Hippies and Peace Signs

The Black Crowes were in town last evening. I went to see them with many friends at The Cotillion Ballroom, which I must admit is my favorite venue in town to see a show. I think it's the intimacy of the place, the fact that you have tables to sit and visit, but a large enough floor to pack with room to dance. Of course, you do have to burn your clothing when you get home because you can never get the smell of cigarette smoke out of them, but a small price to pay for a great night of music.

Now, some were turned off that the Crowes are not on a "best of " tour. They are sticking to music from their latest CD, Warpaint, plus some slightly lesser known tunes from early ventures (my favorite was "Sister Luck") and an encore that consisted of cover tunes. But, when you have a band of such talent and musicianship, they could've played all covers or all new songs never before released and I would have been content.

If you are a fan and familiar with BC, then you know what to expect. Scraggly hair, long beards, faded t-shirts, peace flags, and peace signs. And, great music. The only "hit" they played was Remedy, which rocked and grooved. In the local Wichita Eagle, the journalist sent to review the show, obviously not a Crowes fan. He just didn't get it. He waited inpatiently for the radio-hits and when they never came he proceeded to downgrade the band and the show. I won't even bother to put a link here to his article because it's not worth the effort.

I liked that they didn't bust out hit after hit. Sometimes I wonder how these bands do it. I mean, how many times can Steven Tyler belt out Dream On? Doesn't he just want to slit his wrists? How many times can Dave Matthews perform "Crash?" I know I could go without hearing it for the next decade, I'm sure he wouldn't mind omitting it from the songlist. I know, I know...we pay good money to hear the songs we know, the songs that "put them on the music map." But, my friend Rhea likened it to going to a current art exhibit by a painter who has been painting for 15-20 years, and asking why the portrait of the "Lady in Purple with Flower" is not displayed, the one that put him on the art map right out of grad. school. We don't expect the painter to continue painting "Lady in Purple," so why do we expect musicians to play the same songs every show?

Many would not agree, but that's okay. I understand. All I know is that the Black Crowes gave me the show I expected and didn't expect and I still danced, I still grooved, I still smiled, and I still rocked. And isn't that what it's really about? So, for those suffering from old school Crowes withdrawal, one of my favorites...enjoy...Thorn in My Pride