Americana rock icon Neil Young [ tickets ] was only half-joking when he told fans that they might wonder whether Monday's (12/15) show at Madison Square Garden would ever end. When the audience agreed to another song early on, Young warned them: "You're gonna regret that at three o'clock in the morning." A little more than two-hours long, Young's set was a hearty mix of newer material and longtime favorites that ended just after midnight.

The lengthy evening was anything but regretful for most of this massive crowd, which was equal parts Baby Boomer professionals and hip 20-to-30-somethings--proving Young's effectiveness for listeners at any age. A youthful brunette with electric-purple bangs was overheard saying: "No matter how old he is, he is still awesome. I'm gonna cry."

Her statement was dead-on. At age 63, the only thing dated about Young seemed to be his sense of fashion--a neon splatter-painted black blazer, relaxed-fit jeans and running shoes. Wardrobe aside, when it came to the performance, particularly when he madly plowed through the electric-guitar showcase of "Cortez the Killer," age was a non-issue.

Joining Young were steel guitarist Ben Keith, bassist Rick Rosas, drummer Chad Cromwell, guitarist Anthony Crawford and Young's wife, Pegi, who provided backup vocals and various musical support. Also onstage was a painter who brushed modern abstract images on medium-sized canvases, while understated swirls of lights continuously washed over the stage and audience. The unit performed, expectedly, like a fine-tuned machine. Young kept chatter between songs to a minimum, and the group seamlessly alternated between such somber reflections as "Oh, Lonesome Me" and "Light a Candle," and inspiring clap-alongs like "Hey Hey, My My" and "Spirit Road." Young's Wall Street bailout anthem, "Cough up the Bucks," was an obvious crowd-pleaser, during which he sang, "What happened to all the money?" The audience wildly cheered him on, acknowledging this relevant question during our slumping economy.

Aside from the welcomed hits "Heart of Gold," "Old Man," "The Needle and the Damage Done" and "Unknown Legend," there were other especially moving moments, such as the robust pipe-organ purrs of "Mother Earth" and the rousing "Just Singing a Song Won't Change the World."

Following the arena-shaking "Rockin' in the Free World," Young and his crew closed the night with "Get Behind the Wheel" and an explosive, grunge-infected version of The Beatles' "A Day in the Life," which ended with Young violently ripping the strings from his guitar. He then walked to Pegi--who was positioned on xylophone--took her mallets, pounded two notes, and the couple exited the stage together.

While compelling and impeccable, the 25-song set was just too lengthy for some onlookers. Towards the show's end, a noticeablestream of fans were leaving the venue, and several folks were sitting with snoozing dates.

In the dozers' defense, it had been a rather jam-packed night of rock. Kicking things off had been L.A. quintet Everest [ tickets ]. The band delivered a spirited collection of Americana rock and folk tunes. Indie duo The Watson Twins accompanied the group for two songs. Everest's woozy love shuffle "Rebels in the Roses" and urgent rockabilly tune "Trees" were definite highlights.

Young was the main draw tonight, but Chi-town's Wilco [ tickets ] attracted its fair share of diehard listeners. The sextet delivered bluesy, easy-going rock, including "Impossible Germany," "You Are My Face," "Hummingbird" and "Jesus, Etc." The younger crowd may have been more involved in this portion of the evening, but even the more seasoned audience members were head-bobbing along.

By the end of the show, no matter how much energy the remaining members of this crowd exhibited, no one was keeping the pace up better than Young, and that sight alone was certainly worth enduring a little sleep-deprivation.