Seeing rockstars over time can be difficult. People age, voices age, and energy levels decrease. After last night’s kickoff to the Shake Your Money Maker Tour in Nashville, I’m convinced The Black Crowes have found the rock ‘n’ roll fountain of youth.
The band opened their tour at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater on a beautiful and breezy summer night. Dirty Honey got the crowd warmed up with a killer rockin’ set complete with strong vocals and a lot of talented musicians (moral of the story – get there early to check them out if you see this tour).
Shortly after the sunset over the Nashville skyline, The Black Crowes took the stage which was designed to look like a vintage bar. Kids played the stage jukebox and band members enjoyed cocktails with the bartender as the crowd’s excitement grew.
That excitement was palpable as they started with the album’s opener, “Twice as Hard.” Chris Robinson proclaimed, “Music City is Rock ‘n’ Roll City tonight” as they rolled on with the setlist. “Jealous Again,” “Sister Luck” and “Could I’ve Been So Blind” kept things going before the band took us to what can only be described as a rock ‘n’ roll gospel show with “Seeing Things.”
As expected, “Hard to Handle” got a massive reaction from the Ascend crowd with folks singing loudly and dancing in their seats. People knew every word — a feat that’s impressive if you know the chorus. But what I found most impressive was the respect they showed for the song’s original songwriter, Otis Redding. They dedicated it to “Big O,” which garnered an even bigger response from music fans.
“She Talks to Angels” sounded as beautiful as ever with Chris’ timeless voice but the show wasn’t over yet. There were still several songs to go and then an encore of “Remedy.” It was certainly a night to remember in Rock ‘n’ Roll City.
If you’re in Nashville, The Black Crowes have an encore performance at Ascend tonight (July 21) before embarking on the rest of the tour. Get tickets and see the full tour schedule here.
