Let Your Love Light Shine!

The five night love fest at the San Francisco Fillmore, which were also the last shows of the "Euphoria or Bust" tour with The Black Crowes, ended Saturday night, December 20, with a sold-out crowd helping lead singer Chris Robinson celebrate his 42nd birthday. Many fans down in front tried singing Happy Birthday when the band took the stage at 9:30, but they were quickly drowned out by the opener, Feelin' Alright (the Dave Mason-penned song for Traffic but made more famous by Joe Cocker). The Crowes have not played the song live since 1997, and the fans roared their collective approval. (My husband and I had been tipped off by a Fillmore employee before the show started, who told us the band played Feelin' Alright at the sound check.)

Luther Dickinson showcased a blazing lead guitar solo on the High Head Blues jam. I had called Space Captain, a cover originally found on Mad Dogs and Englishmen with Joe Cocker and Leon Russell (a favorite of mine when I was in high school). Keyboard player Adam MacDougall got to shine with a solo on electric piano on Descending.

After the rollicking barrelhouse honky tonk of Downtown Money Waster, the ensuing jam soon gave way to the familiar Bo Diddley beat, and we were treated to Diddley's song Mona, but the Crowes performed the more psychedelic version associated with 1960s San Francisco band Quicksilver Messenger Service. Polly was another highlight of the night (found on Sweetheart of the Rodeo by the Byrds, and recently recorded by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss), featuring soulful vocal harmonies by brothers Chris and Rich Robinson. Rarely played Feathers kept with the "wings" theme, and at the opening chords of Remedy, the Fillmore contained enough rockin' energy to launch a freak-powered space ship.

As the band took their bows after playing for a solid two hours, Chris playfully elbowed his younger brother Rich while the entire band soaked up the love. My husband and I had been tipped off by another Fillmore employee before the show that Phil Lesh was at the Fillmore with his custom bass, so we knew he would join the Crowes for the encore (we even called two of the three encore songs).

Bay Area native Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead, introduced by Chris as "the Governor of California", joined the band for classic Dead tunes Sugaree, Cold Rain and Snow, and New Speedway Boogie (which was written about the debacle at Altamont in 1969). Bassist Sven Pipien switched to acoustic guitar during the three song encore (hidden behind Chris in the photo above). Just four years ago at this time, we saw Phil Lesh & Friends for three nights at the Warfield in San Francisco, featuring Chris Robinson on lead vocals.

After almost three hours (170 minutes) of screaming guitars and thundering drums, the show was finally over. Rich threw a handful of guitar picks out to the crowd. Earlier, after a harmonica solo, Chris gave the harmonica to a fan down in front. After the band left the stage, roadies gave out tambourines, harmonicas, drum sticks, and set lists to a lucky few.

Setlist, Saturday, December 20, 2008 (thank you, CrowesBase!):

Feelin' Alright

Stare It Cold

High Head Blues -> Jam

Space Captain

Seeing Things

Young Man, Old Man

Let Me Share The Ride

Descending

Downtown Money Waster -> Jam ->

Mona ->

Take Off From The Future ->

Thorn In My Pride

Polly

Oh Josephine

Feathers

Movin' On Down The Line

Remedy

- encore -

Sugaree

Cold Rain And Snow

New Speedway Boogie

Set Your Mind To Fly

Man, it's been about an hour and a half since the Friday night Black Crowes Fillmore show ended, and my ears are still ringing. Another smokin' excellent show. I am running out of superlatives, and I have yet another show tomorrow night. Wow. I don't want it to end.

Highlights: Two songs my husband Joe and I really wanted to hear; Horsehead and Can't You Hear Me Knockin'. I love the Stones, but the Crowes totally kick ass over the original. Rarities Bewildered (not played live since 1993) and Title Song were treats. The Hard to Handle jam was superb.

Comin' Home, another cover from Bonnie & Delaney and Friends with Eric Clapton....Chris singing the refrain from the Beatles' I Am The Walrus ("smoke pot, smoke pot, everybody smoke pot") out of the Wounded Bird jam, which featured a blazing guitar solo by Luther Dickinson. During God's Got It, drummer Steve Gorman pounded a bass drum with the image of lame duck President Bush's face on the side of it, complete with black eye, bruised forehead, and missing teeth. I was highly amused.

Two hours of rock & roll bliss, and we have one more night to go. I was given a card to fill out for Chris's birthday tomorrow. A couple of gals will collect them to give to Chris, and we are all going to sing Happy Birthday to him. We'll see how that goes on Saturday night.

Setlist, Friday, December 19, 2008 (thanks to CrowesBase):

Cursed Diamond
Horsehead
Goodbye Daughters Of The Revolution
Hotel Illness
Comin' Home
Under A Mountain Jam ->
Bring On, Bring On
Girl From A Pawnshop
Girl From The North Country
Good Friday
Title Song
Bewildered
Soul Singing
Hard To Handle -> Jam
Wounded Bird
- encore -
God's Got It
Can't You Hear Me Knocking

If You Feel Like A Riot, Don't You Deny It

The Fillmore, San Francisco, Thursday evening, December 18, 2008. Another fan-fucking-tastic night of high energy freak & roll music from The Black Crowes. What a delight to hear Exit open the show; according to CrowesBase, they haven't played the song live since 8/25/95. The night's setlist was another nicely crafted mix of old, rare, new, and cover tunes, running from about 8:35 until about 10:40 p.m.

My favorite covers of the night were Do Right Woman, Do Right Man (Gram Parsons' version), Lowell George's Willin', and Poor Elijah (Eric Clapton with Bonnie & Delaney and Friends). Thursday night had a bit of a country flavor, and both Rich and Sven wore Nudie's style embellished western shirts, which helped set the mood.

12/18/08 setlist, courtesy of CrowesBase.com:

Exit
No Speak No Slave
Cypress Tree
Evil Eye
Walk Believer Walk
Nonfiction -> Jam
Peace Anyway ->
Wiser Time
There's Gold In Them Hills
Wyoming And Me
Do Right Woman, Do Right Man
Another Roadside Tragedy
Sting Me
My Morning Song
Jealous Again
- encore -
Willin'
Poor Elijah - Tribute To Johnson (Medley)


Chris Robinson played acoustic guitar on Do Right Woman, Do Right Man.

Let It All Ride!

Tuesday, December 16 was the second night of The Black Crowes San Francisco Fillmore run. And a very cold night it was, waiting outside in line behind the flagpole next to the post office, behind the Fillmore Auditorium. Those who were not prepared with winter clothing and accessories were in a world of hurt.

But the sacrifice was well worth it. Highlights of Tuesday's show for me were an inspired Gone; a soulful P. 25 London; and Dirty Hair Halo from the Tall/Amorica sessions, which was not played live until recent years.

Drummer Steve Gorman came down to stage front playing a silver djembe on Whoa Mule. It was nice to hear Wheels, the Gram Parsons/Chris Hillman song that The Flying Burrito Brothers recorded. Wee Who See The Deep segued into a Grateful Dead-inspired space jam into a drum solo, and more jamming into Thorn In My Pride. I love watching Chris Robinson do his bouncy hippie-rocker strut.

The Crowes dug deep into their early catalog for hits Twice As Hard, Sister Luck, Remedy, and Shake Your Money Maker, which were big crowd pleasers. The last song of the encore was Let's Go Get Stoned, which was probably the after show activity of choice of many of those in attendance. This lineup of the band is in fine form, and the Tuesday night crowd was very receptive and enthusiastic, not to mention slightly drunk. (The free posters given out after the shows feature some appropriately psychedelic artwork...nice.)

Setlist, Tuesday, December 16, 2008, courtesy of The CrowesBase:

Wounded Bird
Gone
Twice As Hard
Thick N' Thin
P.25 London
Evergreen
Dirty Hair Halo
Sister Luck
Whoa Mule
Losing My Mind
Wheels
Wee Who See The Deep ->
Take Off From The Future ->
Spider In The Sugar Bowl Blues Tease ->
Thorn In My Pride
Oh Josephine
Remedy
- encore -
Shake Your Money Maker
Sometimes Salvation
Let's Go Get Stoned