Review by Adam Icculus
Last night The Chris Robinson Brotherhood rolled into town for a sold out show at Boston’s Paradise Rock Club. The venue was jam packed and the vibe was on point for a southern rock throw down.
After hitting the stage to a thunderous applause Chris Robinson, a native of Marietta, Georgia joked with the Boston crowd about the frigid temperatures (clearly he’s not used to a New England fall) before kicking off the show with a Frank Motley cover of “Try Rock & Roll”. The first set was solid, composed mostly of blues rock tunes, including a few from the Black Crowes song book and an excellent cover of Aretha Franklin’s “Do Right Women, Do Right Man”. The first set closed on a high note with ripping 12+ min version of “Tulsa Yesterday”, which left the crowd buzzing and laid the foundation for what was to come.
After a thirty minute break in which the CRB members hit the tour bus (for whatever Band’s do on tour buses), the second set started and the mood and feel of the band transformed from blues rock to cosmic psychedelic american stoner rock. This was hands down one of the best sets of music I’ve seen all year. I was blown away by the ripping guitar solos and loved CRB’s heavily Grateful Dead-influenced jams. Highlights of the second set were the band’s cover of the Dead’s “West L.A. Fadeaway” and a 15+ min “Rosalee” which closed out the second set.
After a short break the band came back on stage for the encore. Chris thanked the packed Boston crowd and the band finished the night with “Tumbleweed in Eden” and “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues” (Bob Dylan).
On the way out of the venue, I heard a lot of people saying that it was one of the best Chris Robinson shows they had seen in years. My thoughts exactly.
If you love blues rock, with some Dead influences and psychedelic jams you should make a point of hitting one of their upcoming shows.
SETLIST: Chris Robinson Brotherhood @ Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA || Thursday, November 8, 2012
Set One:
1. Try Rock & Roll (Frank Motley)
2. Jump the Turnstile
3. Mother of Stone (The New Earth Mud)
4. Tornado (Black Crowes)
5. Goodby Wheeling (Pam Tillis)
6. Roll Old Jeremiah (Black Crowes)
7. Do Right Women, Do Right Man (Aretha Franklin)
8. Tulsa Yesterday
Set Two:
1. Meanwhile In The Gods
2. Tomorrow Blues
3. One Hundred Days of Rain
4. Sunday Sound
5. West L.A. Fadeaway (Grateful Dead)
6. Vibration & Light Suite
7. Silver Car (The New Earth Mud)
8. Rosalee
Encore:
1. Tumbleweed in Eden
2. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues (Bob Dylan)
