Pages tagged “The Black Crowes”

When listening to a song and I instantly visualize myself at the concert, pushing through to the front of the crowd, beer in one hand, the other arm vigorously pumping in the air, while screaming the lyrics at the top of my lungs...this song gets added to my  Fist-Pump Anthem playlist. I like my fist-pumpers southern-fried, heavy on the guitar, and smothered in awesome. Here are some of the best fist-pumpers I’ve heard in 08 ... so far:



Please chime in with your favorite fist-pump anthems, as I’m always looking for another reason to dislocate a shoulder.

Ladies and gentlemen, the latest round of Celebrity Copyright Infringement Litigation is under way. In this corner, The Black Crowes, defending their 1991 hit “Jealous Again.” And in this corner, country songstress Gretchen Wilson, defending her song “Work Hard, Play Harder.”

I walked up to the Harbor Stage at the 2008 Newport Folk Festival right as a soloist from the Young @ Heart chorus began singing Radiohead's "Fake Plastic Trees." Her 80 years allowed her more passion and earnestness than Thom Yorke could ever possibly get away with, which made it a much more powerful song. Right after she finished, I found my Paste co-hort and Newport programmer Jay Sweet standing next to WFUV's Rita Houston, and both said tears had streamed down their cheeks during the song. I found the hair on my arms standing on end several times myself during the show—particularly during Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark." I'd known about Young @ Heart and thought it sounded very cool, but I was unprepared by how affecting it would be. And how funny.

Not to be left out of the music festival bonanza that is summer 2008, Denver, Colo., will host the first Mile High Music Festival this weekend on July 19 and 20. Five stages at Dick's Sporting Goods Park will hold approximately 50 bands, including headliners Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Dave Matthews Band.

First time’s a charm for the inaugural Jackson Hole Music Festival. The two-day affair set in Teton Village, Wyoming, will not be a minor-league production. The line-up, not even complete yet, already includes Wilco, music legend Brian Wilson and Medeski, Martin & Wood on day one, and The Black Crowes, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, and The Avett Brothers on day two.

Fresh off the release of The Black Crowes' first album in seven years (which you can read all about in our feature on the band), the group has announced a full-fledged North American tour, and boy is it a doozie. Covering 90 cities and extending from June to December, The Crowes' “Euphoria or Bust Tour" includes two acoustic sets at New York City's Town Hall Theater in November and a five-night run at The Fillmore in San Francisco in December. (Expect Maxim's review of the Fillmore shows in November.) The band is also performing a few dates with the Dave Matthews Band, the only group that views 90-city tours as a "small jaunts." Tickets for most shows go on sale May 2, but you can see the complete listings at The Black Crowes tour page.

The band is also offering special midnight pre-sale tickets for those Crowes fans that don't feel like waiting in line with the unwashed masses. Pre-sale tickets are only available to members of the Crowes' fan community, so expect to exchange an e-mail address for the primo tickets. Just to sweeten the deal, the band is also bundling exclusive live tracks with the pre-sale tickets, which makes the prospect of Black Crowes-related spam not seem so bad.

Euphoric Dates:

June
27 - Hershey, Penn. @ Hershey Stadium*
28 - Hampton Beach, N.H. @ Hampton Beach Casino
29 - Hampton Beach, N.H. @ Hampton Beach Casino

July
1 - Philadelphia, Penn. @ The Fillmore at the TLA
2 - Philadelphia, Penn. @ The Fillmore at the TLA
3 - Philadelphia, Penn. @ The Fillmore at the TLA
5 - Charlottesville, Va. @ Charlottesville Pavilion
6 - Jim Thorpe, Penn. @ Penn's Peak
8 - Montreal, Quebec @ Metropolis
10 - Ottawa, Ontario @ Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest
11 - Sarnia, Ontario @ Sarnia Bayfest Festival
12 - Toronto, Ontario @ Massey Hall
15 - Winnipeg, Manitoba @ Burton Cummings Theater
17 - Edmonton, Alberta @ North Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
18 - Calgary, Alberta @ Jack Singer Theater
20 - Denver, Colo. @ Mile High Music Festival
22 - Kansas City, Mo. @ Voodoo Lounge at Harrah's Casino
23 - Tulsa, Okla. @ Cain's Ballroom
26 - Elizabeth, Ind. @ The Shoe at Ceasar's Indiana
29 - Cleveland, Ohio @ House of Blues
30 - Cleveland, Ohio @ House of Blues

August
1 - Bridgeport, Conn. @ Gathering of the Vibes
3 - Vienna, Va. @ Filene Center at Wolf Trap
5 - Pittsburgh, Penn. @ Byham Theater
6 - Covington, Ky. @ The Madison Theater
8 - Columbus, Ohio @ The LC Amphitheater
9 - East Troy, Wis. @ Alpine Valley Music Theater *
10 - East Troy, Wis. @ Alpine Valley Music Theater *
14 - Fayetteville, Ark. @ Arkansas Music Pavilionb
15 - Council Bluffs, Iowa @ Stir Cove at Harrah's Casino
17 - Jackson Hole, Wyo. @ Jackson Hole Jazz & Heritage Festival
29 - Milwaukee, Wis. @ 105th Harley Davidson Celebration

September
3 - Victoria, British Columbia @ Royal Theater
4 - Vancouver, British Columbia @ The Orpheum Theater
5 - Portland, Ore. @ Edgefield Concert Park
7 - Jacksonville, Ore. @ Britt Festival
8 - Puyallup, Wash @ Western Washington Fair
10 - Arcata, Calif. @ Van Duzer Theater
12 - Santa Rosa, Calif @ Wells Fargo Center
13 - Las Vegas, Nev. @ The Joint
16 - Mesa, Ariz. @ Ikeda Theatre (Mesa Arts Center)
17 - Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Greek Theater
19 - Santa Barbara, Calif. @ Santa Barbara County Bowl

October
5 - Alpharetta, Ga. @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
07 - Richmond, Va. @ The National
8 - Richmond, Va. @ The National
10 - Atlantic City, N.J. @ The Borgata
11 - Albany, N.Y. @ The Palace Theater
12 - Northampton, Mass. @ Calvin Theater
14 - Providence, R.I. @ Lupo's
17 - Boston, Mass. @ Boston Opera House
18 - Buffalo, N.Y. @ The Town Ballroom
20 - Burlington, Vt. @ Higher Ground
21 - Burlington, Vt. @ Higher Ground
27 - New York, N.Y. @ Hammerstein Ballroom
28 - New York, N.Y. @ Hammerstein Ballroom

November
3 - New York, N.Y. @ Town Hall Theater $
4 - New York, N.Y. @ Town Hall Theater $
6 - Charlotte, N.C. @ Neighborhood Theater
7 - Charlotte, N.C. @ Neighborhood Theater
8 - Raleigh, N.C. @ Lincoln Theater
10 - Clearwater, Fla. @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
11 - Orlando, Fla. @ House of Blues
12 - Miami Beach, Fla. @ Fillmore Miami at Jackie Gleason Theater
15 - Birmingham, Ala. @ Alabama Theater
16 - Nashville, Tenn. @ Ryman Auditorium
18 - New Orleans, La. @ House of Blues

December
15 - San Francisco, Calif. @ The Fillmore
16 - San Francisco, Calif. @ The Fillmore
18 - San Francisco, Calif. @ The Fillmore
19 - San Francisco, Calif. @ The Fillmore
20 - San Francisco, Calif. @ The Fillmore

* w/ The Dave Matthews Band
$ acoustic show

Related links:
Feature: The Black Crowes: Gearing Up for a New Kind of Revolution
BlackCrowes.com
News: Black Crowes caw up a new album

Got news tips for Paste? E-mail news@pastemagazine.com.

After seven long years filled with rumors of a breakup, The Black Crowes are finally putting out a new album. Slated to be released March 4 on the band’s label, Silver Arrow, Warpaint will be the first studio album the band has recorded since 2001's Lions.

A few things have changed since the Crowes' last release. Mainly, the band has adopted some new members, with Luther Dickinson of North Mississippi Allstars stepping in for Paul Stacey on guitar and the addition of Adam MacDougall on the keyboard. Although Stacey is no longer going to be playing with the band, he still continues to have his hand on the knob of The Black Crowes’ sound, as he stayed on board to produce Warpaint.

Along with the release of the new album, the soulful rock group will be embarking on a series of “One Night Only” shows where the new album will be performed in its entirety. No dates have been set yet, but the Crowes also have a world tour in the works that will kick off on March 24. The dates of this tour have not been scheduled either, but the band will definately be visiting Australia, Japan, the U.K. and select European countries.

Warpaint tracklist:

Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution
Walk Believer Walk
O, Josephine
Evergreen
We Who See The Deep
Locust Street
Movin' On Down The Line
Wounded Bird
God's Got It
There's Gold In Them Hills
Whoa Mule

Related links:
BlackCrowes.com
CrowesBase.com
Paste:Black Crowes caw up a new album

Got news tips for Paste? Email news@pastemagazine.com.

In a surprise gesture of gratitude toward the loyalty of their fans The Black Crowes recently announced that every single person who entered in the band’s “Get Tall In The Rockies” online contest will receive two free tickets to any one show of their choice this summer.

Originally intended as an exclusive selection for a few lucky contestants, the band was supposedly so moved by the overwhelming number of submissions and included letters that they completely nixed the idea of excluding anyone.

The Black Crowes are currently touring with the Drive-By Truckers. For more information click here.

With 2005 marred by Katrina’s aftermath and the turbulence of the Iraq War, it was inevitable that many Americans would look to family and culture as a salve for the wintertime blues. Thus, an attempt to draw renewal from the Southern Thang—in particular the region’s prime export, rock ’n’ roll—with a New Year’s Eve lineup featuring The Black Crowes, My Morning Jacket and the North Mississippi Allstars. However, with My Morning Jacket’s withdrawal due to frontman Jim James’ illness, the intended rock revival at Manhattan’s Madison Square Garden fell short of glory.

This failure, though, cannot be laid at the feet of Luther Dickinson, Cody Dickinson and Chris Chew of the Allstars. Them po’ boys were made to open the show on point at 8 p.m., a time when most revelers were still stumbling from Twins pub on 9th Avenue or massing at will-call in pursuit of tickets. The Allstars’ superb brand of hill boogie spliced with the odd nod to new Dirty South aesthetics (see the trio’s recent screwed-and-chopped version of their latest album, Electric Blue Watermelon) was done no favors by a meager allotment of 40 minutes. Luther and ‘nem would’ve just been warming up if it was their own gig. Still, the Allstars’ enduring grace was with them, as they rose to the occasion and professional fanfare of playing the once-hallowed Garden.

Chew’s elastic funk was well showcased on “Ship,” with him perhaps wryly nodding to the year’s biggest music-related news—the Michael Jackson trial—by steadily playing the bass line to the Jacksons’ 1978 hit “Shake Your Body (Down To the Ground).” Indeed, this sonic mnemonic spurred the not-quite-sold-out-but-still-vast crowd to embody the lyric as best they could, penned in by the venue’s legionnaire-tight seating rows. And the body-rockin’ theme continued when Cody Dickinson undertook his habitual washboard solo, a prime exemplar of Dixie futurism and cosmic Americana which was underpinned by disco drumming from big bruh Luther. The Allstars’ brief set served as a great herald for the New Year and a fine score with which to ease on down the road into 2006.

Alas, the Dickinsons’ hard work was virtually undermined by the interminable set of Phish-free Trey Anastasio. The guitarist and bandleader has certainly earned his bona fides on the jamband circuit and these groups’ Bonnaroo-bred cross-pollination and bonhomie is a welcome sign (although curiously echoing hip-hop nation’s excessive guest-star love fests). Yet Anastasio didn’t belong on this bill, and the show suffered for it. His solo work—described by a friend as “Chicago on speed”—sapped the long night’s energy and flow. The many Black Crowes diehards who escaped to the gate beer mills missed out on Anastasio’s interesting horn section, though. His wonderfully Rubenesque trumpet player sang bluesy backgrounds and occasionally made like the Family Stone’s Cynthia Robinson come again. Overall, the middle section offered too much time to ponder the Garden’s odd space-age architecture where it seemed Esquivel ought to be playing with some obliging symphony—and apparently black televangelist Creflo Dollar, who was ministering to his flock next door—rather than the rockers on hand.

Vitally, a board tape heavy on the James Gang and the underrated Merry Clayton wailing “Poor White Hound Dog” (a classic of weird Americana from my all-time favorite film, Performance) led into The Black Crowes’ long-awaited duo of sets, suggesting that—in Katrina’s wake—frontman Chris Robinson has been meditating on his Southern identity again, something he’s been ambivalent about in the past. Southern hallmarks beyond this signified on the event’s original mission: the massing of fam and friends when the ball dropped, the Allstars joining in on “Will The Circle Be Unbroken,” Robinson’s voice-to-ax call and response with Anastasio on “Hard To Handle,” the Left Coast Horns adding a bit of second-line flava to “Seeing Things” and going to Memphis as a virtual Skynyrd with brass on the aforementioned Otis Redding cover (making us sorely miss the Dirty Dozen Brass Band who ought to have been drafted to sub for MMJ).

No laptops or ill-fitting musicians with punk hair (as Anastasio featured) appeared onstage to disturb the Crowes’ signature groove. True dat: making manifest the nostalgia trip and notions of legacy implied by the ticket slogan “15 years of cosmic rock,” both sets drew heavily from the band’s debut pair of albums, Shake Your Moneymaker and The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion—the evening’s best and most challenging performance being “My Morning Song.” Old-time Crowes junkies were buzzing that the band had played “Beware of Darkness” the previous night in the Bay State, and the sextet seemed to be assiduously avoiding its dark places by only offering the new-dawn twang of Amorica’s “Wiser Time.” Big pimpin’ as a fly Father Time in white-on-white suit featuring a be-furred morning coat, Robinson was in fine form as Lord of Misrule, emphatically declaring after “Sting Me,” “[this is] officially the most rock ’n’ roll place on the planet right now!” Despite a lack of adventure in his medicine show, Robinson sang truth to power on the set’s bookends—“No Speak No Slave” and the Stones’ “Street Fighting Man.” The recall of the Crowes’ earliest back pages may signal a long wait before the appearance of mature music (in the vein of Robinson’s recent solo work) useful to those of us, like myself, who have kept faith with the band on all the years of their journey and are now mired in the Bush of ghosts. Still, the polemics of those two latter-mentioned tunes fulfill rock’s mandate as we brace ourselves for what we hope are brighter days ahead.

After months of speculation, The Black Crowes will finally make their return to the live concert stage with five shows—billed by brothers Chris and Rich Robinson as “All Join Hands”—at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom beginning March 22. These concerts mark the first Black Crowes shows since Oct. 31, 2001.

Tickets are on sale Feb. 5. Each show will feature a special opening guest handpicked by the Robinson Brothers. Group manager Pete Angelus states that these are the only confirmed shows and no future touring plans or dates have been confirmed.

Tour Dates:

March 22 - with John Butler Trio
March 23 - with The Bees
March 25 - with The Soundtrack Of Our Lives
March 26 - with North Mississippi Allstars
March 27 - with Ben Kweller