Amy Grantham
Graham Nash in a jacket and sunglasses on a tree lined street.
Graham Nash will look back on a storied career during his upcoming Orpheum concert.
After more than six decades of making music, two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Graham Nash remains awestruck by the power of a song. With plenty left to say and a passion for writing and performing, the legendary singer-songwriter cherishes every opportunity to share his music.
“I get to express my mind,” Nash tells Isthmus in a recent interview. He says he knows that he doesn’t have any definite answers to the questions he asks in his songs. “I just love being alive and I think [performing] is keeping me younger, even though I’m close to my 85th birthday.”
Nash, a founding member of both the Hollies and Crosby, Stills & Nash, will bring his career-spanning "Live on Tour 2026" to Madison's Orpheum Theater on July 20. The set will feature classics such as “Our House,” “Teach Your Children,” “Ohio” and “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” as well as songs from his long career as a solo artist. This year marks the 55th anniversary of his solo debut album, 1971’s Songs For Beginners. It’s a milestone he’s very proud of.
For this tour, he will be joined on stage by a backing band of Todd Caldwell (keyboards and vocals), Adam Minkoff (bass, drums, guitars and vocals), and Zach Djanikian (guitars, mandolin, drums and vocals).
“They all sing like angels so I've got everything covered that I need to be able to make the best music I can,” says Nash. “They're really good. I mean, they're half my age so I have to bring my A-game every night just to keep up with them, but that's fine with me.”
Nash has performed in Madison a number of times in his career, both with a band and as a solo artist. His first time playing the city was in 1970 at the Dane County Veterans Memorial Coliseum with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
He’s enjoyed Madison audiences as, he says, they’re especially receptive to the political and social commentary featured in many of his songs. It remains critical to voice your opinion about the world around you, he adds.
“There are songs that I know the audience want to hear,” says Nash, noting how many of the subjects of his songs — including immigration and war — are still on the front page of The New York Times.
“Whether you're a sculptor or a musician, you have to reflect the [times] in which you live,” he continues. “I tried my best to represent the time in which I lived and there's a lot to be said about what's going on with the Trump administration or with climate change. There's lots of things to talk about.”
He hasn’t just sung about these things, though; he’s lent his support to organizations and events devoted to peace and social and environmental justice such as the No Nukes/Musicians United for Safe Energy concerts with Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt in 1979.
Nash is also a photographer and visual artist whose work has been shown in galleries and museums worldwide, including the show A Life In Focus: The Photography Of Graham Nash, which featured photos from throughout his career. He incorporates his photography as the backdrop for his shows, projecting images of past collaborators while he shares the stories behind the songs.
Nash still enjoys every chance he gets to write a new song. In 2023, he released his latest album, Now, which he calls his most personal release to date. Songs like "Right Now" and "When It Comes To You" reflect on the joy he’s found finding love later in life.
Elsewhere, songs like “Golden Idols” and “Stars and Stripes” depict the political turmoil in the U.S. in the early 2020s, while “A Better Life” stresses the importance of protecting the planet. There is also a bit of nostalgia, as evidenced by his song "Buddy's Back," featuring fellow Hollies member Allan Clarke, which reflects on his early career.
Later this year, Nash is planning to work on new music, which he feels is a thematic continuation of Now. For the time being, he’s excited to play a mix of older and newer songs and be part of many sing-alongs.
“I love it when people sing to me. If they want to sing ‘Teach Your Children’ with me, just go right ahead,” said Nash. “I think if you want to sing or play with me at any particular song, that song means a great deal to you.”
