“The porous stone withstands the waves, let’s get inside.” By the time this past December rolled around the band was on a serious roll. Leaving Freak Flags firmly planted, audiences buzzing, and heads turned on at every stop. Finally arriving home on the West Coast after leading rock and roll revivals across the country. They would head south and tear through familiar grounds and finally close the year out at Uncle Phil’s joint in Marin. But before all that, they would visit the friendly air of Washington and Oregon. This entry focuses on a magical night at the Hi-Fi Music Hall in Eugene, (12/4/2016). The last stop before crossing over into the Golden State, It’s one of the best nights in a tour full of stellar ones. So turn it up, hold on and peace out!
“There’s a thrill up on the hill, Let’s Go Let’s Go Let’s Go” and we are off with a flash. Hit first by a powerful blast of fundamental rock and roll slink from this regular in the opening slot. Sunday Night services are always heavy on organ sounds and Adam gets it going in the double time shuffle through Roan County Banjo. I love this song more every time I hear it and they really lean into this one, letting it collapse under the weight of the jam. The rolling reverie and barrelhouse piano of Clear Blue Sky powers us into an always exciting first set Sunday Sound. Our Hallucination Nations anthem is glowing with beaming rays of California sunshine and full of jubilant jangle and glory. That is until around the halfway point when our Wizard unleashes a orchestra of chords and lasers that bounce and bend through every corner of our consciousness. Tony rolls in and signals it’s time to enter and engage and they burst into the finale. The CRB are the masters of juxtaposition and can turn a song or set on a dime. Coming straight out of those hair raising heights and falling softly into the beautiful ballad Sweet Sweet Lullaby. Only to take us right back up into the jet stream of the sets centerpiece, Meanwhile>Tumbleweed. They approach the peak of Meanwhile In The Gods via a swinging bluesy groove that has Jeff just going off! His bass line surging, swelling and pushing the whole band. Neal and Adam firing back and forth behind some nasty strums by CR. The whole thing then takes off on a big, reverb soaked solo before crash landing into Tony’s layered drums. Note after note dancing on air they ride it up and down until it all starts to slow and settle. Seemingly out of the smoke and light comes the hushed hurt of a breezy Tumbleweed In Eden. A masterclass of musical punctuation begins as every member of our quintet colors along with the songs story. Adams keys evoking a dusty barroom corner in some midwestern planetary saloon. “Lock me away, until the day that you love me.” A big exit jam leads to a set closing slide filled Never Been To Spain.
~setbreak~
Always paying homage to the masters, they open the set with the country-funk of Leon’s classic Stranger In A Strange Land. New Cannonball follows, this one a little bigger than most. At almost 13 minutes they really open this road riddle up. It twists, turns and tumbles through various paces and jams before reforming into one big boogie at the end. By far my favorite version of New Cannonball. We arrive and enter, awake and believe thanks to the sweet and woozy sound of Oak Apple Day. They then tear throwing a pulsing, churning Shore Power that is driven nearly off the tracks by a raw raging tone from Neal. You’ll notice when listening that the sets are sort of reversed in structure. Where the first was heavy on jams and exploration, the second is much more song oriented. And it’s usually the other way around. But the CRB, always keeping us on our toes, plays these smaller songs with a precision and purpose that makes many of them my go to versions. A perfect example is the absolute perfection of this Shadow Cosmos. This a beautiful stroll through airy AM gold and steel guitar like leads. Taking you away to an all night radio show while passing through some desolate desert town. Crash On The Levee then makes its swinging return to the setlist as the nights Dylan tune. Underneath all these second set numbers, there’s always been a feeling like something was waiting, just around the corner to detonate at any minute and it finally happens in the closing duo of Ain’t Hiding> Narcissus. A deep disco groove starts the journey and it’s up and away with an almost telepathic trajectory. Waves cresting and falling while the band dances from one musical peak to the next before flowing into the sets calling cared Narcissus. They have this song down so tight and can rage through it with an authoritative funk. The driving beat transitions into mid-air soaring solos from Neal as his guitar passages bend and probe bringing the set to a climactic close. New Riders Of The Purple Sage are a band the Brotherhood could have easily toured alongside had they formed a few decades earlier, so it’s always fitting when they break out the cover Last Lonely Eagle. A California country waltz to close the show, sending the band south to close the year out in style.
As of this entry we are 3 shows into the 2017 tour. Old songs have returned and new ones have debuted. It’s such an exciting time to be a fan of this band. A festival in Big Sur, a new studio album and Betty’s Blends 3 all just around the corner. Let’s all help spread the gospel, bring a friend to their first CRB show, or turn this live one up loud enough that your neighbors can’t help but dig it! But most of all let’s all help out and love one another. Lend a hand, make someone smile. It will not only make their day, it just might make yours a little brighter than before. And as always, Freak On brothers and sisters!
Check out the gallery for this show here : ,-OR
#crb #chrisrobinsonbrotherhood#letthecrbsetyoufree #blissmerchants#freaktransmissions #crbismagic #crbeings#spaceisonthephone #dancefloorofdreams ✌️️👁
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Chris Robinson Brotherhood
12/4/2016
Hi-Fi Music Hall
Eugene, Oregon
SET ONE:
Let’s Go Let’s Go Let’s Go
Roan County Banjo
Clear Blue Sky
Sunday Sound
Sweet, Sweet Lullaby
Meanwhile In The Gods Tumbleweed In Eden
Never Been To Spain
SET TWO:
Stranger In A Strange Land
New Cannonball Rag
Oak Apple Day
Shore Power
Shadow Cosmos
Crash On The Levee
I Ain’t Hiding
Narcissus Soaking Wet
ENCORE:
Last Lonely Eagle
