Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes at The Backyard - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer |
by jeff barringer
club kingsnake staff
The Backyard
Hometown: Atlanta, Ga.
http://blackcrowes.com
The Black Crowes Concert Photos
Wednesday, Sept 5th, 2007
The Backyard (Austin, Texas)
Also:
The Lee Boys
God how I hated the Black Crowes when I first heard them. In the late eighties and early nineties I was heavy into the alternative scene and the Crowes seemed to encompass everything that I hated at the time, southern rock, "roots" rock, "classic" rock. And the extensive media surrounding their first release,
Shake Your Money Maker, didn't help. For a period it seemed every time you turned on the TV or saw a magazine it was "Black Crowes this, Chris Robinson that". Definitely nursing a case of media induced over-exposure, I swore that I would never willingly listen to the Black Crowes again.
Over the years I tried to steadfastly hold onto my hate, but in the end the Black Crowes won out. I think it was a long lonely drive one night through Mississippi in a driving rainstorm, listening to one of their live discs on the radio that I finally found a place for the Black Crowes. I guess it was the incredible intensity that they put into their music, a rawness and soulfulness that was lacking in a lot of what their peers were releasing. Maybe it was just the rain.
It was with this new-found religion for the Black Crowes that I found myself covering their set at Austin's Backyard.
Roosevelt Collier of The Lee Boys at The Backyard - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer |
I showed up early and got to shoot the opener, The Lee Boys from Orlando, Florida. I was allowed to shoot their first 3 songs, but honestly their songs were so long, I left the pit in the middle of their second song to get a coke and even after waiting in line I still had time to come back and shoot for a good half a song. Their MySpace page describes them as Rock/ Jam Band/ Soul, and that's a pretty accurate description. Sounding like the Allman Brothers with more soul, I would hazard a guess and say that the Lee Boys would still be playing that set right now if they didn't turn the lights off. Eventually though they did, and I headed over to the photographers area to wait for our escort to arrive. Moondog and Jay were already there, Jay chatting with Mark Johnson of New Disaster. While watching the crowd stream by I ran into a couple friends of my own, Chip and Becky Parker, long time Black Crowes fans. I had expected to run into them there, I don't think they have missed a Crowes show yet.
It wasn't long before our escort arrived to take us down to the pit and I had to say goodbye to my friends. No crowd surfers tonight, and working our way to the edge of the stage was easy compared with the Incubus show a few days before. A neat touch was an apple set onstage as an incense burner and its perfumed smoke wafted across the stage throughout the show. After taking several pictures of the apple to zoom in my gear, the lights dimmed, and Chris Robinson's lanky bearded frame appeared behind the microphone.
Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes at The Backyard - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer |
Starting off with "No Speak No Slave" from
The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, the lighting was perfect as we snapped away from the pit. Looking like Donald Sutherland in
Kelly's Heroes, Chris worked the stage and the audience and definitely gave them their money's worth.
No smoke, no strobes, no lasers, the Crowes launched into "Sting Me", also from their second album, and it just blazed. I was really getting into the set and having a hard time remembering I was there to shoot pictures, especially with Chris Robinson singing like 5 feet away. I wanted to just kick back and watch the set. A nudge from Moondog as he passed behind me brought me back to reality just as the song ended.
With only one more song left to go, I tried to make the most of it. I made one or two more sweeps of individual shots, then opened up my wide angle. I had just made it to the right side of the stage and was able to frame a few of my last shots with the smoke from the incense drifting across the stage as the Crowes ended the song "Horsehead". My three songs over for the night, I bailed from the camera pit and made my long walk back from the car. Pausing outside the venue I heard the band play a couple more songs before loading up my car, and driving off into the darkness.
Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes at The Backyard - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer |
I want to thank The Black Crowes, Direct Events, and everyone at The Backyard for another great concert shoot.
Set List
No Speak No Slave
Sting Me
Horsehead
My Morning Song
Descending
Darling Of The Underground Press
She Gave Good Sunflower
Soul Singing
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Wiser Time
Thorn In My Pride
Jealous Again
Remedy
Lost My Drivin' Wheel
The Black Crowes at The Backyard - more photos... photo by jeff barringer - staff photographer
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