Seems like every time I see The Black Crowes, their performance is cloaked in some form of hiatus. At Bonnaroo '05, it was a just-returned-from-hiatus crew that set fire to that stage, but last night, the coin had flipped and instead of a return, I was witnessing one of the last performances before they take their leave. An "indefinite hiatus" is what they are calling it, but many are speculating that "indefinite" is code for forever, which would make that my last live run-in with The Black Crowes. Sad. As a peace offering, or perhaps a kindly thank you to their fans, the Crowes made this a show to remember: a three-hour, two set performance that warmed us up with a (predominately) acoustic set before cranking the amps for an electrified block later.
On a stage packed with partitions, gnomes, and burning incense, Chris Robinson and company quickly proved why they are still getting attention 20 years into their career with opener "Soul Singing." A bluesy riff layered with bar-room piano, competing blues fills, and touches of gospel created exactly the type of structure that supports Robinson's vocalizations and fully fleshes them out. He made use of such support, but showed off that raw, natural vocal ability that helps draw an antidote out of the rooted venom found in the blues. The die-hards ate it up, but I wondered if they saw the same man up there that I did, a man that looked tired and sounded just a step removed from his usual A-game. As the concert progressed, Robinson seemed to wake up and become more animated both in terms of technique and physical showmanship. It was only after the claps, wing-spanned arms, and small, stutter steps came out that he began to look more like the great frontman he has always seemed so effortlessly to be.
The acoustic set was a sprawling creature that touched on everything from classic, greatest–hits type tracks like "My Morning Song" and "She Talks to Angels," to well-placed covers like the Beggar's Banquet-era Stones "No Expectations." Taking the lead in soloing duties was Luther Dickinson (a blues-rock ringer stolen from North Mississippi Allstars), which was surprising since I thought that was Rich's department. Rich would emerge as a force later on during the electric set, but spent his time here adding upon Luther's guitar/dobro work with tasteful slide licks. What they played sounded great, but the problem was the instrumentation drowned out Chris' vocals to there point where you could barely understand what he was singing half of the time. Maybe this was an issue only experienced in the balcony, but from that vantage point, it was a drag and was only made up for by the fact that I like the band.
The electric set was more jam-heavy than the acoustic, which seemed to be exactly what everyone had come for. The best part about the Crowes' jams is that they are less noodle-focused than other bands. Everyone is conscious of each other, and because they pay attention and build off of what is already there, the music feels full and thrives. The piano/keyboard/organ work laid down by Adam MacDougall is the bedrock of each experiment and the real secret behind their Southern flair. He's the one that turns blues-rock songs into honky tonk express rides that Chris can easily glide into and over, that extra piece that takes their sound out of the bar. My favorite jams occurred somewhere in the midst of what I call the "sunrise duo," the often-played tag team also known as "Ballad of Urgency" into "Wiser Time." Listening to these songs instantly connects me into that 6 o'clock realm when the air is quiet and the natural world is just waking up. It is a soothing feeling that is made ever more present by the softly melodic jams that run hand-in-hand with their performances and the type of thing most bands should try harder to tap into. If they can even get there in the first place.
So, what now? After a night of heavy-hitters ("Sting Me," "Thorn In My Pride") and a revelatory version of "Oh! Sweet Nuthin" that would make a fan out of anybody, I guess all that's left to do is ponder what's next. If this is truly the Crowes' last stand, then the world of music will have lost something worth keeping. While far from perfect, they are still the last band that can credibly replicate that 70s sound and then live it out on stage. They never cashed in on easy trends, never sold out, they just play great Southern blues-rock with precision and skill. They are like a living, breathing "Almost Famous" scene, and to me, bands cut from that particular cloth are, well, cool. I just wish I could have seen a different concert on this tour, one where Chris' voice didn't sound like it had a blanket on top of it; because if this really is it, that's not how I want to remember him.
Setlist:
Acoustic Set
Soul Singing
Hotel Illness
Garden Gate
No Expectations (The Rolling Stones cover)
Thorn In My Pride
Whoa Mule
So Many Times (Manassas cover)
Nonfiction
Jealous Again
She Talks To Angels
My Morning Song
Electric Set
Good Friday
Peace Anyway
Evergreen
Ballad In Urgency
Wiser Time
Oh! Sweet Nuthin' (The Velvet Underground cover)
Sting Me
Twice As Hard
Hard To Handle (Otis Redding cover)
Remedy
Encore:
Feathers
Thick N' Thin
