Last week, The Black Crowes proved once again that rock and roll is still alive and well as they hit The Fillmore Auditorium in Denver on Monday, April 8 to give rabid fans a dose of rhythm and blues southern style. Promoting their latest album Happiness Bastards, the octet gave everything they had to a packed house and delivered both iconic tunes of the past as well as most of the new record. The Mile High City was the fifth stop out of thirty-five international cities to support their latest creative endeavor. This proved that not only is there still a dedicated fan base after forty years, but that The Brothers Robinson continue to turn out new music rather than rest on the comfort of their hits.
The show got started with “Bedside Manner”, the standard opener thus far on the tour and the first track on the new album. Picking up the mic stand like a baton, Chris Robinson led the parade as drummer Cully Symington pounded at the intro on the snare, the rest of the band jumping in and the room going full electric. This new tune has that heavy-handed Crowes feel to it: ballsy, deep, and full throttle. Rich Robinson wielded his blonde Gibson, alternating between chords and slide, stone-faced in concentration as he let his guitar do all the talking. Closing it out with a nice slip-sliding solo by Rich, Chris welcomed the crowd,” Well, Alright! What do you say Denver?”, the crowd busting at the seams to keep the energy going.
Providing a little perspective, Chris continued, "We got some new songs and some old ones. This is another new one. We call this “Dirty Old Sun”. Although it was a Monday, this upbeat rocker kept everyone feeling like it was a Friday. Chris and backup singers MacKenzie Adams and Leslie Grant delivered the lyrical soul of this new heavy hitter.
The familiar sounds of the classic “Twice As Hard” widened the grin of everyone in the house, Rich laying out the familiar intro on his black Tony Zemaitis custom. As expected, this had everyone singing along and fueled the rock vibe of the room.
To the delight of those hardcore fans, the deep-cut punch of “Go Tell The Congregation” was up next. Not performed by the band since 2010, this one had Chris strutting hard under the heavy-handed three-way connection of Rich, guitarist Nico Bereciarua, and longtime Crowes bassist Sven Pipien. Erik Deutsch delivered on the Hammond / Leslie combo, pushing out a whirling solo that had many in the congregation throwing their hands in the air.
Sweetening the set a bit with another new one off Happiness Bastards, the soft intro of “Cross Your Fingers” lulled the Fillmore for only a moment before the power chords of Rich’s fire red Gibson tore through the air. All too short, this addition certainly had these ears wanting more.
Although early in the tour, the band handed over back-to-back tour debuts in “Oh Josephine” and “Hotel Illness”. Chris provided spot-on harmonica playing for “Hotel Illness”, a feat in and of itself with the high altitude and his unending vocal enthusiasm.
Getting back to the latest, “Wanting and Waiting” was warmly received, and was followed by Otis Redding’s “Hard To Handle”. Before jumping in, Chris asked the crowd, “Who’s the greatest soul singer of all time?”, sparking a wave of excitement through the room. Unsatisfied with the level of enthusiasm, Chris loudly repeated himself, this time grabbing the attention of everyone, the crowd retorting ‘Otis’ at the top of their lungs. Satisfied with the audience’s recognition, Chris signaled the group and “Hard To Handle” got underway.
As one of the most iconic Crowes tunes, “She Talks to Angels” certainly got the treatment and had many listening intently and embracing their loved ones as the band handed over a great version of this classic.
Chris introduced the next one by stating, “The sun feels good in our face but…midnight feels a lot better sometimes…and this is for everyone who follows the moon.” “Follow the Moonz’ has this gritty strut with a seventies rock root and it certainly delivered for both the band and the audience, Chris and Rich smiling and glancing at each other throughout the tune while the front row pumped their fists in the air.
Pulling everyone back in for the big closer, the band fired on all cylinders for a well-executed high of some of the greatest hits of their career. Starting with “Thorn In My Pride”, Chris prefaced, “My brother and I started this band. And really the only thing that a band is is a dream and you know we dreamed this up one day ‘cause we love rock and roll music. So we said, ‘we can do that too’. But we dreamed up this thing we call ‘The Black Crowes’ and this next song has been a part of that dream and will be a part of that dream as we dream on and on and on”. As Chris drifted off, Rich pulled “Thorn in my Pride” from the ether, the rest of the band following suit until the sum of parts became a dynamic unified force. Moving into “Jealous Again”, the band kept the room shaking and came across as warm and tight as they did when they started the night, moving effortlessly through the honky tonk funk, Chris leading the charge and inciting celebratory riot throughout the audience. “Remedy” closed the set and left the air crackling with energy and revelry, the crowd chanting the end of the piece as Chris walked the stage from one side to the other, connecting with as many listeners as possible, grinning and gazing as everyone thanked the band.
Exiting stage left for less than a minute, the band was back for one more and decided on a cover to send everyone out into the warm spring night. Lou Reed’s “White Light, White Heat” was the final selection and kept the energy high. Although the choice had some scratching their head, wishing for another Crowes’ creation, this one seemed to show once again that the band chooses what they want to play and do it for the sake of rock and roll, not expectation.
In the end, the band delivered a great sixteen-song set that never wavered in energy or quality. Chris Robinson’s vocals were strong throughout the night and, as he strutted every inch of that stage, he never showed a sign of age or exhaustion. This proved once again that he loves what he does and he has the pipes to do it. Although Rich Robinson carries a stoic demeanor on stage, his abilities are anything but laid back, demonstrated throughout the set as he channeled greatness from start to finish. With the exception of bassist Sven Pipien, everyone is relatively new to the band, joining in the last few years, and this new blood infusion certainly came across as a great thing, as smiles, enthusiasm, and top-notch performances were given by all. Vocalists MacKenzie Adams and Leslie Grant fueled Chris relentlessly throughout the evening and provided those gospel harmonies that just make any room feel like a spirited gathering. Nico Bereciartua’s rhythm was well-balanced and earnest and the solos he pulled were just as exciting as Rich’s, making the two a stringed tour de force. Sven Pipien’s bass lines were anything but standard and flowed effortlessly, his soft-eyed grin showing he was more than comfortable in his place in the deep end. Erik Deutsch’s nimble keys added to each and every tune, from organ to piano, the man often purported a twisted face mid-solo as he dug deep, but always ended with a youthful grin as he met eyes with his bandmates. Cully Symington was literally in the Crowes’ nest, center stage and nearly twenty feet above Chris, and this thunder machine delivered with enthusiasm and precision at every turn. Whether dolling it out heavy or riding lightly across the top, Symington was locked into the strings and sound for the whole night.
By the close of the show, The Black Crowes demonstrated once again that they still deliver a quality show, and their new material proved they are not a nostalgia act. From the energy on stage and the connection between Chris and Rich, no one would have ever thought there had been a day of bad blood between them. They shared a mic on multiple occasions, enjoyed a shoulder bump, and exchanged genuine smiles of brotherly love. The world is now whole once again with these winged warriors doing what they were created to do.
The Black Crowes are deep into their Happiness Bastards '24 Spring Tour, and are up next at the The FIllmore Detroit in Detroit, MI on April, 20, 2024. Tickets are available via this link. Visit their tour page for more dates on this exciting tour.
