The Magpie Salute Keeps Getting Tighter & Those Setlists Go Expandin’ (SHOW REVIEW)

The Black Crowes never got enough credit for their guitar work. The Robinsons wrote some great songs and their performances continually kicked ass. But the chemistry that Rich and Marc Ford had during his two tours of duty in the Crowes were Allmanesque. With so many Crowes shows from that period available (both as bootlegs and through nugs.net), the evidence of their magic is there for the listening. But now Robinson has formed an entire band around the groove between him and Ford.

Since their debut in New York in January, the band has done some serious time on the road. Not only are they getting tighter each show as a result, the audiences are being treated to seemingly every “rarity” they could want. Robinson has been digging into the outtakes that didn’t make the officially released outtakes albums. In the middle of their show at the Paramount in Huntington, NY on August 13th, he introduced “Miserable” by hinting that no one on stage had played it since 1991. That was followed up by “Last Time Again,” a lost nugget from the Lions sessions. John Hogg, who is understandably under the biggest microscope, did an amazing job with these tunes. He seemed much more relaxed as the band opened with the Crowes 3-pack of “Stare It Cold,” “Sometimes Salvation,” and “p.25 London.”

The Velvet Underground’s “Oh Sweet Nuthin’” had an amazing guitar duel between Ford and Robinson which ignited the Sunday crowd. The Crowes only started covering it after Ford left the reunion tour so it was an additional treat to hear him tear it up. Pink Floyd’s “Fearless” was a part of the setlists from that reunion tour and the intro really fired up the audience. It’s Long Island, after all and Ford has been handling this since his Blue Floyd days. “I’m Free,” from his Holy Ghost album was also excellent. By this point, the energy was so high that the guitarists’ solo stuff was really getting a nice workout.

This tour has also seen Robinson dig into the Faces’ catalog, which has been a welcome treat. John Hogg seems even more comfortable with Rod Stewart’s vocals than Chris Robinson’s; “Gasoline Alley” was fantastic as a result. The rest of the show was all Crowes covers. “Gone,” the first track from Amorica had some blazing axe work as did an extended (aren’t they all?) “My Morning Song.” By this point the crowd was fully into it. The Paramount always evokes the Double Deuce from Road House without the chicken wire. “Twice As Hard” sent everyone home happy.

The only complaint of the performance was the muddiness of the sound. Hogg is confident enough that his voice can be out front and Ford and Robinson should always be audible. But if Sunday is any indication, this band will continue to evolve. And for those who asked, the “Marc F’n Ford” shirt, while not sold at Magpie shows can be purchased on his http://www.marcfordmusic.com/website. The Magpie Salute will return to the Metropolitan area in November with two shows at Irving Plaza. They are not to be missed.

Photos by Ross Edmond

The Magpie Salute Setlist The Paramount, Huntington, NY, USA 2017, 2017 U.S. Tour

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One Response

  1. Good review ! This band is on the road to greatness. Catch them in the small venues while you still can. John Hogg is an incredible singer, and the addition of the backup singers is awesome.

    Guitarists Marc Ford, Rich Robinson and bassist Sven Pipien were the driving force behind the Black Crowes, and they are in prime form with this new band.

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