Illness Forces Neil Young to Take ‘Big Unplanned Break’ From Tour

Neil Young and Crazy Horse announced a “big unplanned break” and indefinitely postponed the remaining dates of their Love Earth tour.

The move came after the band had to call off a show in Chicago on May 23, a few hours before it was to begin. Two more concerts were called off later that week, with illness given as the reason.

They were scheduled to return to the road in July with dates running through September – but the schedule was dropped via a statement on Young’s website.

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“When a couple of us got sick after Detroit’s Pine Knob [the night before the first show was called off] we all had to stop,” the statement read. “We are still not fully recovered, so sadly our tour will have a big unplanned break. We will try to play some of the dates we miss as time passes when we are ready to rock again!”

Apologizing to those who’d made travel plans for postponed events, the band added: “Thanks for your understanding and patience. Health is #1. We want to stay and do more shows and more albums for you … and for us.”

The announcement affects seven shows in Canada and three in the U.S., including an appearance at the Ohana Festival in Dana Point, California, and one at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

Why Neil Young Only Plays Outdoor Shows

Before the Love Earth tour began in April, Young explained that health considerations had led to his decision to play outdoor events only.

“We gotta be careful,” he said. “I imagine if you look at a regular group of 15,000 or 20,000 people, just randomly… then look at 15,000 or 20,000 people that all went to a show, and how many of them got Covid, I think you’d find people that went to a show inside have a lot more of a chance of getting sick.

“I don’t really need to do that. Willie Nelson told me he’s only playing outside now. I felt that was a good idea, so that’s what I’m doing.”