Reviews: Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Van Morrison, Shania Twain & More

This week, for your reading enjoyment, we have compiled critical reviews of live performances from Neil Young & Crazy Horse in Bakersfield, Calif.; Van Morrison at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival; Shania Twain in Edmonton, Alberta; Khalid in San Francisco; Haim in Toronto; and Cody Jinks in Bend, Ore.

Justin Tang / The Canadian Press via AP – Shania Twain
Shania Twain is the halftime performer for the Grey Cup CFL football game at Rogers Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Nov. 26.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse @ Fox Theater in Bakersfield, Calif., May 6 – “Sunday’s finale-for-now at the stately Fox Bakersfield came close to personifying the ideal of what an electric set from Young should be: a mixture of the endless and the economical; classics and deep tracks; mind-bending indulgence and leave-‘em-wanting-more.” – Chris Willman / Variety

Van Morrison @ Cheltenham Jazz Festival in Cheltenham, England, May 3 – “Delivering a brisk, faultless 90-minute set, he storms through old and new numbers and barely pauses for breath. Accompanied by a slick six-piece band, we’re treated to a jazz masterclass featuring keyboards, guitars, double bass, trumpets, glockenspiel – and funky backing vocals.” – Anna Pointer / Express

Shania Twain @ Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, May 9 – “Over two hours of spectacle, this was the best I’ve ever seen Twain, even compared to the mid-’90s, and it’s just a delight to witness her confidence and skill underlining something a lot of us have known for a long time: she’s a total survivor.” – Fish Griwkowsky / Edmonton Journal

Andy Krops / Invision / AP – Khalid
Khalid takes on Radio City Music Hall in NYC Jan. 27.

Khalid @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, Calif., May 5 – “It’s clear that Khalid still has a lot to learn as a performer, especially in terms of being able to lift the material to a higher level. He lacks a bit of stage presence and his material feels somewhat one-dimensional and monotonous taken in a 100-minute dose. But he’s got the voice. He’s got the songwriting chops. And he’s got something even more precious: Authenticity.” – Jim Harrington / The Mercury News

Haim @ Massey Hall in Toronto, Ontario, May 7 – “The Haim sisters bring equal amounts of seriousness and silliness to their shows. The quiet-loud-quiet dynamic of minimal album closer ‘Night So Long’ called for a mid-stage formation that shifted the emphasis to vocal interplay.” – Kevin Ritchie / Now Toronto

Cody Jinks @ Midtown Ballroom in Bend, Ore., May 5 and Knitting Factory Concert House in Boise, Idaho May 6-7 – “It’s comforting to see someone like Jinks, who’s songs you won’t hear in the artistic black hole that is modern country radio, work his ass off, stay true to his convictions over the years, steadily climb to popularity, and pack rooms across the country.” – Greg Homolka / Glide Magazine