Neil Young Performs 'My Boy' For The First Time in 42 Years: Watch

A Rare Acoustic Set in Ontario

On May 23, 2025, Neil Young played a rare solo acoustic show at Lakefield College School in Ontario. The performance was a benefit event, and it took place on the school’s campus grounds. During the set, he surprised the audience by playing “My Boy,” a song written in 1983 for his son Zeke. It was the first time he performed it live since his Solo Trans tour that same year.

Fan-shot video of the performance shows Young seated with his acoustic guitar, delivering the emotional song with the same soft tone it had on his 1985 album Old Ways. The moment stood out as a quiet tribute to family and memory. “My Boy” was never one of his well-known tracks, but the performance reminded fans of its meaning and warmth.

Neil Young 'My Boy' - Lakefield, Ontario - 23 May 2025

More Rare Songs Played Live

Neil also reached back into his catalog for two other lesser-played songs. He performed “Love/Art Blues,” a track from his Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young era, for the first time in public since 2008. He followed that with “Name of Love,” a song from 1988, which hadn’t been heard live since 2014. These choices gave fans something special beyond his usual setlist.

The concert featured a wide range of material, from his Buffalo Springfield days to his time with Crazy Horse. Some of the songs included “Heart of Gold,” “Harvest Moon,” “Helpless,” and “Old Man,” which closed out the encore.

Watch the performance below:

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“I Wrote This for My Son… and I Haven’t Played It Since 1983”: Neil Young Breaks Hearts with Surprise Performance of Rare Deep Cut “My Boy” at Intimate Ontario

Plans Changed at the Last Minute

According to Rolling Stone, Neil had planned to end the concert with solo electric versions of “Throw Your Hatred Down” and “Rockin’ in the Free World.” These songs were printed on the setlist, but he didn’t perform them. It’s believed that the weather may have caused this change, as the conditions on the outdoor campus were less than ideal by the end of the night.

Tickets for the show reportedly cost up to $1,500, with the money going toward restoring a 116-year-old cottage near the school. The high ticket price didn’t keep fans away, and the rare setlist made the event feel more like a personal evening than a big concert.

Setlist Reflects Different Eras

The full setlist included songs from throughout Neil Young’s long career. Fans heard classics like “Comes a Time,” “Sugar Mountain,” “Homegrown,” and “After the Gold Rush.” He also performed “Love Earth” and “Love and Only Love,” representing his work with Crazy Horse.

This event was a quiet return to deep cuts and rarely heard tracks, showing Neil Young’s continued interest in playing what feels right at the moment.