Concert Photos: Black Crowes Pump Up the Volume at MGM Northfield

Atlanta-formed Black Crowes made a tour stop at the MGM Northfield on Friday night in support of their new album Happiness Bastards. Forming in 1984 while founding members Chris and Rich Robinson were still in high school, the outfit released their first album, Shake Your Money Maker, in 1989.

While lineup changes have been a staple of the band since its first album release, the current eight-person lineup sees the Robinsons as the only consistent members.

Friday night’s stop in Northeast Ohio was the loudest show I’ve been to in quite a while. The amped-up guitars made up for some muddy vocals; whether this mix was intentional or not remains to be seen. The octet offered eighteen tunes in an almost-two hour set, finally encoring with “Virtue and Vice” from 1999’s By Your Side.

Drawing four tunes each from their bookending albums, the night was filled with entries equally from Shake Your Money Maker and Happiness Bastards.

Frontman Chris Robinson displayed a Jagger swagger as he strutted across the stage while swinging the mic stand. His hands-on-hips, outstretched back stance really aped the Stones’ leader. Brother Rich stood stoically to Chris’ left, answering the call when needed.

Offering their most popular tunes late in the set, the audience went apeshit when the opening riffs to the Otis Redding cover “Hard to Handle” started. Following that up with “She Talks to Angels,” the second half of the show really amped up the already-ear shattering decibel level.

A surprise inclusion was a Rockabilly-fused version of Faces’ “Stay With Me.” In sticking to their Southern Rock roots, it was the highlight of the night; the plinky roadhouse piano work was a refreshing take on the ’70s tune.

Wrapping up the night with “Jealous Again” and “Remedy,” the band came back for a one-song encore, “Virtue and Vice.”