Nash & Band’s Asbury Hall, Buffalo show offered a sold-out house a transcendent experience

By Jeff Miers

There are concerts. And then there are musical events that come across as transcendent experiences, celebrations of songs and sounds and stories that have endured for good reason, live shows that enter the space of the sacred.

Graham Nash and his band’s performance at Asbury Hall in Buffalo on August 6 fell firmly into the latter category. I know this to be true because the hair on my arms was standing up throughout the gig, and yeah, I was moved to tears more than once. That’s a barometer I’ve grown to trust.

What was so special about a performance by some old dude who fits within, or at least sits adjacent to, the ‘classic rock’ genre? Wasn’t this just another in a seemingly endless stream of nostalgia-based victory laps taken by folks who definitely don’t need the money, but never get tired of taking more of ours? Shouldn’t we be blowing these types of shows off and going to see some younger, more “relevant to the times” artist?

Nah.

The simple truth is that it’s obvious when someone who remains in the game well into their twilight years is in it for the right reasons. There are people who cling to their ‘careers.’ And then there are those who live a life in music, the type of artists for whom retiring on purpose is no different than willingly surrendering the ability to breathe. They’re on this earth for one reason. And they’re grateful for that fact.

Nash is that guy.

Currently on his More Evenings of Songs and Stories tour, the man who put the N in CSN (and CSNY) returned to Asbury Hall for the 4th time, and rather handily sold out the hallowed hall – which, if you’re not fortunate enough to have ever visited, is the former Delaware Avenue Methodist Church, which first opened in 1874, and was purchased by Ani DiFranco and Scot Fisher in 1999, and reopened as a music venue and arts hub in 2006.

If the tour’s title suggests some sort of super mellow VH1 Storytellers vibe, Nash and his band didn’t get the memo. This was a full-on band gig, and even though Nash told plenty of often humorous and always insightful stories between songs, they were brief, succinct, and well thought-out. That meant there was plenty of time for a setlist that spanned the entirety of the man’s career. It also meant ample space to feature the talents of this incredible band.

Graham Nash and Band, Asbury Hall, Buffalo, NY, 8/6/2025. Photos by Jonathan Coe.

But first things first. Nash is 83. He’s one of the greatest harmony singers most of us have ever heard, and he always sang in a pretty high tenor. Which begs the question – can he still cut it as a singer?

Well, that’d be a hard hell yes.

Tackling tunes from throughout his storied career, in what sure sounded like their original keys, Nash’s singing was crisp, clear and beautifully intonated, and he was graced by the presence of multi-instrumentalists and vocalists Adam Minkoff, Zach Djankian and Todd Caldwell, all of whom tackled the multi-part harmonies Nash has been associated with for what feels like forever. (Buffalo music-lovers might remember Djankian from his tenure with Dweezil Zappa’s band, which included several WNY dates, including a particularly memorable one at UB’s Center for the Arts. The man was a quadruple threat during the Nash show, playing drums, bass, guitar, and singing, with equal finesse and grace.)

Graham Nash and Band, Asbury Hall, Buffalo, NY, 8/6/2025. Photos by Jonathan Coe.

The setlist was beautifully curated, kicking off with CSN’s ‘Wasted on the Way’ and ‘Marrakesh Express,’ and then settling into a string of tunes – ‘Military Madness,’ ‘I Used to Be a King,’ ‘Immigration Man,’ ‘In Your Name,’ ‘Cathedral,’ ‘Teach Your Children,’ ‘Find the Cost of Freedom’ – that had as much topical resonance in 2025 as they did 50 years ago. (Perhaps even more. Nash didn’t need to call out the current wannabe fascist regime specifically. He let these timeless songs do the talking, and they spoke loud and clear.)

It’s not difficult to understand why Nash favors Asbury Hall. He and his band know how to play to the room, using low stage volume and letting the magnificent natural reverb and resonance of the church do the rest of the work. The sound was crystalline, magnificent, airy and ornate.

I went to this show thinking it would be nice to catch a legend in what I wrongly assumed would be a quiet, campfire-esque, one-man solo acoustic setting. I left with my mind blown by a still ferocious talent with an incredible book of songs and an absolutely brilliant band.

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