Legendary CSNY includes Las Vegas in reunion tour

Wednesday, Oct. 13, 1999 | 11:37 a.m.

A rock band that has maintained widespread popularity even though it has not gone on tour in the last quarter of the 20th century will headline Las Vegas early in the 21st century.

The group, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, announced Tuesday in New York that it will perform at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in an 8 p.m. concert on Feb. 19, as part of its CSNY2K tour -- the band's first tour since 1974.

The group, comprised of Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famers David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and Neil Young, is noted for the hit songs "Our House," "Ohio" and "Teach Your Children."

The 34-city tour, slated to begin Jan. 24 at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit, will promote the group's new album, "Looking Forward," which is scheduled for release Oct. 26 on the Reprise Record label. It is the band's first album since 1988.

The backup band for CSNY will feature some of music's top musicians, including Duck Dunn on bass, Joe Vitale on drums and Mike Finnigan on keyboards, according to the tour's promoter TNA International Ltd.

TNA is one of the world's top grossing rock concert promoters, having promoted the Rolling Stone's Steel Wheels, Voodoo Lounge and Bridges to Babylon/No Security tours, U2's Pop Mart tour, David Bowie's Sound & Vision, Outside and Earthling tours and Pink Floyd's Division Bell tour.

Ticket prices for the Las Vegas concert will be $50, $75, $100 and $200. An MGM official said today that there will be a limit on the number of tickets sold per person, but that number has yet to be determined.

Tickets for the Detroit show will go on sale Saturday and will be priced at between $39.50 and $75. There will be a limit of eight tickets per person, the promoter said.

An opening act for the Las Vegas show is to be determined, an official said.

Speculation that rock legend Bruce Springsteen also will play the MGM sometime in 2000 remained just that today -- speculation.

"I only know the rumors I've read in the papers, but there is no update at this time," said an MGM official who asked not to be identified. "There is nothing yet on Springsteen."

CSNY skyrocketed to fame with a combination of folk harmonies and a blues rock style. The group's songs featured insightful lyrics and reflected a social consciousness born from the turmoil of the late 1960s. The group's members each have had successful solo careers.

At the New York news conference announcing the reunion tour, Crosby, in response to a question about how the group has changed to make touring possible now, said, "I'll be awake, for one thing." He was alluding to his well-publicized, former drug habit.

Stills said he was finally playing guitar the way he had been striving to for 15 years.

"We're a little more mature, compassionate and sensitive of each other's feelings," Nash said.

Added Young, "We're happy to be together."

After the national tour, an international tour is planned for late in 2000, the promoter said

The Associated Press contributed to this report.