Robinson Brothers Shed Band For Acoustic Run

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Chris and Rich Robinson's Acoustic "Brothers of a Feather," seen Friday at Jazz @ Lincoln Center

By Ian Rice
Arts and Lifestyle Editor


There have been relatively few truly magical moments in rock n' roll since its inception nearly five decades ago, relatively speaking. Given the amount of acts flooding the market over the aformentioned time period, the number of truly mesmerizing and legendary performances that have transpired is comparatively small. There was the original Woodstock Festival, the high-watermark of the '60s generation; there was Bill Graham's renown Fillmore venues, which provided the setting for landmark performances on each coast (including those by The Allman Brothers Band, Jimi Hendrix' Band of Gypsies and a slue of other notables); there was the infamous Beatles concert on the Apple Rooftop, a short performance that briefly ended the band's four year stint of concert absence; there was the first performace of Dylan with an electric band, ending his folk period and beginning what would be his most prolific period to date. All of these and select others culminate to make rock and roll history, with precious few entries into the canon over the course of the last twenty years. But Chris and Rich Robinson's all-acoustic "Brothers of a Feather" tour made a solid addition to the list with their performance at Manhattan's Jazz at Lincoln Center this past Friday evening.


Opening with the wonderfully bittersweet "Good Friday," (appropriate, considering it was Good Friday), the Black Crowes founders launched into what would become perhaps the most inspired performance of their career. Rolling through a set that included some of their best officially released material mixed in with obscure fan favorites and expertly-selected covers, the Robinsons (and occasionally bassist Sven Pipien) never ceased to amaze and always surpassed the mark. Some of the most interesting moments in the set came when the Robinsons performed a selection from their respective solo outings, giving each other a chance to add their personal touch to the material they created outside of The Black Crowes. Most noteworthy of these performances was "Girl On the Mountain," a phenomenal track from Chris Robinson's 2004 effort, This Magnificent Distance, which found Rich Robinson adding some breathtakingly melodic lead guitar parts.


What makes the "Brothers of a Feather" tour such a success (aside from the performance itself) is the basic principle behind it: it is a tour for the faithful fans, those that have stuck by the band and its members through every facet of their careers. Why else would the Robinsons dust off semi-retired originals such as "Thunderstorm 6:54 PM" and "Wyoming and Me" (both unreleased tracks that made their way to the hearts of the fans via bootlegs) and fan-favorite covers such as "Boomer's Story" if they weren't trying to cater to their most loyal diehards? "Brothers of a Feather" isn't trying to win new fans, it's trying to reward those already won.


The best moments of Friday night's show came with the Robinsons' introduction of two recently-written new numbers, "Late Nights Again" and "Cut From the Shadow." Both songs demonstrate that the brothers can still write wonderful songs and leave listeners chomping at the bit for a new studio album. If their rumored forthcoming album contains either of these songs and any others like them, it is bound to be the album of the year.


"Brothers of a Feather" is certainly a sight to behold and a sound to endear. Although there are only eleven dates booked for the tour, if Friday's show is any indication, they will go down in rock and roll history as some of the greatest performances ever played.