A world-renowned artist and two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee is coming to the Tabernacle to showcase his solo music and that of his former bands — Graham Nash, of Crosby, Stills, and Nash and the Hollies.
Nash will take the stage at the Tabernacle in the Campgrounds in Oak Bluffs at 7:30 pm on Monday, July 21. He said he’s excited to be on-Island again.
“People on Martha’s Vineyard really love music,” Nash said in an interview with The Times. “The last time I played there, the show was fantastic.”
At 83, Nash, a prominent artist in the folk and rock ’n’ roll wave of the 1960s and ’70s, is still touring across the world. He released a 2023 album titled “Now,” which resonated with fans due to its political outcries and hopeful messages, with his tenor tone blending, familiar and clear, with the intense discourse in his lyrics. He said the album is the “most personal” he’s ever made.
“It’s really chaotic out there,” Nash said of the state of the country in the months after President Donald Trump’s election to office. He said he hopes his show will provide people with “at least a couple of hours of relative peace.”
But advocating for the rights of marginalized groups is not new for Nash, who has spoken out in support of environmental and social justice, along with many of his fellow musicians from the ’60s, for decades. He was one of the organizers of the “No Nukes” concerts of 1979, which advocated for peace and safe energy.
And in terms of his music, Nash said he wants to assure people that a few of his most celebrated hit songs of the past will be on the set list. Songs like “Our House” and “Helplessly Hoping” by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young were not just popular in the time of their release — they’ve remained guiding tracks for later generations, and have been covered by musicians of all ages and genres.
“There are certain songs that people absolutely need to hear, and come to hear them,” Nash said. “Those are kind of the backbones of my set.”
Nash will perform with his band — a group he said is incredibly talented. Todd Caldwell will be grooving on the keyboard and vocals, Adam Minkoff on bass, drums, guitar, and vocals, and Zach Djanikian on guitar, mandolin, drums, and vocals. Nash said they’re a young, vibrant group with multi-instrumental gifts and solid sound.
And he said that besides the concert itself, he’s most looking forward to experiencing the Island, walking around and communing with locals. “I want my audience to know I’m there to make music for them,” Nash said. “My audience deserves that.”
Tickets to the Graham Nash concert on July 21 can be found at bit.ly/ETC_GrahamNash.
