The Chris Robinson Brotherhood
Bijou Theater – Knoxville, Tennessee
June 28, 2015
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Photo by Randy Patterson |
What do you get if you take the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynard, blend them all together and put Chris Robinson in as lead singer?
The Chris Robinson Brotherhood.
And what do you get if you put said Brotherhood in Knoxville’s beautiful and intimate Bijou Theater?
A full and enthusiastic house.
The band started precisely on time and blew the crowd away for an amazing two set night. From the opening tune (Roy Brown’s “Good Rockin’ Tonight) to the encore (a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Memphis, Tennessee”), Robinson and crew had the crowd on their feet and eating out of his hands the entire night. From hippies to yuppies, every member of the audience was thoroughly enjoying everything the band played.
Arguable the most well-received tune of the night was the band’s delivery of “Star or Stoned”. If Robinson didn’t own the crowd before that song, he certainly did after. As far as I’m concerned, that song, alone, was worth the price of admission. Whether measured by the number of songs performed or the length of the show, Robinson delivered supreme musical and financial value for the price of admission.
I’ve got to give special notice to Neal Casal’s guitar work. I could sit and listen to that guy’s versatile playing forever. Y’all gotta check him out. He’s that good!
As for those who might say, “well, it ain’t the Black Crowes,” I would say, “duh.” The CRB is a completely different band with a completely different vibe and sound. If you love good ol’ rock n’ roll along with a jazz/jam band sound, The Chris Robinson Brotherhood is well worth your investment of time and money. I can’t wait to see them again!
