Review | David Crosby’s Final Band Does Him Proud in Santa Barbara

The ripples of David Crosby’s generosity and talent were certainly rocking and rolling through the Lobero Theatre on Sunday night. The Stand and Be Counted concert — originally planned by Crosby himself as a benefit for the Lobero’s 150th Anniversary Ovation Celebration in February before his untimely death in January — came together as a beautiful tribute to his musical legacy. 

Contemporary folk artist Shawn Colvin (who was in a well-documented mutual admiration society with Crosby and sang with him on a lovely cover of “Baker Street” on her excellent 2015 album Uncovered, among their other connections) opened the show. Alone onstage with her guitar, her Crosby-curated set included the Robbie Robertson–penned “Twilight,” with the rather haunting lyrics from the great rocker, who died on August 9: “Just don’t put me in the frame upon the mantel / where memories turn dusty, old, and gray / Don’t leave me alone in the twilight / Twilight is the loneliest time of day.“ 

She also sang three of her own best-known songs “Sunny Came Home,” “Cry Like an Angel,” and “That Don’t Worry Me Now,” about which she said, “I always think of Croz when I play it.”

After some remarks and video clips by David Bender, the writer who worked with Crosby on the book and subsequent documentary Stand and Be Counted: A Revealing History of Our Times Through the Eyes of the Artists Who Helped Change Our World, it was time for the big band to hit the stage, with an impressive group of Crosby-selected performers, including Stevie Distanislao on drums/vocals; Andrew Ford on bass; Lara Johnston on vocals; Dean Parks on guitar; Steve Postell, whom we saw at the Lobero last fall with the Immediate Family, on guitar/vocals; Crosby’s son James Raymond, on keyboard/vocals; Chris Stills, son of Stephen Stills, on guitar/vocals; and vocalist Ken Stacey. 

Postell, who picked up the ball with Raymond and organized the concert as a tribute after Crosby passed away, started out the set on lead vocals with a heartfelt rendition of “Long Time Gone,” followed by Stills (who bears some resemblance to a young Viggo Mortensen, as well as his father) crushing it on the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young golden oldie “Woodstock.” Guest vocalist Nathan McEuen and Colvin were soon back on stage, and the fabulous music just kept on coming. 

It didn’t take much coaxing from guest vocalist Colin Hay (Men at Work) to get the audience members up out of their seats and singing along to “Teach Your Children.” Guest vocalist Richard Page (Mr. Mister) and his incredibly emotive voice absolutely nailed “Deja Vu.” Other longtime favorite CSN and CSNY songs played in various configurations (all stellar) included “Wooden Ships,” “Delta,” and the exceptionally beautiful harmonies of “Helplessly Hoping,” with each of the main vocalists chiming in on what Postell described as “one of the most fun songs ever written if you like singing harmony.” It was an almost indescribably pretty song. 

Colvin and Gracie Raymond (James Raymond’s daughter and Crosby’s granddaughter) sang a beautiful duet of “Guinnevere,” before welcoming the entire company back on stage for a rousing performance of “Love the One You’re With.” That was followed by the ballad “I Won’t Stay for Long,” a reflective song written by James Raymond for David Crosby’s eighth and final album, For Free.

“That is one beautiful song,” said Hay, before he lifted the mood back up high by bopping his nearly bald head around, pretending to still have his once-long, flowing red locks before launching into another Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young oldie, “Almost Cut My Hair.” Another beaut, “Carry On,” was followed by “Anything at All,” “Ohio,” and finally, Stills took the lead on a powerful rendition of “Find the Cost of Freedom.”  

That song’s fitting, almost eulogistic last lines — ”Find the cost of freedom / buried in the ground / Mother Earth will swallow you / Lay your body down” — punctuated a powerful, lasting, and rippling impression of an amazing musical legacy, not unlike David Crosby himself.