSNY.
That's Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young — and you.
Turning the lens from the stage to the seats was a way to find out why
people felt the way they did about the fiery new anti-war songs, whether
they liked or hated them.
"They are my own personal songs," Young says. "Even though it was such a
heartfelt thing, and I really believe what I believe, the way we
presented it allowed everybody to say what they felt. The idea of the
whole project was just to stimulate debate."
Often the camera crew roams the corridors and lobbies of the arenas,
capturing on-the-spot interviews with people at the height of their
emotions. At one particularly divisive performance in Atlanta, one-third
of the audience walked out. Many of their on-camera remarks are
unprintable.
Young says they shouldn't be condemned for their feelings.
"They feel that way because they believe in it, and you've got to
respect somebody who's expressing their anger or their sorrow. They feel
totally attacked when they see some of these things on the tour. They
felt betrayed because they bought tickets. … 'How could we spring this
on them when we're down in the South where the majority of the kids that
are getting killed are from?' " Young says. "What I was trying to do
with the film was just let it happen, just let it be and let people say
what they felt. We were looking and looking trying to find more from the
other side."
Concertgoers interviewed going in say they know the subject of Young's
latest album — but hope he will stick to the oldies. They get numbers
like Let's Impeach the President and the title track (with lyrics such
as, "I join the multitudes / I raise my hand in peace / I never bow to
the laws of the thought police"), and the footage often captures the
audiences' political differences.
Many middle-aged concertgoers who attest to being fans of the band's
1972 anti-war hit, Ohio, about the Kent State shooting of unarmed
protestors, now recoil from Young's criticism of a different war.
Younger fans, in their teens and 20s, also seem to be bigger fans of the
old protest songs, though their generation is the one most affected by
the current conflict.
"People today are just as sensitive and just as idealistic as the people
of the '60s. Young people have got the same feeling. The only difference
is, their lives are not directly threatened by this thing," Young says.
"The big difference between the '60s and now is there's no draft."
And, he adds, the public is burned out on media. "You become deadened to
it. You think, 'Oh, who am I gonna believe?' because there's so much."
The movie isn't entirely political; many new performances of the band's
vintage hits are showcased. And Young doesn't shy away from showing the
aging rockers struggling with the rigors of the tour, especially early
on. The '60s are over, but their 60s are just beginning.
Young was at Sundance two years ago with Heart of Gold, and this year
he's part of a musical showcase that includes U2 3D, Patti Smith: Dream
of Life and punk-rock-singing senior citizens in Young@Heart.
