The Black Crowes Get Charlotte’s “Soul Singing” at PNC Music Pavilion

The $hake Your Money Maker Tour Brings The “Remedy” of Live Music To The Queen City

With their eponymous 1990 debut album “Shake Your Money Maker,” a little rock band from Georgia shook up the rock and roll world in a very big way. Blending the best of hard rock with Southern rock and the blues, The Black Crowes had a sound that was unmatched. The heart and soul of the band reside within the Robinson brothers with the unique vocal stylings of Chris breathing life into the bluesy riffs of guitar-wielding brother Rich. The album would reach number four on the Billboard 200 spawning numerous hit singles including “Hard to Handle” and “She Talks To Angels,” both of which made it all the way to number one. It would go on to become The Black Crowes’ best-selling album with over five million copies sold worldwide.

In February of this year, the iconic record was re-released as a 30th-anniversary edition complete with the remastered original, previously unreleased songs, outtakes, demos, and live performance recorded back in 1990 at Atlanta’s Center Stage. Much to the delight of Crowes fans everywhere, the band embarked on the $hake Your Money Maker Tour this summer to further celebrate the quintessential album. Luckily, a stop in the Queen City was part of the itinerary and Charlotte rock fans were beyond excited for their return.

The evening got started in fine fashion with the Los Angeles rockers Dirty Honey. The band made a name for themselves on the streets of the Sunset Strip and have gone on to tour with some of the very best in rock and roll including Slash, The Who, and of course The Black Crowes. My first time seeing them was back in 2019 when they opened up for Red Sun Rising at a small club and I remember thinking back then that they had a great vibe. I’m glad to see that they are moving forward and making a name for themselves.

With a great onstage presence, Dirty Honey quickly won over the crowd of Crowes fans that had already arrived at PNC Music Pavilion with a short but oh so sweet set of hard-rocking tunes that have a distinctive blues flavor. They truly give off a seventies feel in the very best possible way and it’s refreshing to hear classic rock and roll played in this way today. Lead vocalist Marc LaBelle has all the makings of a great rock frontman with the chops to back it up. In fact, he reminded more than a little of Steven Tyler back in the day especially when they cranked up a cover of Aerosmith’s “Last Child.” Guitarist John Notto was outstanding in every way with bass guitarist Justin Smolian and drummer Corey Coverstone driving the beat and keeping the rock and roll machine running smoothly.

The band released their first full-length, self-titled album this year and fans were able to hear a lot of these songs performed live. One thing I loved about their set which not many bands do anymore was the solos! We got to hear a guitar, bass, and drum solo which is practically unheard of especially for the opener. It was a chance for all the members to pull out all the stops and put their individual skills in the forefront. Time flew by and before you know it, we were all “Rolling 7s” to close out an outstanding performance by Dirty Honey.

After a short break, it was finally the moment we had all been waiting for. The stage grew dark and a lone can-can girl walked up and put a coin in the Wurlitzer jukebox at the side of the stage. The jukebox lit up and so did the stage as the Elmore James song “Shake Your Money Maker played on the jukebox. What an elaborate setup! At the rear of the stage, there was a full bar complete with a bartender who remained on stage for the whole show, and the band was gathered behind the bar, seemingly toasting to the performance about to begin. As they took their places, Chris sat on the drum riser, his face covered with a Black Crowes umbrella. Two backup singers were situated to the rear, stage left and the band began the opening strains of “Twice As Hard” as a bevy of brilliant lights dangled down from the rafters above the stage. Rich Robinson was in his zone on the guitar as was the rest of the band while Chris spun and swayed, holding the umbrella above his head during the song. This would be the beginning of the first part of the show where The Black Crowes played the entire “Shake Your Moneymaker” album track to track. By the time they got to “Seeing Things,” the audience was putty in their hands. It really felt as if the band hadn’t skipped a beat since 1990 and that is no mean feat. After all, it wasn’t that many years ago, that the band broke up and went on hiatus due to a disagreement between brothers Chris and Rich. So to see them grace the same stage and do so with a genuine love of the music and seeing them enjoy themselves performing together again was nothing short of pure magic.

There was dancing aplenty both on stage and off as we all got down to the band’s awesome cover of the Otis Redding classic “Hard To Handle” and Chris’s vocals soared across the Southern Carolina sky as he led the crowd through the chorus of “She Talks To Angels.” By the time the band wrapped up the album with “Stare It Cold,” we were all in rock and roll heaven. If the show had ended right then and there, I feel like that would have been enough. Fortunately, for the thousands of fans in attendance, there was a lot more to come from The Black Crowes. Chris announced the conclusion of the “Shake Your Money Maker” part of the evening before kicking into “Gone” from their Amorica album. The band had been changing up the setlist for the second part of the show so we weren’t sure what was coming up. Needless to say, I was over the moon when I heard the first few notes of “Soul Singing.” Out of all The Black Crowes songs, I feel the most connected to that song as it was my calming voice during a difficult time in my life. It was the only tune from the Lions album to be played that night and my heart and soul were definitely singing! The lack of live music for a year and a half due to the COVID-19 pandemic really took a toll not only on the music industry and musicians but on us regular folks who “need” the release and the boost it gives us in our everyday lives. There is no better moment than to completely lose oneself if only for a brief time in the passion and emotion of live music. What better way to celebrate live music’s return than for The Black Crowes to bring the only “Remedy” we need to close out a fantastic concert experience.

As the Crowes chants began, I wondered what we would hear for the encore. Would it be a Rolling Stones song or perhaps a Zeppelin tune? A few fans were heading out to the exits, but my feet were firmly planted on the ground in front of my seat anxiously waiting. As the band came back out to thundering applause, I could hear Rich’s guitar begin to strum the opening of “Hey Hey What Can I Do” by Led Zeppelin. Fantastic! It was to be a Zeppelin song after all and not just a Zeppelin song but one of my very favorites. There’s something about the laidback vibe of that song that just soothes your soul and allows you to relax in the moment and no better band to give the song its due than The Black Crowes. It was a glorious way to send us all on our way, happier than we’ve been in a very, very, long time.

The band still has some show dates left here in the States this year before heading off overseas in 2022. Catch them if you can. This is one show you won’t’ want to miss. For tour dates and up-to-date information on The Black Crowes, go to https://theblackcrowes.com/.