Neil @ Carnegie Hall

GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT: Solo acoustic shows generally put us to sleep, but Neil Young’s four-night run at Carnegie Hall, which culminates tonight, has New Yorkers going gaga, as the ornery auteur has actually consented to play the hits and classics for a change. “Neil Young fans should make every possible effort to see it while they can,” writes an exultant Andy Greene on rollingstone.com. “This is the show they've been waiting to see for years and years.” (1/9)

ADD NEIL: Longtime manager turned recording artist Gary Waldman, who has dubbed his project Morebarn after a famous Neil anecdote, said of Tuesday night’s show: “The remarkable thing to me about the Neil show was how deeply he has gone inside the songs after all this time. His phrasing and the beauty of his voice aging are bringing out new emotions and subtleties from the songs. It seemed like he sensed that, too, and really was enjoying himself. It was a testament to the strength of his songs that he can just sit up there by himself and stun you and send you through a range of emotions with no bombast, flashing strobe lights or spectacle. It felt like an old-fashioned evening of music, and there were smiles and good vibes everywhere afterwards.” (1/9a)