The Black Crowes at The Fox Theatre [Photos]

Last week, hometown heroes the Black Crowes played a set at the Fox Theatre here in Atlanta. Led by brothers Chris and Rich Robinson, the band careened through a 16-song set that included “Twice as Hard,” “She Talks to Angels,” “Follow the Moon” and “Jealous Again.” Recently, the duo put out Happiness Bastards, their first studio album in 15 years. Speaking about the album, critic Eric R. Danton wrote that it was a “respectable collection of bluesy rockers that showcase the brothers’ strengths: Rich Robinson has always had a distinctive sound on guitar, while Chris Robinson’s charisma as a frontman remains undiminished.” “It’s gratifying that Chris and Rich Robinson have found their way back to a fruitful creative partnership,” Danton continued. “If they can make it last, the next step is to relax a little bit.”

We also profiled the Robinson brothers in anticipation of the album’s release. Critic Madelyn Dawson wrote that Happiness Bastards is “The interaction between sound and movement, sonic and physical energy pushes the Crowes to keep moving—even when they are standing on the stage with their instruments. ‘I dance a lot on stage, and that was one of the things that made me different in 1990,’ Chris laughs. ‘It’s funny, it’s still the thing that probably makes me different today. I’m in a place where I feel like doing this again and I want to get on stage and I want to look a certain way and I want to move a certain way and I want to sound a certain way.’”

“And at the end of the day, that is what sets the Black Crowes apart—they do rock ‘n’ roll the way they want to,” Dawson continued. “When Chris opens his mouth or when Rich runs his fingers along the fretboard, magic comes out. It’s natural, ageless and worth defending forever. ‘I don’t believe in forcing things.’ Rich says. ‘I just write the songs that I like and what comes sounds like me, and what comes out of Chris’s mouth sounds like him. It’s cool—no matter what you do, you will always sound like yourself.’ It’s as simple as that.”

You can see pictures from the Black Crowes’ set at Fox Theatre on April 3rd, taken by Donny Evans, below.