“Time to dance like children on our diamond tears.” Solana Beach has long been known for its incredible breaks and as a surfing destination. One I’m sure our very own Neal Casal knows well. Just North of San Diego, the CRB rode into town letting it all hang out in December of 2012 (12/5/2012). Just a few days from the now famous 5 night run at the Great American Music Hall (Betty’s Blends Vol. 1) the Brotherhood had it all clicking and it showed up in spades on this evening. I hadn’t revisited this show until just a few nights ago but when I did I was so blown away I haven’t stopped listening to it since. It’s literally been on repeat for days. Besides the stellar performance, it also happens to be one of the best sounding Ravens Reels of them all. This is a night when it all aligned and an arrow from the western sky found its mark. Go ahead and hit the link and get this on it ways in some format. It’s an all timer.
There are little things that can signal early that a show is going to be special. It could be as simple as a riff that’s hit with a little extra force or a jam that usually comes deeper into the show. Or, like here, it can take the form of a really BIG version of a song early in the first set. After a rousing Try Rock N’ Roll opener they dive head first into an expanded Tulsa. The heavy rolling bass line serves as firm footing for a band seemingly testing their limits early. When Neal hits the rapid fire solo in the back half of the song he’s met by Adam and they weave in and out of the rhythm, snaking through the jam like water through a valley toward the sea. Nothing gets too far out of hand but it’s just all played a little tighter and a little funkier. This is a theme that runs throughout the entire show. It’s played with an almost studio session like perfection. But they’ve all got that little edge that keeps you wondering which direction they may explode into next. And there are blissful moments when they actually do. A quick shuffle through Goodbye Wheeling that would make Mel Tillis proud sets up a powerful Badlands. This is a cinematic whirlwind tour, powered by a wobbling organ sound that alters the mood perfectly. This was pre-Phosphorescent Harvest days so it’s really cool to hear what a fully formed beast this song was right from the start. Our very grounded mid western tinged set continues with Roll Over Jeremiah. Always excited to see this one show up and it dances along nicely with a bluesy little exit path, slowing things down in preparation for what’s to come. The downshift complete, the band glides into the soulful Aretha Franklin classic Do Right Woman Do Right Man. CR’s vocal is warm and full of Motown like emotion. Backed by some beautiful harmony and a band that is accentuating every verse perfectly. The exploration begins in full on our journey through Star Or Stone. Listen to the tone and detail when Neal comes in after the bridge, building the jam one perfectly placed note at a time until a beautiful wall of sound hits you. The entire band playing together with a purpose and force that you can feel through your entire body. It’s one of those moments that we all listen to music in search of. I don’t know if there’s anything more fun than hearing the band boogie through the Dead’s Mr Charlie. I really dig Adam’s sound here and at a relatively short 5:26 it’s still packed with so much shift and shake that you’ll dance yourself clean. A stuttering start and swirl of sound is just cover as Tomorrow Blues leaps forward and they hammer the set to a close.
~setbreak~
When they light the incense and kick off a set with Meanwhile In The Gods you may need to double knot those dancing shoes. That’s exactly what happens here and we are underway and under the cosmic influence. These 2012 versions were much more compact, not yet having developed the big ending take off. But, it’s no less authentically CRB as it sets up a weather sequence at the top of the mountain instead of a jam, consisting of Tornado and 100 Days Of Rain. Me personally, I’m a big sucker for CR’s rhythm guitar on this song and it’s out front and powerful in this one. The song is also home to my favorite chorus on Big Moon Ritual. That rhythm guitar I mentioned doesn’t pause at the songs end, strumming the band right into a fantastic version of Never Been To Spain. They hit the pocket running and groove it out nicely while Neal goes to work with some fantastic slide. Every show has its heart, and on this night it’s a futuristic slinky path starting with the tall textures of Sunday Sound. As funky as these 2012 version were, this one has a little extra Wizardry in it, and the come back for the finale has an almost Crazyhorse style crunch to it. Those hi-hat triplets drive us into an incandescent Vibration/Light Suite. The countdown (verse/chorus) ensues and we get a little time to prepare ourselves for the g-force pull as the music blasts into deep space cowboy boogie. “Pass on to the other side of the great nowhere”, even finding a flute like effect from Adam and some seriously spooky bending of sounds from Neal. The bass line starts to swell and our cockpit begins to warm up, hotter and hotter as we approach re-entry into what we hope is earths atmosphere. Suddenly but delicately we seem to lose consciousness and enter a dream like state and our spacecraft morphs into a beautiful ethereal Silver Car. Just a perfect song for the transfer of dimensions. Dreaming of our friends and better times. We wake from our habitual hallucination and find ourselves safely on the ground in the great state of California, staring right at our Rosalee. They tear through this 12 minute set closer leaving us to wonder, are we alive? Did we dream the whole thing? Does it even matter? We are home now. Basking in the glow of the golden shore. We gather for the double encore and one last fellowship for the evening. Wheel Don’t Roll and Stonewall Jackson’s classic (Washed My Hands In The) Muddy Water that brings the evening to its fine and upbeat end.
As I said, this show has been on repeat since I rediscovered it last week and I have no doubts I’ll be returning to it often. As will you my friends. It’s the prefect late night, lights out headphones trip. Or, to let that Freak Flag fly on that morning or evening commute. Click the link and make it yours. It’s one you don’t want missing from your collection. “Vibration Love & Light, peace through your darkest night.” Freak On brothers and sisters!
#crb #chrisrobinsonbrotherhood#letthecrbsetyoufree #blissmerchants#freaktransmissions #crbismagic #crbeings#spaceisonthephone #dancefloorofdreams ✌️️👁
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Chris Robinson Brotherhood
12/5/2012
Belly Up Tavern
Solana Beach, California
SET ONE:
Try Rock N Roll
Tulsa Yesterday
Goodbye Wheeling
Badlands Here We Come
Roll Old Jeremiah
Do Right Woman/Do Right Man Star Or Stone
Mr. Charlie
Tomorrow Blues
SET TWO:
Meanwhile In The Gods
Tornado
100 Days Of Rain
Never Been To Spain
Sunday Sound
Vibration & Light Suite
Silver Car
Rosalee
ENCORE:
If Your Wheel Don’t Roll
Muddy Water
