By: David Schultz

Right about the midway point of their first of three shows at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom, The Black Crowes became a full fledged jamband. With lead singer Chris Robinson pitching in on guitar, his brother Rich Robinson and Luther Dickinson ambled down “Shakedown Street” with a Grateful Dead influenced jam, moved full steam into a lengthy section based around “Bo Diddley” and toyed with some “Third Stone From The Sun” cascades before easing into “Thorn In My Pride.” In total, the Crowes’ fanciful flight lasted for nearly half an hour and their glorious execution of the various segueways tipped their hand that we weren’t dealing with any rookies here. Never ones to shy from extending a song to its limit, Monday night’s session crossed the line that separates bands who like to add a little relish to a song from those who take it wherever it may lead. It may have irked those who prefer a more song-oriented setlist but for those who found great joy in the extended odysseys of the Grateful Dead, this version of The Black Crowes was simply nirvana.

While the Crowes didn’t exactly repeat the feat the next night, they did demonstrate a serious bent towards pushing the boundaries of their songs. On Monday, “Thorn In My Pride” veered askew before triumphantly returning home and on Tuesday night, “My Morning Song” similarly digressed. Dickinson, the newest Crowe by way of the North Mississippi Allstars, sits at the center of the Crowes free-form resurgence, resuming the same easy interplay with Rich Robinson that they had while playing together in Circle Sound. Well past the feeling out process, Dickinson handled the majority of the guitar leads, adding his own take to Crowe standards like “Sister Luck” and “Twice As Hard.” Dickinson lights a feisty fire under the Robinson brothers and is pushing the Crowes to playing their most vital rock and roll in years.

Owing in part to the release of Warpaint, their first new studio album in seven years, the Crowes are reinvigorated. In line with Lions and Three Snakes And A Charm, Warpaint’s bongwater soaked rock and roll takes on new life when the Crowes play them live. For Tuesday night’s show, they emerged to Adam McDougall’s sustained “Rain Song” keyboard riff to “Movin’ On Down The Line” with Robinson softly crooning that “it’s alright sisters, it’s alright, brothers.” Rather than sounding like a throwaway intro to a song, it served as a benediction, welcoming the assembly to the rebirth of a band that’s stayed true to their beliefs and followed their own muse, even when it removed them from the mainstream. Over the first two nights, “Walk Believer Walk” moved with a mighty stomping beat as did “God’s Got It,” for which Steve Gorman came to the front of the stage with don a gigantic marching band bass drum. “Locust Street” and “Wounded Bird,” a song with which they seem particularly enamored, had that smoldering fervor that fueled the Crowes early work and “Goodbye Daughters Of The Revolution” and “Oh, Josephine” simply rocked.

Dancing like a hairier and more agile version of Mick Jagger, Chris Robinson exudes the aura of the old school rock and roll singers. While it didn’t show on the quick runs through older material like their cover of Otis Redding’s “Hard To Handle,” Robinson is hardly bored with the Crowes’ standards. On warhorses like “No Speak No Slave,” “Sometimes Salvation” and “Jealous Again,” Robinson commits himself and delivers with the same conviction as he did nearly two decades ago. Even after all this time, those songs still resonate with meaning and when he’s feeling the spirit, Robinson invokes the gospel like no other singer.

Chris Robinson’s memory notwithstanding, the Crowes historic run of shows at the Hammerstein in 2005 was memorable as most people never expected to see the Crowes reunite. After three years on the road playing for their ever-loyal fans, the Crowes returning to the Hammerstein for another memorable run as as one of the world’s most vital and essential rock and roll bands was equally unexpected.

Labels: Live Reviews, The Black Crowes