“A change in the air and now we see far…” When the Freak Council crosses the country, tossing gifts from its bag of bountiful magic, the wake is fun, wonderful and weird! July 2015 found that very occasion upon us as the 4th CRB summer tour kicked off at the All Good Festival in WV. From there they burned up the east coast, both figuratively and literally, through NY, CT, MA and NJ before skipping across the grass for one night stands in VA, NC and SC. Finally closing out the first month of the tour with two dates in the state of TN. The first of those shows was this incredibly powerful night in Knoxville, high on Rocky Top at the Bijou Theatre. We’ve all heard those live shows from the bands we love that have that special mystery strain that’s the active ingredient in everyone getting on and eventually off together at all once. Songs we’ve heard live thousands of times but now being played with a little extra drive and swing. Mix that with a unique setlist and a recording with some serious bottom end that puts you front and center, and you’ve got a must hear show and one I’d put easily with the top 10 of the year, and we are talking about 2015! The year the Brotherhood shed its skin, spread its wings and took flight on a path that is still ascending today as we prepare to welcome Summer Tour 2017! Get this one at the link below and strap in for the countdown. It’s a journey into dreams of the past and star dodging diversions of consciousness. Welcome to 7/28/2015.
All it would take to convince the jaded or uninitiated to listen further is contained in this opening Good Rocking. That extra swing I mentioned in the open is present from the very jump as the music bounds from the speakers, carrying us effortlessly along as the nights passage like movement toward the proving ground begins. Drawing us quickly into a swirling Rocky Mountain breakdown and giving way to a continuously creative Roan County. Adam pushes it into transitory land just as the roar of the crowd meets peak sheets of sound. They see six but I see three? Sights of the sublime surround as the cinematic vibe of Bandlands steps forward, taking charge and setting the mood for the set. Every musician weaving their own sharp shuffle and swinging it hard. One of the treasures of this show is how even something as unassuming Oak Apple Day can come bearing pure psychedelic sunshine, exploding on the bright side of the darkness. Look who’s smiling but he’s blind. The pull is close throughout and it’s a beautiful trip. Dig it as Neal and CR lead us through a wizards waltz in perfect time to that point where the magic takes over and the night enters undefinable realms with everyone along for the ride. Our cosmic quintet acting as the rapturous rudder, pointing us into the sunset where Star Or Stone finds us skipping into light and painting the mountain sky. The slinkiest of slow grooves is the backbone to the openings scene of this first set epic. The harmony bridge links us to a free falling tone and guitars open to wherever the vibe directs. It’s the first landmark on this trip west and the jam opens up like a high speed twisted burn into the night. The first price is a phone call but the road, like the music, stretches out across the horizon where Meanwhile awaits with Tulsa in tow to blow ours minds. A vicious edgy jam lurks in Meanwhile, paired with the illuminating calls that cosmically converge and climax as Tulsa closes the three song suite. Slowly ushering in a big Rosalee full of deep bounce and boogie. One of the most fluid and free first sets of the year and just a small taste of the delights still to come.
~setbreak~
Loves Made A Fool Of You kicks off the second stanza with it’s signature thick and forceful riff. Serving as the base for over 11 minutes of mid tempo groove exploration. It quickly goes to some far out places, allowing everyone to re-engage as part of the same musical conversation, leading to discovery missions of the mind. Turnstile, from the start, holds back a furious freedom. The energy fueling the songs loose swing and structure until finally stepping aside as the jam liberates the spirit. This very chill second set takes another turn to the lower tempo “lava lamp basement” vibe sound with 100 Days Of Rain. Here the band rides another levitational lead by Neal all the way into a drone like comedown at the end with everyone working within some dark themes and shaking off the storm. The evening turns back into the quickened step of Roll Old Jeremiah and we get into some really smooth psychedelic delta blues for a nice little jamboree. CR’s guitar work pushing the whole thing. Really a gem among the diamonds of these Reels. The whole thing circles around to meet Tumbleweed In Eden, pulling from the first sets themes and connecting everything over 10 minutes of mystical and powerful stuff. Tony is all over this one, slamming hammers of hurt in perfect time. Lock me away until the day that you love me. The jam comes in so heavy and by the time those delicate and ethereal last touches are being applied, they are ahead of us, focusing that energy into the next number, Hog For You. Everyone now embracing the atmosphere while they honk through Hog with attitude. The crowds fever really comes through on this recording along with the sound of the house in sway. A locomotive like Shore Power picks us up from that lofty station, setting out to take us even further into the mountains magical mist. CR even asks in the songs New York breakdown section “are my eyes really open or closed? Somebody tell me!” Usually this would be a wrap, but instead we get a celebratory Beggars Moon to close the set. The Big Red Head and Back Beat Mamma with one last shake and roll via the showboat queen north up the Mississippi. Neal bending and bleeding all over this one, adding the spike to the party’s closing punch while Adam blurs the music’s dimensional lines. The Beggars journey north continues into the encore for Chuck Berry’s classic, Memphis, Tennessee. The lone encore of the night was far from a quick tip of the cap or regional reference. The band really puts some kick into it and takes it for a nice long walk to close the show. Conveying it’s appreciation for the folks who took the ride.
I hope this finds everyone with a big smile, full heart and surrounded by the things that make you better and happy. Summer Tour is almost here and the buzz is loud! It’s going to be absolutely insane so let’s all watch out for and take care of our fellow freaks along the way. This is such a wonderful community of folks and I’m beyond excited to see the photos start rolling in and the deep space cosmic boogie continuing to spreading. This is a great show for that first road trip or for spending a few hours lost in your musical minds eyes. Grab it at the link below! Freak On Brothers and Sisters!
Chris Robinson Brotherhood
7/28/2015
Knoxville, TN
SET ONE:
There’s A Good Rockin’ Tonight Roan County Banjo
Badlands Here We Come
Oak Apple Day
Star Or Stone
Meanwhile In The Gods >
Tulsa Yesterday
Rosalee
SET TWO:
Love’s Made A Fool Of You
Jump The Turnstile
100 Days Of Rain
Roll Old Jeremiah
Tumbleweed In Eden
I’m A Hog For You
Shore Power
Beggar’s Moon
ENCORE:
Memphis, TN
#crb #chrisrobinsonbrotherhood#letthecrbsetyoufree #barefootinthehead #freakflag#blissmerchants #ravensreels #freaktransmissions#crbismagic #crbeings #spaceisonthephone#dancefloorofyourdreams ✌️️
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