Golden-voiced Graham Nash dazzled like Midas at Dallas' Granada Theater

Graham Nash has spent much of his life living in his own shadow. As one-fourth of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young , one of the world's first and certainly most acclaimed supergroups, Nash has been called "the sane one." The English gentleman. Attention is often stolen by the disbanded group's more mercurial — and frequently warring — louder personalities. But, if the concert Saturday at the Granada Theater proved anything, it's that Graham Nash, solo artist, adeptly commands a room all by his lonesome.

Well, mostly. Nash came supported by one other musician, fellow English rocker Shane Fontayne, who produced and shares writing credits on Nash's sixth solo album, This Path Tonight, which was released April 15. Over two and a half hours, they covered a 19 song mixture from Nash's former bands the Hollies and CSNY, as well as both current and classic solo efforts, equipped with an arsenal of guitars, a keyboard and a harmonica.

Fontayne, who toured as part of the "other band" when Bruce Springsteen briefly dissolved his E Street Band in the early '90s, confidently wields an electric guitar with a technical proficiency befitting a musician of Nash's cohort. Though his showmanship is subtle, he drew the crowd's attention a number of times with luxurious solos, particularly during "I Used to be a King" from Nash's 1971 solo debut, Songs for Beginners. But the show clearly belonged to Nash, whose own rhythm guitar playing and keyboard work were energetic and clean.

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At 74 years old, Nash still cuts a dashing figure with thick shocks of white hair and cavernous cheeks beneath high, strong bones, but it is his golden voice that impresses the most, having lost not a drop of its celebrated luster. He still hits notes perfectly, never shows a hint of fatigue, and relishes in opportunities to showcase that ability. Nash may be known almost inextricably as a harmonist — that was, after all, a defining feature of CSN & sometimes Y — but as a solo artist he easily grasps soulful vocal moments that are undeniably his and his alone.

There are songs, of course, from Nash's catalog for which harmonies are necessary, and Fontayne provided backup vocals accordingly. Sometimes it worked — most notably during "Just a Song Before I Go" from 1977's CSN — and other times, it fell a bit short, but the crowd happily obliged when the effect was most needed. The set's final song "Our House" and the encore's "Teach Your Children Well" became full-on sing-alongs, with Nash gracefully relenting his own voice in appreciation the crowd's gently melodic collective one. It seems Nash still has no qualms with sharing the spotlight. After all, he has nothing to prove.

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