An Electrifying Blues Performance by Rock Veterans The Black Crowes
After being delayed for well over a year following the heavily influential covid outbreak, last Saturday’s performance by the Black Crowes proved that live music is back and possibly even better than ever. I arrived at the show more than two hours in advance and was surprised to see the main parking lot fully packed already, people happily throwing frisbees and sandbags for cornhole as the radiant sun gently settled down into the horizon on a beautiful late-summer night in Homdel, New Jersey. Even the auxiliary parking lot was packed with most of the same tailgating affairs, this time with the sweet smell of barbecues cooking American favorites along a line in the back of the lot. The energy was great; a fairly old crowd for a young 20-year-old to be around, but still a lot of positivity and appreciation for a show that, at one time at least, looked like it would never actually happen.
I could hear music already as I descended the stairs of the shuttle bus, which was merely a school bus with an outfitted stereo blasting classic 80’s jams, and it had that warm, saturated classic rock tone that reminded me of all the concerts from the 60’s that I’d never been able to see personally but adored watching in retrospect on YouTube. PNC Arts Center was just getting warmed up however, and although I thought the opening act, Dirty Honey, did a great job setting the mood and getting the groove going, they were no match for the ‘Crowes, who really couldn’t be beat that night anyways.
Dirty Honey’s setup was demarcated by a big banner proudly displaying their name, separating the stage into a smaller section with all the instruments near the front, but it was obvious that there was a lot more going on behind that screen. I was especially interested, being a guitar player myself, at the interesting mix of amplifiers that peaked out around the sides. Oranges, Voxes, a Magnatone stack-I’ll stop there before I geek out too much. Dirty Honey’s guitar player had a classic Marshall stack, and I was right in the direction of his amp so I could hear all that glorious cranked up sound not just through the coloring PA monitors. The rest of the band was tight, too, and played with a certain bravado and confidence that made them seem as if they’ve been performing effortlessly for years. They had a very Aerosmith-meets-Guns N Roses sound, and it kept enough of the bluesy theme for the band to follow without becoming repetitive or too contrived.
The Black Crowe’s came out to an old-school, wild-west bar scene toward the back left-side of the stage. Looking collected and totally in the zone, the band swung their prop drinks in the air and made out like they were having a grand old time. Like old friends uniting at their favorite old bar spot after a day of motorcycling across the vast American west. One member slinks off behind the bar and appears in the next moment with a guitar in his hand, strumming a proud opening guitar riff to the song Twice As Hard. After a few phrases, the rest of the band appears at their positions having grabbed all their necessary tools from roadies obscured to the side of the stage, and they jump into the first track. They immediately sound great as a band, with a tight rhythm section led primarily by the drummer’s commanding right foot, but the mix leaves something to be desired; luckily, all the sliders on the mixing board are sorted before the end of the first song, and the sound remains great throughout the rest of their performance allowing the talented musicians to really leave an individualistic impression on a classic, blues-based collage of tracks. The band plays through the entirety of their hit album, Shake Your Money Maker, and no song goes without clapping and applause. By the third track every band member is really in the groove, and you can tell that they were having a great time, as well, as they looked at each other during dynamics and solos in little nods of approval.
The Black Crowe’s are led by two brothers, Chris and Rich Robinson, and as is often the case with brothers in a rock band, they’ve had their rough patches in the band’s history. But absolutely no hint of animosity was present in the show. In fact, Chris took a moment to celebrate his brother’s birthday which happened to be on the day of the concert, and Rich seemed like he was celebrating his birthday in his favorite fashion-rocking out and picking up good vibes from the audience. I loved how the band managed to alter their tone throughout the show even though they played a majority of songs from only one record that has one particular sound. The two guitarists switched amps and guitars throughout, but always managed to sound balanced and rich in texture. Chris’s vocals sounded great, as well, and he barely relied on his two backup singers who spent a good portion of the show dancing rather than trying to fill in or take the burden off the vocal section. Chris sounded lively and energetic, and he moved around the stage like a true classic rock singer who knows they must be as entertaining as they sound in order to convey the true spirit of a rock performance. I would also be remiss without mentioning how great the lead guitarist, Isaiah Mitchell played all night long. As a longtime fan of strong lead players like Mick Taylor, his sound and techniques, whether playing with a pick, using a slide or picking with his fingers celebrated the spirit of fantastic guitarists like Mick, and I felt that this was the closest I would ever get to hearing a true masterful lead player in person, something I was especially blown away by considering how little recognition Isaiah gets as a player in the guitar community. He could’ve blown Clapton off the stage that night and trust me I would never say that about an amateur player.
With enough hit songs in the setlist to catch the ears of even the most casual fans in conjunction with some hand-picked favorites that only dedicated fans would know, The Black Crowes performed a fantastic show with plenty of tonal and rhythmic variety to keep things interesting despite the heavy blues focus. Given their age, every band member brought considerable energy and vivacity to this performance, and I’d be shocked if they could perform better than this on another tour date that will bring them all the way from the American west coast to Europe later this fall. If you’re lucky enough to catch them on a later tour date, I highly recommend going and even urge you to consider picking an upscale seat as it’ll allow you to appreciate the finer details of their cohesive and masterful mix of good-old, blues-based rock n’ roll.
