On Stage: Brothers Of A Feather @ THT

The American rock band The Black Crowes always knew turbulent times. It went through numerous line-up changes and had several break ups. The core of the band are the Robinson brothers, whose relationship is not easy. Whenever the two don't get along, the band goes through a rough period. In 2015 the group disbanded due to an argument between the brothers. Last year the duo suddenly announced their reconciliation and a 2020 The Black Crowes tour with a whole new backing band to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their successful debut album Shake Your Moneymaker. Now the two brothers are sharing the stage for an acoustic tour as "Brothers of a Feather".

Brothers Of A Feather at Paradiso Noord Tolhuistuin Amsterdam, February 15 2020

Singer Chris Robinson states that not many people expected the brothers to appear on stage together so soon. Indeed I wasn't expecting it either, especially a show with just the two of them. I'm happy though to see the brothers are getting along again and are playing together, since they make great music and are always getting the best out of each other. Chris is the outgoing front man and singer, chatting to the crowd, while Rich is the more quiet one.

You can tell they have been making music together all of their lives and complete each other. Rich's groovy rhythm guitar is the base for every song and he sometimes adds harmonies to Chris' vocals. The two cut through The Black Crowes' catalogue with lovely versions of big hits like 'Jealous Again', 'Twice As Hard' and 'Remedy'. Also some deeper cuts like 'Nonfiction' and 'Good Friday' are on the setlist. Every song sounds amazing like this, stripped down to their bare core. Chris' powerful voice sounds wonderful with only a single acoustic guitar backing him.

Unfortunately there is quite a lot of chatting going on and Chris asks everyone to shut up. It's very sad that one of the musicians on stage has to ask people to be quiet. Fortunately it does have effect and the chatting dies out. Towards the end the back to back tracks 'Soul Singing' and 'She Talks To Angels' are absolutely gorgeous. The duo returns for an encore playing the only song that is not a The Black Crowes song, Ry Cooder's 'Boomer Song'. This was an incredible night, with the two brothers truly having fun at playing together again. I'm looking forward to this fall a lot when The Black Crowes return to Amsterdam.

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Setlist:
01. Jealous Again
02. Twice as Hard
03. Wiser Time
04. Thorn in My Pride
05. Good Friday
06. Cursed Diamond
07. Hotel Illness
08. Whoa Mule
09. Nonfiction
10. Soul Singing
11. She Talks to Angels
12. Remedy
Encore
13. Boomer's Story (Ry Cooder cover)


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On Stage: Chris Robinson Brotherhood

It’s never clear what the status is of The Black Crowes, the rock band around the Robinson brothers. Currently the band has fallen apart but can easily rise from its ashes any time. Meanwhile singer Chris Robinson recorded three albums with the Chris Robinson Brotherhood. What hasn’t changed is that this is a band you want to see live.

An Evening with the Chris Robinson Brotherhood at Paradiso Amsterdam, March 3 2016

The Black Crowes loved playing Paradiso and their concerts usually turn into epic moments. Tonight with this band it is nothing different and this “evening with the Chris Robinson Brotherhood” definitely is evening filling. The band has divided the night into two sets with a short break in between. Their music is on the more relaxed side of The Black Crowes and Robinson is playing guitar most of the time.

Their soulful Americana will slowly drag you in and it's a lovely feeling. Robinson’s wonderful voice still is one of a kind and his amazing band is doing the rest. The drums and bass play their grooves right in the pocket and guitar player Neal Casal lays down some amazing solos. It's as if Robinson’s verses are paving the way for these stunning guitar pieces. The band plays many covers by the likes of Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead and of course The Black Crowes. But all of them are tasteful versions that they made their own without damaging the original. And all songs turn into long stretched songs full of lengthy jams and patiently crafted by wonderful musicians.

The break halfway does take you out of the magic for a bit but when they play close to three hours it's a well deserved break. By that time they already have Paradiso eating from their hand. Another bunch of incense sticks are lit and the band simply continues where they left off. At the end of the second set there’s even time for an encore where the band plays a dazzling version of J. J. Cale’s ‘After Midnight’. In the passed I believe they called Paradiso "the center of the universe" and tonight for three hours it truly felt that way. Even better, the venue feels like an entire different universe for a while, filled with lush music and good vibes. It would be great if The Black Crowes would return in the future but this band is just as much fun.



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Setlist:
01. Hello L.A., Bye Bye Birmingham
02. Jump the Turnstiles
03. Roan County Banjo
04. Reflections on a Broken Mirror
05. She Belongs to Me
06. Meanwhile in the Gods...
07. Like a Tumbleweed in Eden
08. I'm a Hog for You
break
09. Shake, Rattle and Roll
10. Ain't It Hard But Fair
11. Rosalee
12. Star or Stone
13. West L.A. Fadeaway
14. Vibration & Light Suite
15. I Ain't Hiding
16. Got Love If You Want It
Encore:
17. After Midnight


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At The Centre Of The Cosmos With The Black Crowes

After a two year absence The Black Crowes are back where they started their indefinite hiatus, Paradiso Amsterdam. Or the centre of the cosmos as the band from Atlanta calls the Dutch rock temple. They always had a special relationship with this venue and seeing them play here is a real treat.

The Black Crowes at Paradiso Amsterdam, June 19 2013



Brothers Chris and Rich Robinson have a complicated love-hate relationship and need some time away from each other now and then. Chris released another Chris Robinson Brotherhood record and Rich toured in support of his second solo album during this last hiatus. It gave them enough time to recharge and pick up The Black Crowes where they left off.

It's good to see how well the band came out of their hibernation. With the scent of incense they take us on a trip through time and space, that can be considered one of their finest. They prove tonight, still to be one of the top live bands around. As if we needed that proof. The combination of blues, soul and Southern rock has been perfected in numerous live shows. Their set list can be different every night, backed up by an impressive collection of wonderful and strong songs. Tonight they lean more heavily towards blues and soul.



Next to big hits 'Jealous Again' and the always wonderful 'Soul Singing', more quiet, soulful gems like 'Thorn In My Pride' and 'Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye' make it into the set. It's one big build up to the epic part of the performance, a fifteen minute jam of 'Wiser Time'. It sums up the whole history and quality of the band in one song. The tight groove machine, driven by drummer Steve Gorman and bass player Sven Pipien. Adam MacDougall's swinging organ, that garnishes the music with some extra spice. The duelling guitars, taking solos by turn that finally lead into a climax where Rich Robinson and new guitarist Jackie Greene go the whole nine yards. And of course the mighty voice of Chris Robinson, who can sing any blues, rock and soul song seemingly effortlessly. His relaxed hippie-like stage performance, with the characteristic dances and moves, is showing that he's totally into it like always. Even a troubling monitor speaker can't put him off.



A two hours and fifteen minutes performance without a weak moment shows The Black Crowes are still at their peak after more than twenty-five years. And with an occasional break now and then the band is nowhere near retirement. And that's very good news for anyone that is fond of this style of music and who should get a chance to see The Black Crowes at least once in their life.



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Setlist:
01. Under a Mountain
02. Good Morning Captain
03. Hotel Illness
04. Black Moon Creeping
05. Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye
06. Magic Rooster Blues
07. Medicated Goo (Traffic cover)
08. Wiser Time
09. She Talks to Angels
10. Whoa Mule
11. By Your Side
12. Soul Singing
13. Sometimes Salvation
14. Jealous Again
15. Thorn in My Pride
Encore
16. Oh Josephine
17. Oh! Sweet Nuthin' (The Velvet Underground cover)
18. Willin' (Little Feat cover)


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The Black Crowes' Beautiful Goodbye

I've seen The Black Crowes play before but although they have been playing Paradiso many times I just never got to see them there. Their farewell tour Goodnight to the Bad Guys was ending in their and my favourite venue so this could be my last chance. But again the odds were against me since the ticket sale started during my vacation and although friends tried to help out it sold out before they could get their hands on tickets. But I was not gonna miss this one! And so even though I don't like the reseller market at all I monitored the online marketplaces for tickets for a decent price. And I got my break on the same day of their very last show...


The Black Crowes at Paradiso Amsterdam, 18 July 2011 (Ronald Says 9 out of 10)
Like every show on this tour they will start with an acoustic set followed by a "normal" set halfway the show. And as promised the set list tonight is totally different than the day before in Paradiso. In the end it turns out they only play 'Jealous Again' both nights. But it hardly matters what they are playing. These are great musicians that can make any song sound good. And they are having a great time at it. Singer Chris Robinson looks so comfortable on stage moving around like it's his living room. Bending his thin body into funny poses like he always does. He's enjoying the solos of his brother Rich Robinson and virtuoso Luther Dickinson approvingly with a smile on his face.



And that's what they all are doing: enjoying their last night together on stage playing their beloved songs. The acoustic set is a beautiful one. The sound is great and songs like 'Appaloosa', 'Sister Luck' and 'Bring On, Bring On' shine brighter than ever before. But tonight all songs are gems and every one of them is greeted with great applause like every solo or jam.



After one and a half hour the band takes a short break before it's time for the electric second part. It's time to pick up the pass a bit although their is still room for some ballads like a very passionate 'Seeing Things'. They also add some cover songs including The Rolling Stones 'I Just Want To See His Face' and of course their famous version of 'Hard To Handle' off their first album where it all began.



After three hours there's still energy left for an encore. They end with two more covers: 'Torn And Frayed', another The Rolling Stones song, and Little Feat's 'Willin''. And then after more than three hours and fifteen minutes it really is over. The Black Crowes are gone for an indefinite period. But tonight we celebrated the band and the impressive collection of music they left us like there's no tomorrow without them.

So I finally got my way. And I got a lot more than I bargained for. This night was memorable in so many ways. I can only hope that indefinite doesn't mean forever and we can can greet them back some day in the future.

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Set List:

First Half - Accoustic Set
1. Good Friday
2. Appaloosa
3. Sister Luck
4. Wiser Time
5. No Expectations
6. How Much For Your Wings
7. Bring On, Bring On
8. Darling of the Underground Press
9. Nonfiction
10. My Morning Song

Second Half - Electric Set
11. Good Morning Captain
12. High Head Blues
13. I Just Want to See His Face
14. Girl From A Pawnshop
15. Thorn In My Pride
16. Poor Elijah / Tribute To Johnson
17. Hard to Handle
18. Seeing Things
19. Soul Singing
20. Jealous Again

Encore
21. Torn and Frayed
22. Willin'
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Album Reviews: The Short Versions

Writing posts for your blog is pretty time consuming and writing album reviews can cost even more time if you want to do it properly. So I listen to a lot of music but it's impossible to write lengthy reviews for all the new albums coming out that I listen to. Since many are worth reviewing I decided to do a short version of album reviews to be able to give you my 50 cents. Don't forget to let me know what you think of it.

Brendan Benson - My Old Familiar Friend (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
I like his song writing and hopefully his part in the Raconteurs can help him break through to a bigger audience. The album has some nice songs but could use a bit more spicing.


The Black Crowes...Before the Frost...Until the Freeze (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
Nothing new from the Crowes here but a solid southern rock album as we're used of them.


Moke (Ronald Says 6 out of 10)
Their sound is a lot bigger and so they seem to aim for the highest here. Sounds all very much overproduced with strings, horns, the works causing the music unable to breath. Besides that it's all too obvious and planned and every song has a "heard this before" side to it.


Wild Beasts - Two Dancers(Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
A dreamy album with nicely arranged mellow songs. Ringing guitars with falsetto lead vocals that wrap around you like a warm summer breeze. Aah, don't you just wish the summer could last forever?


The XX - The XX (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
A highly acclaimed album that gets great reviews but I guess I'm missing the boat here. It's a nice album but nothing to go all crazy about. It's a sober album with thin, quiet, delicate songs that somehow isn't all that appealing to me. Maybe it needs to grow on me.


Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs(Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
Although this is a band that has been around for quite a while and made over a dozen albums I'm not that familiar with their music. It's a diverse record with rock songs combined with more mellow pop tunes and beautiful ballads.
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