What to know
- The Black Crowes returned to Toronto for a career-spanning set at RBC Amphitheatre, blending classic hits with newer material.
- Frontman Chris Robinson reflected on the band’s first Toronto show 36 years ago, joking that only “nine” people were there.
- The Robinson brothers continue to lead a revitalized lineup, stretching songs beyond their studio versions with extended live arrangements.
- The concert closed with fan favourites including “She Talks to Angels,” “Twice as Hard” and an encore performance of AC/DC’s “Riff Raff.”
“Thirty-six years the Black Crowes have been coming to Toronto,” frontman Chris Robinson told the crowd at RBC Amphitheatre on July 21 after opening “the rock ’n’ roll show,” as he said, with 1992’s “Remedy,” brand new “Cruel Streak,” then back to an oldie, “Sting Me.”
“The first time we came here, we played a place that was called Rock ’N’ Roll Heaven. I’m glad some of you cheered for that because there was only 11 people there. But that doesn’t matter. There was probably only nine. But anyway, we played this song.”
He then launched into “Jealous Again,” the lead single from the band’s 1990 debut, Shake Your Money Maker, the blues-infused rock album that put The Black Crowes on the map and went on to sell more than five million copies in the U.S.
More than three decades later, the song still crackled with the same swagger and urgency, but onstage the 8-piece band — at the core, Chris and his brother Rich; the rest he never introduced — extended it, jamming it out beyond the familiar radio version, showing the intuitiveness and ease of a great live act.
Set on a stage designed to look like a car scrapyard, Chris’ powerful, gritty, soulful rock voice sounded as good as ever, as he powered into the soaring rocker “My Morning Song” from The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, the band’s double-platinum, Billboard 200 No. 1 album. He introduced it with a vague wade into politics: “With all the madness, ultimately, the song contained great optimism about the future. We could fuckin’ use it, although Canada’s doing a lot better.”
The Black Crowes have been enjoying a well-deserved resurgence. Following nearly six years apart after an acrimonious split in 2015, the brothers buried the hatchet in 2019, initially to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Shake Your Money Maker. The reunion led to a creative rebirth. Their 2024 album, Happiness Bastards, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album in 2025, and earlier this year they released A Pound of Feathers.
They have been nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame back-to-back, in 2025 and 2026, so that coveted induction is only a matter of time.
With no other original members now except for Chris and Rich, The Black Crowes touring lineup — which, with some digging, includes guitarist Nico Bereciartua, bassist Sven Pipien, keyboardist Erik Deutsch and drummer Cully Symington, plus two backing vocalists — functions less like hired musicians and more as collaborators, responding to Chris’ cues to stretch out and push the songs.
Chris, barefoot, wearing a black long-sleeve shirt, skinny jeans, and a long, beaded necklace layered with several smaller ones, looked every bit the hippie rock ‘n’ roller he’s always been. Often carrying the microphone stand with him as he grooves or casually moves around the stage, he really doesn’t need to do much with a voice like his.
What continues to distinguish The Black Crowes is their willingness to let the music evolve in real time. Nearly every song was expanded beyond its studio version. It never felt indulgent; it felt instinctive. Perhaps the most refreshing aspect of a Black Crowes concert, and a mark of a great rock band, is that no two shows are alike. Each night the set list is different.
That approach elevated deep cuts such as “My Morning Song,” “Feathers,” “Wounded Bird” and “Wiser Time,” while their soulful interpretation of Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle” was highly anticipated. They then covered the Rolling Stones’ “You Got the Silver,” and their 1992 gentle groove “Thorn in My Pride,” before arriving at the crown jewel of their catalogue, the melancholy ballad about a young woman hiding her heroin addiction, “She Talks to Angels.”
The night wrapped up with 2024’s “Wanting and Waiting,” before the stomping opener of Shake Your Money Maker, “Twice as Hard,” closed the main set. They returned with an encore of AC/DC’s “Riff Raff,” delivered a final blast of swagger.
Thirty-six years after first playing Toronto, thousands of fans found themselves in rock ‘n’ roll heaven.
