Just hours after the release of their brand-new record, Happiness Bastards, The Black Crowes performed an intimate set sponsored by Amazon Music called The City Sessions at Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York. The band played 11 songs with a Q&A intermission. The first half of the set included four songs from the new record and one from the 1972 EP. Act two featured some of The Crowes’ most well-recognized tunes like “Remedy,” “Hard To Handle,” and “She Talks To Angles.”
As I was driving down the Garden State Parkway after spending a week in Montreal, Québec, Canada, the beautiful New York City skyline and the bowery of Brooklyn greeted me with gorgeous sunny weather. While walking down the street in an attempt to find the venue, and walking in my direction I spotted Camille Robinson and her husband, lead singer, Chris Robinson. As the lovely couple walked by I said “Hey CR!” to which Chris responded with a calm and cool “Yeah, alright,” which set the mood for the rest of the evening. The Black Crowes were here, with a brand new record and ready to play some serious rock and roll.
With the doors wide open, the rest of the band, which included guitarist Rich Robinson, bassist Sven Pipien, drummer Cully Symington, guitarist Nico Bereciartua, and keyboardist Erik Deutsch fine-tuned some songs before the show. Bypassers kept looking through the open doors to watch the soundcheck which had taken over the street with their sound.
The show was originally announced on Thursday, March. 7, 2024 and tickets sold out fast. By the time the doors opened at 8:00 pm, fans were already in line which had stretched up the street. Once security let the fans in, they all rushed for the stage which was standing room only. With the Amazon cameras rolling and the clock ticking to 9:00 pm, the fans who were nestled shoulder to shoulder were cheering for The Crowes as they graced the stage, plugged in and jumped into song one, “Bedside Manners.”
The refreshing new tunes went over extremely well with fans. With the start of each song, fans immediately knew which tune it was. Throughout the night Chris was strutting, jumping and galloping around the stage, fans all watched in awe. This version of the band has never been tighter and this show was no different. They were firing on all cylinders as they showcased their new album.
The crowd watched in the GA section and on the balconies that flanked each side of the stage. The sold-out crowd met each song with thunderous applause. The four tunes from Happiness Bastards sounded excellent live and they are ready for their upcoming tour this spring. As the first act was coming to a close, the band blasted into “Moonage Daydream” off of the aforementioned 1972 which the legendary David Bowie originally performed. One fan next to me freaked out when hearing the first note and was bobbing his head the entire song.
Going into the intermission, the brothers of Chris and Rich were interviewed live in front of the audience. While being interviewed, the family chemistry between both brothers was apparent. At one point, Chris realized how long he had been talking and asked Rich the same question and sat criss-crossed in front of his younger brother. Chris pointed the microphone at Rich as if it was a press conference. The brothers teasing each other and smiling on stage while being interviewed brought laughter and smiles to the audience. It’s safe to say that the brothers have left all the nonsense in the past and have a bright future ahead.
Act two started with “Remedy.” The sheer volume of this song felt like it was going to cave the roof in. The entire band has locked these classic Crowes songs down as they chugged on into the night. If you had to pick which act was better, one or two, it would be impossible to pick. Hearing the classics of “Twice As Hard” the ballad of “She Talks To Angles” was great to hear. When they played Otis Redding sing-along song that threw the band into stardom, “Hard To Handle,” it was clear that the song had stood the test of time.
The final song of the evening was “Jealous Again” off of 1990’s Shake Your Money Maker. I loved this song as the final song. There’s just some magic when you can hear Chris and Rich’s vocals so high up in the mix. This song, like the three mentioned above, is just classic Crowes songs’ and never disappoints.
The 11-song setlist was perfect, it wasn’t too long nor was it too short. The show was the perfect combination of new vs. old Black Crowes. By the time the band walked off the stage, fans were dying at least one more song. These Crowes were truly flying high throughout the entire set. They fed off the small and intimate venue and blew the doors off the building.
If fans were hesitant to see the new tour in support of Happiness Bastards then you need to go see them. They are at the top of their game. Even with new members added recently it’s impossible to turn a cold shoulder on them. This was the perfect warm-up gig to showcase the new and some classic songs and feed off an ever-hungry fan base. Tonight gave fans a glimpse into the bright future ahead for The Black Crowes.
The Black Crowes are:
Chris Robinson – Vocals
Rich Robinson – Guitars/Background vocals
Sven Pipien – Bass/Background vocals
Cully Symington – Drums
Nico Bereciartua – Guitars/Background vocals
Erik Deutsch – Keyboards
Mackenzie Adams – Backing Vocals
Lesley Grant – Backing Vocals
Setlist:
1. Bedside Manners
2. Rats and Clowns
3. Wanting and Waiting
4. Dirty Cold Sun
5. Moonage Daydream (David Bowie cover)
6. Remedy
7. Twice As Hard
8. Sometimes Salvation
9. Hard To Handle
10. She Talks To Angels
11. Jealous Again
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My love for covering music started with my first concert ever, Guns N’ Roses back in 2016. Since then, I’ve been able to see 55 concerts and capture photos of some amazing artists like Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Ace Frehley, and Post Malone. I am based in New York/New Jersey and go to school in Connecticut majoring in Journalism and always looking for the next concert to attend.
