By Scott Detweiler

B.B. King’s Blues Club in Universal City, on City Walk at Universal Studios, Hollywood, was the place to rock on Friday, October 15, with Neil Young Tribute Band, The Neil Deal. 

For those of you who don’t know who Neil Young is, he is a rocker who started in the sixties and has rocked all the way up to the present day and has done a lot of work with Pearl Jam.   He was a member of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and Buffalo Springfield, and released several brilliant solo albums.  He is probably best known for his album “Harvest,” which includes “Old Man” and “Heart of Gold”.  

The Neil Deal, fronted by lead singer and guitar player, Dennis Neil, who looks like young (and he has the signature peace symbol/dove guitar strap), plays all of Neil Young’s songs exactly the way they were recorded.  It is an absolute tribute to one of the most important protest rockers of the 1970s.  Besides being a great sounding Neil Young cover band, The Neil Deal also takes requests from the audience, offering to play virtually any Neil Young song!  

The stage filled with smoke as they opened the show with “Cinnamon Girl” and followed up with favorites, such as “Hey Hey, My My,” “You Are Like A Hurricane” and the protest classic, “Ohio.”  Each sounded tighter and more like the original than the next. 

Dennis Neil’s voice sounds like Neil Young’s and he perfectly mimics his gritty, sparse guitar style through his solos.   He is a solid and competent performer and does justice to the material. 

Bassist Bruce Spiegel played through the set with command and authority, providing an unrelenting foundation on which the rest of the music could flow.  His presence is reminiscent of solid classic bassists and his singing voice provided generous back up to the lead vocals over most of the set. 

Guitarist Vic Herstein played and sang the material incredibly well, providing rhythm and lead, alternating with Neil.  He played with classic rock style, churning the grooves and perfectly accenting the melodies with rhythmic fills.  Vic controlled his side of the stage and provided the audience with interesting charisma.   

On drums was Bert Wolf.  Bert is a strong player and brings a fresh groove to the material.  His playing managed to work well with the material and never sounded dated or tired.   He played with mega zest and enthusiasm.  Bert never missed a beat and stayed in the pocket for the entire set. 

For more information about The Neil Deal, upcoming shows, and their CD, visit their website, www.neildeal.com.