This event was scheduled December 8, 2023.


Neil Young, a two-time inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, is expected to sign autographs at Traffic Records in Atascadero on Friday, December 8.

The Grammy Award-winning artist’s appearance at the independent record store commemorates the release of his 45th studio album, Before and After.

The iconic musician, part of legendary rock groups including Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, is expected to appear from noon to 3 p.m. He will autograph LPs, CDs, and BlueRay DVDs purchased from Traffic Records. No other albums or memorabilia will be signed.

Sales for all items begin Friday at 7 a.m. on a first come, first served basis in front of the store, 5850 Traffic Way, in Atascadero. Each patron will receive a wristband at the time of purchase and will be lined up accordingly.

Face masks are required for anyone hoping to interact with Young. Fans will be allowed to take photos during the event, but the 78-year-old singer-songwriter will not be posing for individual photos with fans.

Traffic Records owner Manuel Barba has 300 items in stock for the signing, but will limit his supply to one per customer. “This feels like a dream, but it’s real,” Barba wrote on Facebook in making the announcement.

Young made his last Central Coast appearance at a Vina Robles concert in July. But he must have a soft spot for the Central Coast—Young married actress Daryl Hannah in Atascadero on August 25, 2018.

:: David Congalton

By David Congalton

David Congalton is an award-winning writer and veteran radio host who has been published in various formats over the last 30 years. He is the former director of the Central Coast Writers’ Conference at Cuesta College and currently serves on the faculty of the Rocaberti Screenwriting Retreat in Spain and France. His work has appeared locally in the San Luis Obispo County Telegram-Tribune, Central Coast Magazine, New Times, and SLO Journal.