The Black Crowes
After Hours Pavilion at The Meadow Event Park in Doswell, Virginia
Sept. 8, 2023

On Friday night, the Black Crowes took a quick break from the Aerosmith farewell tour and played a solo gig at The Meadow Event Park in Doswell, Virginia.

Back in 1990, the party hard frivolity of the ’80s hair bands like Motley Crue, Poison, and Ratt was coming to an end; they just didn’t realize it.

In the green woods of the Pacific northwest, a new musical behemoth had begun to stir, and it would relegate most of the hair bands to the trash heap, almost overnight. Called grunge by magazine writers and critics, it would quickly take over the music world.

But meanwhile down in Georgia, two brothers who were more influenced by the likes of The Faces, Rod Stewart, and The Rolling Stones decided to release the first album by their band, The Black Crowes. That album, Shake Your Money Maker, would go on to sell over five million copies in the United States and let the music world know that there was more than just grunge to listen to out there. The Black Crowes became known for their energetic and soulful live shows and the band developed a reputation for delivering passionate and dynamic performances that often included extended jam sessions and improvisational elements.

The band released nine studio albums over the years, as well as multiple EPs, live albums, and compilations.

Their concerts typically featured a mix of their hit songs, like “Twice As Hard,” “She Talks to Angels,” “Jealous Again,” and “Hard To Handle” and deep cuts from their catalog, like “Only A Fool,” “Lickin’,” and “Thick n’ Thin.”

In 2021, after several line up changes and hiatus over the years, the estranged Robinson brothers reconciled and announced that the Black Crowes were going out on a tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of Shake Your Money Maker. The tour was very successful.

The Black Crowes revealed that they are currently writing new songs. To tide fans over until the new music is available, they released an EP of covers of some of their favorite songs, called 1972. The band is currently touring with Aerosmith on that bands final farewell tour.

A clear, yet humid evening got under way when the band took the stage on Sept. 8 and started their show with “No Speak No Slave” and “Sting Me” — both tracks from their second album, 1992’s The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion. (Back in 1992, the album set a record with four No. 1 rock hits and the album itself reached the top of the Billboard 200 album charts.)

A couple of tracks from their debut followed — “Twice As Hard” and “Thick n’ Thin.” The majority of the night’s mellow setlist was made up of tracks from the band’s first two albums with a smattering of cuts from across the rest of their discography. Fan favorites “Hard to Handle” and “Hotel Illness” along with “Wiser Time” and “My Morning Song” kept the party moving.

Watch the official music video for “Hard to Handle” by The Black Crowes on YouTube:

The well-behaved crowd cheered when the opening acoustic strains of “She Talks to Angels” drifted through the humid air and started dancing in the aisles when the next song, “Jealous Again,” rang out into the night.

The main set then concluded with “Remedy” — another popular track from the Southern Harmony album. An encore of “Rocks Off,” a song by current tourmates The Rolling Stones, brought the whole enjoyable show to a close.

The Black Crowes consist of brothers Chris and Rich Robinson, on vocals and guitar respectively, as well as long-time bassist Sven Pipien. They are joined by newcomers Nico Bereciartua on guitar, Cully Symington on drums, and Erik Deutsch on keyboards. Backing vocals are provided by the lovely duo of Mackenzie Adams and Leslie Grant.

Setlist

1. No Speak No Slave
2. Sting Me
3. Twice As Hard
4. Thick n’ Thin
5. Hotel Illness
6. By Your Side
7. My Morning Song
8. Hard to Handle
9. Oh Josephine
10. Wiser Time
11. Thorn in My Pride
12. She Talks to Angels
13. Jealous Again
14. Remedy

Encore:
15. Rocks Off (Rolling Stones cover)

Here are some photos of The Black Crowes performing at the After Hours Pavilion at The Meadow Event Park in Doswell, Virginia, on Sept. 8, 2023. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Mike Sprouse, Odd Rocker Photography.