Neil Young, Stephen Stills, John Mayer Dig Deep at Scorching Hot Painted Turtle Concert

AFTER SERVING NEARLY a decade in Dead and Co. and sharing the stage with everyone from Eric Clapton to the Rolling Stones, B.B. King, and Jeff Beck, there are not many situations likely to overwhelm John Mayer. But when he came onstage for “Rockin’ In The Free World” at the end of a scorching Neil Young and Stephen Stills set at the Harvest Moon – A Gathering charity show in Lake Hughes, California, the longest they’d played together since Buffalo Springfield’s short-lived 2011 reunion tour, the look on Mayer’s face clearly read, “Holy fuckin’ shit.” It was a sentiment shared by Young fans throughout the past hour as they watched Stills and Young rip through CSN/CSNY, Stills-Young Band, and Buffalo Springfield classics, including one they hadn’t played together in an astonishing 57 years. Because Stills is long retired from the road, it was the kind of performance that could only take place at a charity show for a truly worthy cause like The Painted Turtle, a summer camp for children with life-threatening and chronic illnesses. (Some funds also went towards The Bridge School, which educates children with severe physical and speech issues.) The event took place on the picturesque grounds of the Painted Turtle. It was a brutally hot daytime show with temperatures hovering around 92 degrees for much of the running time. Misting fans were set up throughout the site, there was plenty of free water, and spectators were given cardboard fans and neon-colored parasols to stay cool. (Fans who attended the 2019 incarnation featuring Young, Norah Jones, and Father John Misty said this one was chilly by comparison.) The festivities kicked off with Marimba, led by Dr. Ric Alviso, an ethnomusicologist at Cal State Northridge. They spotlight popular music from Africa and Latin America, and their set featured joyous renditions of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” “La Bamba,” and, surpsiringly, “Kids” by MGMT. -- Rolling Stone Magazine