“Some things you own and there’s some you borrow…” Austin, Texas has long been considered a shining psychedelic oasis for musicians and artists who’ve dared travel their own expressive talents across this country. Creative caravans waving their weird musical wares in efforts to open minds while simultaneously signaling to fellow freaks that the tent show boogie is in town. It didn’t take long for the CRB to join in, bringing their own brand of California love and madness to Antones in September of 2012 for one the bands true hidden gems. This is a huge show and one fans of the Brotherhoods extended jams and telepathic timing will find in heavy rotation. The elusive and exciting triple encore is present along with countless moments of cohesion, clearly showing a band with momentum and stride. Turn this one up and smile, the CRB loves you!
Hank Ballard’s call to the dance floor, Let’s Go Let’s Go, gets pulled into the Brothership and beamed back down in typical Bliss Merchant style. I love shows like this where Adam is off and honking early. Here he leads us into the evening balanced on the edge of playful disaster but securely tethered for the distance. Tomorrow Blues begins with a tiptoe but soon erupts, stomping and kicking through Barton Creek. The mix really starts to dial in just as the ominous vail of Mother Of Stone starts to fall, seamlessly guiding us down the nights first real change in mood and feel. This song comes on like a thunderstorm building, Neal striking like lighting from every angle through a tumbling cloud-bank of rhythm. The twelve gods of thunder hold tight reign until the bit is eased and we breeze quickly through the twist and touch of Tornado. It’s a dreamy, harmony filled ascent into Star Or Stone where, as always, Neal takes his turn casting light upon the path and welcoming us aboard. Strut and bounce comes on with style to the grit of West L.A. Fadeaway. We again find ourselves back on that razors edge as CR’s rhythm guitar cuts and stitches through groove. The intro to Vibration has become our own freak family “fasten your seatbelt” signal, our bodies classically conditioned to associate the sound with ecstatic exploration and joy. The ride here doesn’t disappoint as we all disappear quickly into hyperdrive before settling into the soft sway of Last Place That Love Lives. This beautiful ballad is a powerful final pause before Roll Old Jeremiah dances us across the delta and into the setbreak for hugs, laughs and smiles!
~setbreak~
A set opening Tulsa Yesterday is sure sign that the Brotherhoods shoulder-slung, magical bag of gifts is far from empty on this night. Imagine taking that ride right after the break and finding it leads you lysergic-ally through the dust and into our Hallucination Nations anthem, Sunday Sound?! And we are just getting started! Sunday Sound has an extra long jazzy session where our Wizard gets into some seriously cosmic combinations. They follow this opening duo with a beautiful, moody 100 Days. Neal is gliding high above the flood the entire song with solos like tracers shooting from peak to peak before circling and landing on solid ground. Never Been To Spain is an all out dance to the death, and it’s also where the set really finds its tempo. We are off and down the wormhole without so much as a glance behind us. The Elevator has to stop on the 13th Floor in Austin right? We get that and more in this massive closing intergalactic freeway of Tough Mama> Ride> Rosalee! All lines blur as the Tough Mama Jam reaches the speed of freedom before burning off upon re-entry into the one of the tours funkiest versions of Ride. Safely back under gravitational guidance and headed downhill to the beach, a big Rosalee brings the set to a close with all the revelry and rev of a take off, not a splashdown. We soon realize why, as the crowd is blessed with a three song encore that acts as a star chart home. An evil, sinister shuffle emerges to usher us safely through the Badlands to the final blitz and boogie of Goodbye Wheeling and the all time Burrito Brothers classic, Older Guys!
We are well into this new tour and all the Barefoot songs are sounding so good jumping and jiving along with their elders. We are all so lucky to be watching these things grow and change, expanding into monsters and soon to be classics. But as all my fellow Freakers know, these shows are so much more than just the music. Pre and post shows are full laughs and tight embraces as friends from far and wide, old and new, come together, one freak nation under the groove! Let’s take care of one another and be safe on the roads and airways. We can’t wait to see all you soon! Freak On brothers and sister!!
Chris Robinson Brotherhood
9/20/2012
Antones
Austin, Texas
SET ONE:
Let’s Go Let’s Go
Tomorrow Blues
Mother Of Stone
Tornado
Star Or Stone
West L.A. Fadeaway
Vibration & Light Suite
Last Place That Love Lives
Roll Old Jeremiah
SET TWO:
Tulsa Yesterday
Sunday Sound
100 Days Of Rain
Never Been To Spain
Tough Mama
Ride
Rosalee
ENCORE:
Badlands Here We Come
Goodbye Wheeling
Older Guys
#crb #chrisrobinsonbrotherhood #sleepinpeacewilddarkriders#letthecrbsetyoufree #barefootinthehead #freakflag #blissmerchants#ravensreels #freaktransmissions #crbismagic #crbeings#spaceisonthephone ✌️️
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