Happy impending New Years to all my fellow CRBeings! The previous Almanac entry was scheduled to be the final of 2016, but this week I have been literally overwhelmed by the kindness and love of our little Cosmic Community. So much so that I couldn’t listen any longer without sharing my thoughts on the music one more time. Especially when the “inspiration moves me brightly”. Combine our congregations heart with the Terrapin set we got last night and I just had to shine one more light during this calendar year. The June 15th, 2016 show is a very special one for me and one of those nights and recordings that just had that little something special that we can’t explain. Little jams into and out of songs. A lick or riff played a touch differently that spins the music off into a new and exciting direction. This show is full of those and is, for me, a standout of the summer tour. Down the rabbit hole we slide……
The set starts with Tony and his cardiac kick, announcing the power of Leave My Guitar Alone, which was fairly new at the time. Sort of like a “Shakedown” opener, I really dig this one getting a show off and moving. Sending notice, along with that California message to the faithful. Neal needed no warm up or easing in tonight, leading the way with a nice solo right out of the gate. Jump The Turnstile was where, now looking back, you can see the fluidity of the set begin. The way they move from the body of the song into the big come-back section when Adam starts firing away is something no other band can do. The looming vibe of Forever As the Moon takes over, and like a season in hell, this song has a weight to it live that goes far beyond just storytelling. Only to be lifted by what’s becoming a mantra of sorts within our Freak Family, “anyway you love, we know how you feel”. The struggle between the light and the dark, represented perfectly by this band. The Byrds-esque Shadow Cosmos comes along next with all the airy sense of summer, and the pull of love and pain. Neal’s steel guitar sounding passages color this song and transport me back into 1971 Bakersfield. I can see the clothing and cars of the era so vividly in my mind when listening, and isn’t that what the best songs can do? Transport us to a time and place, even one we have no feel or frame of reference for. It’s one of the bands masterpieces. And this version is studio clean. Flawless. The set picks back up with The Musics Hot and the whole hall was bopping in unison. The rhythm section laying down a serious groove and Jeff especially shining. 100 Days Of Rain falls perfectly next. The crowd settling in softly as the first notes tumble down. Adam delivers some Pacific Standard Time keys over this song that isn’t nearly as frequent these past few tours. Little things like this make each show unique and the bands live catalog endlessly fascinating to me. We get a big shimmering ending from Neal and “Raisin”. Bless you Scott Walker! They move effortless into the next groove as we dance down to Dixieland with The Coasters cover, I’m A Hog For You! Lots of New Orleans fans in the crowd for this one and smiles were found on every face. Then we lean heavy into the rainbow of sounds radiating from our Wizard as we charge into a set closing Shore Power. Moving extra fast with CR and his chugging rhythm overdriving his Divided By 13, giving it that nice extra grit. The bands backing vocals echoing our captains raps as they call the first half break in our southern gospel revival aboard this CRB space station!
~setbreak~
The Brotherhood returns to the stage with the late night saunter and sleaze of the 69′ Stones, Let It Bleed. They summon that Mississippi honky-tonk sound perfectly and you can almost hear the cigarette pulls and clink of beer bottles. Neal with all the warble of a Ry Cooder slide courtesy of his Mr B and the Ian Stewart of our Southern Spaceship, Mr MacDougall laying the boogie on thick! Ain’t It Hard But Fair bounds forward with the spotlight shining brightly on Tony and Jeff who fall into the pocket early and never leave. Taking us right into the big CR soul section that is the vocal equivalent of the rhythm and groove. They carry this right into Dylan’s, It’s All Over Now Baby Blue. Again, Tony with that rolling beat that’s so infectious it pulls the entire band in as they effortlessly tear through this classic. Now comes one of those pieces I spoke about at the start. A performance that doesn’t have a lot of differences from others that can be pointed out on charts. But little things here and there spark something with one band member, and the domino effect takes place with psychedelic consequences at every turn. This is a MONSTER Meanwhile In The Gods! At nearly 15 minutes it’s given all the room to breathe, and turns into a freak-prog propelled rocket! This begins the heart of the second set, and show in my opinion. The signature strut gives way to endless expansion of expression. As magic spells leave us dancing from peak to peak on the wings of Neal’s searching and seeking solos. He and Adam engage in one of their awe inducing battles while the band swings in perfect time and tune. Another smooth piano sequence takes us directly into California Hymn. The gospel glory is peaking at this point and the entire hall is levitating in the medicated magic coming from the stage. You can hear them claiming witness with hands held high! “Glory Hallelujah it’s time to spread the news!!!” Want to hear a beaming ecliptic Beggars Moon with a jovial intro jam?? Get this show and listen!! A full band bluesy jam into the first chorus that they take their time with. Folks, we are wading in the wonder at this point and whichever way the Brotherhoods tide pulls, we happily go. “Groovin’ and loose”. Rolling like that old man river not far from the courthouse doors, “Overboard in New Orleans”! We find Narcissus in its late second set home, giving everyone one last therapeutic shot to dance any of our troubles away. CR delivering some melodic harmonica solos, weaving between Adam and Neal’s funky exploits. They could easily have called it an evening but nobody gets off this train that easy. They hammer us with one of the biggest and baddest Hard To Handles of the tour. Tearing through the rock and roll and getting straight to that psychedelic sensibility with soul we LOVE! Listen to Adam and CR doing a little call and response section here. The definition of bringing the house down!
They return for what I believe was the only second Rabbit Fighter. The CRB bringing the weird and wonderful world of T Rex into lots of people’s lives. Like so many of the greats before them, not only wearing their influences, but showing them to us! Grab this show at the link to help you boogie and sway into the New Year! Or it makes a great cure for tomorrows blues if you are staying in bed licking your rock and roll wounds! I want to say once again what a true pleasure it’s been being some tiny part of this world and community we have developed around the band. The past year has brought so many amazing, caring and kind people into my life who I love and now call dear, true friends. It’s been a soul swelling and humbling experience to put it mildly. This is a relatively small world we are all cultivating around the Brotherhood, so let’s continue to lookout, help and nurture one another with compassion and most important of all LOVE! Remember Freaks, there’s no winner without it! Happy New Years and Freak On brothers and sisters!!
Check out our gallery from this night here : https://ravensreelsalmanac.net/catching-dreams/live-on-stage/nggallery/2016/6-15-16—Duling-Hall—Jackson,-MS
#crb #chrisrobinsonbrotherhood #letthecrbsetyoufree #crbismagic#freaktransmissionsc #crbeings #spaceisonthephone ✌️️👁
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Chris Robinson Brotherhood
6/15/2016
Dulling Hall
Jackson, Mississippi
SET ONE:
Leave My Guitar Alone
Jump The Turnstile
Forever As The Moon
Shadow Cosmos
The Music’s Hot
100 Days Of Rain
I’m A Hog For You
Shore Power
SET TWO:
Let It Bleed
Ain’t It Hard But Fair
It’s All Over Now
Baby Blue
Meanwhile In The Gods
California Hymn
Beggar’s Moon
Narcissus Soaking Wet
Hard To Handle
ENCORE:
Rabbit Fighter
