Live Review: The Black Crowes

The Black Crowes
The Fillmore
San Francisco, CA
December 2nd & 4th, 2009

Same Time Next Year

Since regrouping in 2005 and playing a run of shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco, California, The Black Crowes have made multi-night runs at the historic venue an almost-annual event. True to form, the band capped their tour supporting 2009's Before the Frost...Until the Freeze double album with a five night run at the historic music venue.

HF hit two shows of the 2009 run and witnessed the Black Crowes flexing their musical muscles to produce two musically different shows, both in song selection and overall vibe . Where Wednesday night was a seamless journey through the band's musical wheelhouse, Friday night was a rock'n roll show that left the crowd simultaneously scratching our heads and picking our jaws off the beer-soaked dancefloor of the Fillmore at the amazing music blasting out from the stage .

Opening a cold and windy Wednesday night with the trippy "Movn' On Down the Line", the band allowed the psychedelic opener room to slowly bloom into a celebratory jam. This is the type of song many bands would close a show with and yet we were only one song into the set.

The swirling organ and slide guitar of "Under a Mountain" followed as the band embarked on a guided tour of their songbook: new song "Shady Grove" brought some Midnight Ramble boogie to the evening, while first album classic"Twice as Hard" reminded longtime fans what got them into the band almost 20 years ago. A thoroughly jammed-out cover of Delaney and Bonnie"s "Poor Elijah - Tribute to Johnson", and finally the drifty balladry of "Wyoming and Me"off the previously unreleased Band album

At this point in the evening, the message was clear: this is going to be one of those nights for the faithful fans in attendance.

In this day of AutoTuned vocal performances, sample triggering and outright lip synching, The Black Crowes play their music organically and the result is a performance that is unique to the day, the town, the crowd and the venue they happen to be playing on that given night.

Maybe it was the cozyness of the five show run at the Fillmore. Perhaps it was the culmination of a band being on the road for the majority of the last two years. Whatever it was, the Crowes' relaxed stage presence made the evening feel like we were getting to watch the band's private music jam, only with a cool light show and full service bar.

Their road chops shined brightly on the poly rhythms of "Another Roadside Tragedy" (complete with percussionist Joe Magisttro, who sat in for the entire Fillmore run), a thunderous "Sometimes Salvation" and the one-two punch of "Girl From a Pawnshop" and "She Gave Good Sunflower".

The encore proved just as random with three more covers- Clapton/Bramlett's "Don't Know Why", the Velvet Underground's "Oh Sweet Nuthin" complete with guitarist Rich Robinson taking lead vocals, and finally a proper show-closing with Little Feat's"Willin'", leaving everyone in the Fillmore with a smile on their face.

On to Friday.

As with any weekend show, the crowd was buzzing to have a good time and the band brought the rock'n roll, opening with "Good Morning Captain" off the new album, followed by the haunting feedback of "Nebekenzer" off 1997s Three Snakes and One Charm album. "Cosmic Friend" followed and while not a personal favorite, the crowd enjoyed it.


The pace came to a halt as drummer Steve Gorman made his way to the front of the stage to play some djembe on "Whoa Mule", the country-folk tune that caps 2008's Warpaint album. A bold move by the band no doubt, but I wonder how the drifty understated tune played to the rest of the Friday crowd, who by now were fully boozed up and ready for the weekend.

The pace picked up a bit as the band plucked their way into the country shuffle of "Roll Old Jeremiah" leading into a jam that allowed keyboardist Adam McDougal to play some bar-room piano fills that twisted together with the percussion until the band collectively spun straight into the hallucinatory gospel goodness of rocker "Good Friday". That my friend's, is a segue.

Suddenly, the rock show was back. After an epic 16 minute "My Morning Song" , the Crowes eased up a bit and gave the audience some Exile on Main Street acoustic blues with new song "Shine Along" before absolutely grinding the show to a halt with the country ballad cover "Lost My Drivin' Wheel". While the song was excellent and allowed Chris Robinson to showcase his vocals, the Friday crowd was collectively too drunk to handle this level of subtlety.

At this point, you really didn't know what was coming next. Groove rocker "Blackberry" got things going again, and was followed by the stomping 60's southern soul of Joe Tex's "Show Me" which absolutely left the majority of the crowd looking dazed and confused as they asked their friends just what the fuck they were listening to at this point in the night.

After departing for the far reaches of outer space on the jam following "Nonfiction", the band must have sensed the crowd was now lost in a Friday night wormhole of musical confusion as they attempted to reel everyone back in with fan favorites "Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution" and the classic "Remedy".

The encore began slowly, opening with the ballad "The Last Place that Love Lives" off the new album. A frontier western style ballad that showcases Chris Robinson's pipes, the subtlety of the song could have easily been lost on the crowd, but something rare happened: the crowd shut up and actually listened, allowing the song's damaged beauty to shine through.

A booming "God's Got It", complete with drummer Steve Gorman banging away on a marching band drum got the crowd going tribal, followed by Moby Grape's "Hey Grandma"to finish the show.

While the encore was another head-scratching collection of songs, overall the show was fun and the band sounded great. The seamless ease of Wedsnesday's show might have colored our perception of the evening, but part of the fun of a good Black Crowes show is not knowing what's coming next, and we got that both nights in spades.

*Photos used without permission from the Black Crowes fan board. If you would like your photo removed, contact us.

Wednesday Setlist:
Movin' On Down The Line, Under A Mountain, Shady Grove, Twice As Hard, Poor Elijah - Tribute To Johnson (Medley), Wyoming And Me, Wee Who See The Deep > The Raga > Another Roadside Tragedy, You Can All Join In, Girl From A Pawnshop, She Gave Good Sunflower, Sometimes Salvation, Jealous Again, Been A Long Time (Waiting On Love)
E: Don't Know Why, Oh! Sweet Nuthin', Willin'

Friday Setlist:
Good Morning Captain, Nebakanezer, Cosmic Friend, Whoa Mule, Roll Old Jeremiah > Jam > Good Friday, My Morning Song, Shine Along, Lost My Drivin' Wheel, Blackberry, Show Me, Nonfiction > Jam, Goodbye Daughters Of The Revolution, Remedy
E: Last Place That Love Lives, God's Got It, Hey Grandma

Crowes on Letterman

The Black Crowes played the David Letterman show last night to support the release of their just-released album Before The Frost. The band performed the album's first song "Good Morning Captain".

We're still digging our way through this new long player, but after a few initial spins, things sound good in Crowe-ville. There's even an additional mini-album called After the Freeze that you can download with a code contained in the Before the Frost album.

Enjoy.

I’m just dead, I’m not gone. Jim Dickinson R.I.P.

Some sad news, legendary musician/producer Jim Dickinson passed away on Saturday, August 15, 2009. He was 67.

Who is Jim Dickinson? He played with the Rolling Stones, produced Big Star and The Replacements, and Bob Dylan considers him "a brother". Our own introduction to him was Mudhoney's thundering Tomorrow Hit Today. His sons Cody and Luther play in the North Mississippi All Stars and The Black Crowes.

For more background on Jim Dickinson, we'll refer you to a wonderful remembrance written by Dickinson's friend Bob Mehr in the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

Michael Jackson-less Content Below

Alright, we are back after another lengthy dry spell.


Are you as sick of the Michael Jackson coverage as we are? How this guy has been elevated to icon/Godlike status since his death is just baffling. Yes, he made some seminal albums in the 70s/80s and inspired many of today's current crop of musicians, but that was before he decided he hated his face and racial heritage and liked touching little kids (allegedly) That is the first/last time we will even type MJ's name on this blog.

Now that we've got that out of our system, we've got lots to cover: New albums have dropped, a Wilco show at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley was taken in, and rumors of news bands on the horizon. Let's get started with a great quality clip of The Black Crowes playing the Hampton Beach Casino a few weeks ago at the start of their summer tour.



The Crowes have a new album Before the Frost dropping in September. The band has released a new song off the album for free on their website. The song, "I Ain't Hiding" has already divided fans on the various internet message boards, similar to the uproar when My Morning Jacket released the robo-dance inspired "Highly Suspicious" ahead of its Evil Urges album release. Below is the "Misty Mountain Hop" inspired album artwork.

Black Crowes Announce New Album Details

We could type something up about the interesting approach the band took in recording their new album, but we'll be lazy and let The Black Crowes PR machine give you the finer details about their new album Before The Frost, out September 1st.

Put on your marketing goggles:

THE BLACK CROWES ANNOUNCE RELEASE OF NEW CD

AND GIVE FANS A FREE SECOND ALBUM

‘BEFORE THE FROST…UNTIL THE FREEZE’ DUE IN STORES SEPTEMBER 01, 2009

A LIMITED EDITION VINYL AVAILABLE

THE BLACK CROWES will release their new studio CD, Before the Frost... on September 1, 2009.

A second album, titled …Until The Freeze, will be given away for free exclusively through a unique download code which is included in Before The Frost… as a “thank you” to their fans for two decades of continued support.

Before the Frost..., and its corresponding free album …Until The Freeze, were recorded over a series of five nights at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY. Although both are studio albums, all the new material was performed and recorded in front of an intimate audience of the band’s fans, making them a part of The Black Crowes musical history.

The innovative technique of inviting fans into the studio as part of the process during recording is a rare experience.

Before the Frost... features eleven new and previously unreleased Black Crowes songs including Good Morning Captain, I Ain’t Hiding, Been a Long Time (Waiting on Love), and other original songs that will serve to spotlight the bands ability to make emotional connections through their music. The free album …Until The Freeze is a nine-song collection featuring eight new original Black Crowes songs plus a cover version of the Stephen Stills classic So Many Times.

A limited edition vinyl release of Before The Frost…Until The Freeze, featuring all 20 tracks, will also be available on September 1, 2009.

Chris Robinson conceived the concept of Before the Frost...Until The Freeze.
“I think we fulfilled a musical commitment to continue on the golden road of artistic independence. Approaching 20 years into our careers, we still are ambitious enough to push ourselves to create something unique that we have never done before.”

As The Black Crowes approach the upcoming 20th anniversary of their release of one of rock’s most influential records, Shake Your Money Maker, which produced such hits as Jealous Again, She Talks To Angels and Hard to Handle, they are time and again hailed as one of Rock and Roll’s best live acts.

Before The Frost… (CD Track Listing)
Good Morning Captain
Been A Long Time (Waiting On Love)
Appaloosa
A Train Still Makes A Lonely Sound
I Ain’t Hiding
Kept My Soul
What Is Home
Houston Don’t Dream About Me
Make Glad
And The Band Played On
Last Place That Love Lives

…Until The Freeze (Free Download Album Track Listing)
Aimless Peacock
Shady Grove
Garden Gate
Greenhorn
Shine Along
Roll Old Jeremiah
Lady Of Avenue A
So Many Times
Fork In The River

Before the Frost…Until The Freeze was produced by Paul Stacey and will be released through The Black Crowes label, Silver Arrow Records and Megaforce Records.

Not a Bad Show To Catch

According to an announcement on The Black Crowes website and RollingStone.com, the band will record new material for an upcoming album during four sold-out concerts at former The Band drummer Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, New York, during February and March.

Billed as “Cabin Fever Winter 2009", tickets for the shows are already sold out.

From the Rolling Stone article:

“We’re thrilled,” Helm, who’s not scheduled to perform, tells Rolling Stone. “It kind of shows me that we’re doing things right.” Over the last few years Helm has staged “Midnight Ramble” house concerts at the studio — Saturday night performances Rolling Stone named Best Jam Session that feature special guests sitting in with the Levon Helm Band, including Elvis Costello, Phish bassist Mike Gordon and Crowes frontman Chris Robinson. Prior to singing on “Shake Your Money Maker” and “The Weight” last August, Robinson milled about in the crowd throughout the evening.

“When Chris sat in, it was just more of that good stuff,” Helm says. “His contribution just added to the whole mix. The whole night was a high point.” The Black Crowes have another tie to the area, too: they recorded this year’s Warpaint at nearby Allaire Studios. David Fricke profiled the band for a Rolling Stone story earlier this year in which Rich Robinson admitted his relationship with brother Chris is still difficult: “Outside of music, we probably would never speak to each other.”

Fuckin' A.

Live Review: The Black Crowes

The Black Crowes
The Fillmore
San Francisco, CA
12.19.08 / 12.20.08

12.19.08

What a night. From the storm clearing sunset drive into the city, to seeing old friends, to scoring a free ticket to the show, to the actual show, it was as Loud Reed sings, "Just a perfect day..."

Maybe if I referenced astronomical charts from Friday night they would note that certain planets aligned and a breeze of cosmic dust blew right over the Fillmore in San Francisco where the Black Crowes were playing the fourth night of a five night run.

Opening with "Cursed Diamond", the band dug in and let the music explode inside the walls of the Fillmore, playing an amazing set of songs from every era of their nearly 20 year career. New songs like "Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution" meshed well with classic Crowes' classics like "Hotel Illness" and "Under a Mountain". Hardcore fans were even treated to two unreleased gems - "Title Song" and "Bewildered", a song that had not been performed live in over 15 years.

The band were also cover song sommeliers. Bonnie and Delaney's "Comin' Home", Dylan's "Girl From the North Country" and a smoking version of The Rolling Stones "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" to close the show gave the Friday night crowd some nice aural surprises.

Ask any longtime fan and they tell that what keeps them going to shows and following the band around the globe is the unexpected, those WTF moments that allow the band and it's fans to share a moment of musical bliss.

From the organ intro of "Under a Mountain" and continuing through the spacey jam of "Bring On Bring On" the evening became a series of WTF moments. The Crowes absolutely own their interpretation of Dylan's "Girl From the North Country" and "Good Friday" was the fourth song of the night off their 1996 underrated and underplayed album Three Snakes and One Charm.

After losing two key members of the band in 2006, a lot of fans questioned whether the Crowes could recover. Witnessing a shambolic show in LA during the fall of 2007 had dimmed my hopes for the future of the band, but Friday's show displayed a new Black Crowes: musically stronger and agile from almost a year of touring with new members Adam McDougal on keyboards and Luther Dickinson on lead guitar and an enthusiasm that flowed from the stage through the songs and resonated with the crowd.

Friday night, the band made me remember why I became a fan in the early 90s.

-12.19.08 setlist-
Cursed Diamond
Horsehead
Goodbye Daughters Of The Revolution
Hotel Illness
Comin' Home
Under A Mountain
Jam -> Bring On, Bring On
Girl From A Pawnshop
Girl From The North Country
Good Friday
Title Song
Bewildered
Soul Singing
Hard To Handle -> Jam
Wounded Bird
- encore -
God's Got It
Can't You Hear Me Knocking



12.20.08

Coming off the musical high of Friday night's show, I could not wait to return to the Fillmore the next night and have friends and family hopefully experience a similar night. Again, we met up with longtime friends and fellow fans at the Boom Boom Room to catch up and make predictions about tonight's show between sips of ale and waiting 20 minutes for the bartender to actually serve you.

It was a Saturday night show and the Fillmore was packed to the rafters with fans and folks who couldn't make the shows earlier in the week. The band gave everyone a nice surprise by starting the show with a cover of Traffic's "Feelin' Alright", a song they had not performed live since 1997.

While Friday night stayed focused on the rock and left the jams far and few between, the first indication that Saturday night would be a different beast came during the 3rd song, "High Head Blues" complete with a trippy ending jam that saw the band stretch out and let new lead guitarist Luther Dickinson do his swampy slide guitar thing.

From the opening riff of "Downtown Money Waster" many fans knew we were in for some big jams and the band proceeded to play/jam through the next three songs and 30+ minutes. And while the band did sound great, the jams meandered and threatened to throw the whole evening out of whack. For every great moment in a song like "Thorn in My Pride", the band would jam out right over the musical cliff. Even the dreaded drum solo appeared during "Thorn".

No band should have a drum solo. Ever.

When the monster jamfest ended, the band stabbed the evening's energy level in the heart with a cover of Gene Clark's "Polly". While it is a beautiful, dusty country ballad, after 30 minutes of jams and drums solos, the crowd needed some uptempo rock to get back on track, and unfortunately the funeral march pace of "Polly" did not make it happen.

But for every musical gamble, the band was able to reel it back in with some quality song selection and playing.

"Feathers" a dark, bluesy psychedelic slow burner started the recovery, and the addition of the uptempo country rock of "Movin' On Down the Line" and the classic cut "Remedy" restored the crowd and band to full Saturday night rock glory before the set ended.

In a week full of surprises, the question of how the band would encore tonight to end the show as well as the week-long residency was the topic everyone openly discussed while the roadies moved around the stage setting up gear and restocking liquids. For Grateful Dead fans in the audience, the encore turned out to be a wet dream.

The Dead's bassist Phil Lesh joined the band with his annoying blue-lighted bass for a run through three Dead classics. "Sugaree" was great, growing from a quiet shuffle to an all-band/crowd sing along during the chorus. "Cold Rain and Snow" and "New Speedway Boogie", two songs the Crowes have played off and on through 2008, allowed Crowes frontman/birthday boy Chris Robinson to indulge his inner-Jerry and jam with one of his musical idols.

Never a big fan of the Dead, the all-Phile Lesh encore was a bit much and left something to be desired, but we were in San Francisco and it was a unique encore to a great week long residency that saw the band dust off many gems from its extensive back catalog. The ability to expect the "unexpected" is back with the Crowes live show experience and that is a thrill to long time fans who wondered if the band would ever regain flight after the exit of longtime members Eddie Hawrysch and Marc Ford from 2005/06's reunion tour.


-12.20.08 setlist-
Feelin' Alright
Stare It Cold
High Head Blues -> Jam
Space Captain
Seeing Things
Young Man, Old Man
Let Me Share The Ride
Descending
Downtown Money Waster -> Jam ->
Mona ->
Take Off From The Future ->
Thorn In My Pride
Polly
Oh Josephine
Feathers
Movin' On Down The Line
Remedy
- encore -
Sugaree
Cold Rain And Snow
New Speedway Boogie

Photos courtesy of the fans on the Black Crowes message board Amorica 2. Photos used without permission.

Black Crowes Fillmore Residency

As The Black Crowes prepare to play the final two nights of their five night residency at the historic Fillmore in San Francisco, here's a taste of the band playing "Long Black Veil" in Minneapolis with Andy Cabic from Vetiver and Gary Louris of the Jayhawks.

Black Crowes on O'Brien

Here's the Black Crowes on the Conan O'Brien show last night: