From Wiser to the Last Time.

Black Crowes at The Fillmore
The Black Crowes
Final Six Shows
December  12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 2010
The Fillmore
San Francisco

The Black Crowes just played their very last shows in the indefinite future. They are happy and are taking time for their families. Like other hard core fans, I am hoping for an eventual return.

I write this blog as I go through the withdrawal of seeing six outrageous shows at the wonderful San Francisco Fillmore. I am going to go over the highlights form my point of view. For complete set lists please see the specific dates on Crowesbase.

Each night featured lots of original tunes, both the more popular as well as the deep favorites, and really nice covers. This tour featured separate acoustic and electric sets and, during these six shows, at least three encores (three on the first five nights and four on the very last night).

Night one (12-12-10) was highlighted by the first of five in a row Wiser Times, for a total of two acoustic and three electric.   “Peace Anyway” and “How Much for Your Wings > Bring On” were my favorites and I was so excited to hear Pink Floyd’s “Fearless” covered.

…I was so excited to hear Pink Floyd’s Fearless

Night two (12-14-10) was highlighted by “Smile”, the Chris and Rich Robinson song not recorded for sale,  the first Wiser Time acoustic of the series, and a very kind threesome of Beatle’s tunes for the encore. Steve Gorman (the main drummer) ended the show with “I Wanna Be Your Man”  (first time played). I was completely swept away as was most of the rest of the crowd. Steve is a big and powerful man who gives his all into drumming and, in this case, singing!

IMG_3897Night three (12-15-10) featured “Little Lizzie Mae”, “Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution”. a very, very jamming “Thorn in My Pride“ (break into “Hey Jude”; this is not mentioned in Crowes base), and “Shake Your Money Maker” as part of the encore.

Night four (12-17-10) was highlighted by a smoking acoustic set beginning with “Good Friday” and “Under A Mountain” and ending with “Hot Burrito #1 & #2,” another jamming “Thorn” and my favorite, “My Morning Song”! Traffic’s “Feeling Alright,” during the electric set, and The Band’s “The Shape I’m In” and “Don’t Do It”, were the covers that night.

On the fifth night (12-18-10) the guys played the most amazing electric set especially starting with the third song, “Cosmic Friend”, and continuing through with “We Who See the Deep”, “Young Man, Old Man”, “I Ain’t Hiding”,  “Ozone Mama”, “Nonficton” and “No Speak, No Slave”. The show ended with the Crosby Stills and Nash song “Ohio”!

The sixth and final show  (12-19-2010) seemed shorter than the others but time-wise was similar. There were less jams but the music was awesome none-the-less. Again the second, electric set, got me the most; in particular the opener, “Space Captain”, followed by “My Morning Song” into “Stare It Cold”.

The show closer, The Rolling Stones “Midnight Rambler” and the final song ever, another Stones, “The Last Time”, were the top covers. I ought to have called that final song had I have thought about it!

Although it is very hard for me to pick my favorite amongst these six shows, I found the show on Wednesday (show three) to be the best as far as the band and crowd. Chris was particularly happy and interactive with the crowd. Even Rich was smiling fairly often. The crowd was much more mellow and no one was pushing. As far as music goes, I have to say that the Friday show, the one with the most obnoxious crowd, ruled for me along with the Tuesday show because of the jamming Thorn in My Pride. The guys really played their hearts out every single night.

[On a side note, The Black Crowes latest addition, a new and second drummer (the Mickey equivalent) Joe Magistro, was a pleasant addition especially to the drum jams of Thorn in My Pride and elsewhere.]

Purchase Black Crowes soundboard downloads:  liveblackcrowes.com/

Audience recordings: 12/12 12/14 12/15 12/17 12/18 12/19

Flickr Black Crowes Group pool slideshow:

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