I read the rock music news site Blabbermouth as much for the reader comments as I do the latest info on my favorite bands. There’s always a heavy dose of snark.
On a story about The Black Crowes, one reader opined on the photo of founding brothers Chris and Rich Robinson something along the lines of: “These two motherf*ckers always look like the most miserable people on the planet.”
Then, commentators probably added, “These guys are total b-leaguers,” and “Anvil invented being miserable motherf*ckers.” (and if you understand that reference, you get a gold star).
And they’re not wrong (about the brothers always looking unhappy in photos, not the Anvil part).
To say that the Robinson brothers have had a rocky relationship over the years is an understatement. The friction between the brothers is well known, contributing to the band taking hiatuses in 2002 and 2010; and then calling it quits in 2015. But they patched things up in 2019 for an anniversary tour of the band’s 1990 debut album, “Shake Your Money Maker,” an MTV hit with such singles as “Jealous Again,” “Twice as Hard,” “She Talks to Angels” and, of course, its cover of Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle.”
Luckily, the brothers kept things together and are touring a new album, “Happiness Bastards.” Because, although The Black Crowes has its share of clunkers, there is no denying that when the Robinson brothers are firing on all cylinders, they make magic.
The Black Crowes were one of the last great classic-sounding rock bands before the music scene shifted to depression in the early 90s. Its debut was incredibly strong and quickly found an audience among bands like Motley Crue and Poison. The Crowes cut across different factions of rock fans.
This was my first time seeing The Black Crowes. I was 16 when it released its debut album and loved it. But, admittedly, the Crowes lost me with its sophom*ore effort, “The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion.” And then it really lost me with “Amorica.” My musical tastes at the time just weren’t aligned with the direction the band took.
So, I had no reason to see the band live “back in the day” – and really had no reason once it latched onto drug culture in the mid-90s.
But I rediscovered the Crowes after reading Steve Gorman’s book “Hard to Handle: The Life and Death of The Black Crowes.” The book is one of my favorite rock autobiographies, and it made me go back and listen to the Crowes catalog with a fresh ear. I quickly found a new respect for its music – and have come to love both “Southern Harmony” and “Amorica.”
The Crowes have always had a strong reputation as a live band, so I had high expectations for the concert. I’m relieved to say that the band lived up to that reputation.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see Gorman perform. He wasn’t invited back when the band reformed – probably because of his book airing so much dirty laundry. I don’t believe everything Gorman wrote – Gorman himself said that he knew the Robinsons would have different versions of what happened – but I can understand why they would be pissed. But I did get to see bassist Sven Pippien – who was a member starting with the “By Your Side” album – return for this tour.
The Crowes are one hell of a live band. Full of energy with a heavy dose of good old-fashioned raw rock ‘n’ roll, the band harkens back to the golden age of rock. I mean, the band played with the legend Jimmy Paige in the 2010s, and it is certainly in the same vein of ‘60s and ‘70s blues-rock bands, including the Stones.
The band played an impressive five songs from its latest album, opening with “Bedside Manners” and “Rats and Clowns.” I believe the new material sounds closest to the band’s debut in style, and the songs sounded even better live.
According to Gorman’s book, the band went through a period where Chris Robinson didn’t want to play the band’s hits live. I’m glad he is past that, as it featured every single from the first record, plus “Remedy,” “Sting Me” and “Thorn in My Pride” from “Southern Harmony.”
The moment Rich Robinson broke into the open for “Twice as Hard,” the audience erupted with pent-up energy. While the older hits seemed to be better received, the audience clearly reacted to the newer songs, too, especially “Waiting and Wanting.”
Always known to throw an odd cover into its setlist, it also played Jerry Lee Lewis’s “High School Confidential.” I checked setlists from other shows, and it rotated cover songs throughout the tour. Other songs included “Go Tell the Congregation” from “By My Side” and “(Only) Halfway to Everywhere” from “Three Snakes and One Charm.”
Chris Robinson remains a natural frontman. He knows how to interact with the audience and keep them engaged with his dancing and banter. I’m not sure if the stage version of Robinson is authentic or if he’s more like the person described in Gorman’s book – but he has keen instincts of what the audience wants. He may be older, but he still brings an infectious energy.
Rich Robinson is interesting on stage. He was always quiet, seeming like he didn’t like the spotlight. Live, he barely interacted with the audience, barely making eye contact. I’m not sure I saw him smile once throughout the show. I noticed he didn’t even toss picks into the crowd that much.
But the guy can play the guitar, and his live tone was a delight to hear.
Backing up the Robinsons – including Pipien – is Nico Bereciartua on guitar, Cully Symington on drums and Erik Deutsch on keyboards. The band was tight and sounded exceptional. It was an old-fashioned high-energy rock ‘n’ roll show – including two female backup singers, to give the songs even more depth.
It was nice to see the brothers patch things up and bring the music back to the stage. The Black Crowes are a solid reminder of how good rock music was – and could be again.
Chris and Rich Robinson may be miserable motherf*ckers. But they’re talented ones. And they’re certainly not b-leaguers.
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Setlist:
1. Bedside Manners
2. Rats and Clowns
3. Twice as Hard
4. (Only) Halfway to Everywhere
5. Go Tell the Congregation
6. Cross Your Fingers
7. Sometimes Salvation
8. High School Confidential
9. Thorn in My Pride
10. Wanting and Waiting
11. Hard to Handle
12. She Talks to Angels
13. Follow the Moon
14. Sting Me
15. Jealous Again
16. Remedy
17. Hey, Hey What Can I Do
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