What's with Neil Young's hair last night?

Neil Young with Dave Matthews on the telethon

Neil Young on The Tonight Show

Neil Young made two appearances on television last night. One was supposedly taped yesterday afternoon, one was allegedly live. So why was his hair silver on the Hope for Haiti Now telethon, while sporting an orange rinse on Conan O'Brien's final Tonight Show?

Haiti telethon should be a series

One thing last might's Hope for Haiti Now telethon demonstrated is that these things are great showcases for music on network television. You put the artist in a studio with a piano, a bunch of background singers and a versatile, low-key backing band-- maybe a cello or two-- and let 'em rip. With 9/11 and Katrina, we've had three of these telethons before and we're surprised no one's taken the format and turned it into a variety show. It's all pretty simple. Substitute the celebrity pleas for a comedians, the Anderson Cooper packages for video bits, and live or maybe live from Los Angeles, New York and London, you've got yourself a series.

Not only have these telethons had superior audio compared to 35 years of poorly-mixed messes on Saturday Night Live and shrill late night spots, but in today's manufactured Auto-Tune pop scene, it's a great way to get music stars to prove they really know how to sing. Look at Shakira last night. That's bound to sell some downloads.

Support the Hope for Haiti Now telethon

The big Hope for Haiti Now telethon airs at 8 pm ET on lots of television stations and is being streamed across the web (click below) The money wil go to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, UNICEF, the American Red Cross, Yele Haiti, World Food Program, Oxfam America, and Partners in Health. It all should help those poor people.

CLICK TO WATCH THE TELETHON LIVE BEGINNING 8 PM ET