In the 1980s, a young girl sat in the back of a 1976 Colorado-beige Mercedes-Benz listening to a song on KIOA 940 AM—“Do-do, do-do, do, DO-DO, do-do, do-do.”
I can’t remember exactly when I first heard “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” or any song featuring the tenor of Graham Nash, but I know where it was—in my mother’s car. The soundtrack of the Baby Boom era was the background music of my childhood, whether on the way to dance practice, piano lessons, or even the grocery store.
The songs of Nash—from “Long Cool Woman (in a Black Dress)” by The Hollies, “Teach Your Children” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young or “Better Days” from Nash’s solo work—are melodic, harmonic, and canorous. Nash encourages his fans to come to his shows and raise their voice along with him in song, spirit, and life.
“I want them all to be a part of it,” the 82-year-old Nash told Omaha Magazine via a Zoom interview. “I love it when they sing my songs back to me … If somebody’s singing my songs with me, that means that they love what (I’m) doing. And that is success as far as I’m concerned.”
A snapshot of Nash’s life would reveal a man who has been nominated for eight Grammy Awards (and won one), been appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, and twice inducted into the Rock ’N Roll Hall of Fame. Nash’s songwriting pen has composed the famed “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” with The Hollies (a phrase also associated with Omaha’s Boys Town) and the self-penned “Marrakesh Express” with Crosby, Stills & Nash.
That’s only a glimpse, and Nash has taken many such snapshots over his lifetime. When touring, walking the streets of his home of New York City, and vacationing in his native England, Nash can be found stopping frequently to shoot photos. This hobby started at age 10, culminating in two published books of photography and a portrait of David Crosby that is housed in the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution.
This voice of a generation has lifted his in opposition of the Vietnam War and nuclear weapons. As recently as March 2024, Nash and several other notable artists signed an open letter titled “Make Nukes History.” He’s supported environmental causes and his humanitarian work has included co-founding (with Jackson Browne) Musicians United for Safe Energy; supporting The Guacamole Fund, a group that coordinates events for organizations working in the public interest; and performing for Occupy Wall Street in 2011.
Nash said he is, overall, satisfied with how his life has gone.
“Life is full of choices, and we have to make the correct choice,” Nash said. “And looking back at my life, I think I’ve made the correct choices.”
Those choices are part of what has made Nash an icon of an era, and music fans will be treated to some old favorites and new music when he comes to the Holland Center on August 9 to bring “More Evenings of Songs and Stories.”
“I’m really looking forward to this tour,” Nash said. “I have a new bunch of musicians playing with me…I have to bring my ‘A’ game, and the response from the audience has been fantastic.”
Coming with the storied artist are Todd Caldwell on keyboards and vocals; Adam Minkoff on bass, drums, guitars, and vocals; and Zach Djanikian on guitars, mandolin, drums, and vocals.
Nash released his latest album, “Now,” in May 2023, and the passion that has fueled his career for nearly 60 years is still audible.
“I often find myself in between being pissed off and being in love,” Nash said. “And those are the songs on my new record. Obviously ‘Golden Idol’ is about what Trump has done to the truth … And the love songs, which are going down very well, are about my wife, Amy Grantham.”
Regardless of the political climate these days, both in the United States and the world, Nash said this concert will give people a chance to put that aside for a moment.
“(People can expect) a couple of hours of relative peace,” Nash said. “They’ll hear songs that they have heard before and brand new songs that they haven’t heard yet.”
Nash’s songs, and stories, of a generation or two will have people singing and remembering their youth, their passions, their favorite memories — whether that is one of Woodstock (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s second-ever performance) or a ride in the family car.
“Graham Nash: More Evenings of Songs and Stories” takes place at the Holland Performing Arts Center on Friday, August 9, at 8 pm. Event and ticket informations can be found at /ticketomaha.com.
