The Black Crowes promised special guests for their all-acoustic show at the Ryman Auditorium on Sunday night, but no one was expecting nearly a dozen guests to show up for the Nashville finale. Bluegrass legend Sam Bush, former Black Crowes member Audley Freed, Chuck Mead of BR549 and ALL of Old Crow Medicine Show were just a few of the musicians on hand to sit in with The Black Crowes.
[Photo by @IdlewildSouth]
The first guest to come out last night was mandolinist Sam Bush, who sat in with The Crowes on a total of seven songs including rarities My Heart’s Killing Me, Garden Gate and Deep River Blues (Doc Watson). Bush was also on hand when the evening’s second guest – Audley Freed – who played lead guitar with the late ’90s and early ’00s version of The Black Crowes, joined his old mates. Freed came out early in the show for a Rich Robinson-sung take on Feelin’ Alright and returned for the final song of the evening – Boomer’s Story. Jackie Greene showed off his versatility during the acoustic performance by playing banjo on Whoa Mule and Garden Gate.
One of the evening’s biggest bust outs came towards the middle of the set when the Crowes dusted off a cover of Gram Parsons’ Cash On The Barrelhead with the help of Bush and Chuck Mead of BR549. Both Robinson Brothers had a solo turn during the show as Rich sang All Along The Way from his 2011 solo album, while Chris tackled Someday Past The Sunset from the Chris Robinson Brotherhood’s The Magic Door LP by his lonesome. Then, all the members of the Old Crow Medicine Show guested with The Black Crowes for a lengthy “Double Crow(e)s” segment that featured covers of East Virginia Blues (The Carter Family), Oh The Rain (Blind Willie Johnson) and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (The Band). Other guests included a pair of female vocalists and a percussionist, while another cover debut came in the form of Bob Dylan’s Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues.
Here’s a look at last night’s setlist according to CrowesBase…
Set: Soul Singing, Hotel Illness, Welcome To The Good Times, Whoa Mule, Feelin’ Alright, Thorn In My Pride, Cash On The Barrelhead, Garden Gate, My Heart’s Killing Me, Deep River Blues, All Along That Way, Someday Past The Sunset, East Virginia Blues, Lips That Lie, Last Place That Love Lives, Oh The Rain, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, What Is Home, Driving Wheel, Shine Along, Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
Encore: Poor Elijah – Tribute To Johnson (Medley), That’s How Strong My Love Is, Boomer’s Story
- Sam Bush played on Whoa Mule, My Heart’s Killing Me, Feelin’ Alright, Cash On The Barrelhead, Garden Gate, Deep River Blues and Boomer’s Story
- Audley Freed played on Feelin’ Alright and Boomer’s Story
- Rich sang vocals on Feelin’ Alright
- Jackie Greene played banjo on Whoa Mule, Garden Gate
- Chuck Mead sang lead vocals on Cash On The Barrelhead
- Jackie Greene sang lead vocals on Deep River Blues – this performance was Chris, Jackie and the girls only
- Rich solo acoustic on All Along That Way
- Chris solo acoustic on Someday Past The Sunset
- Old Crow Medicine Show, Chris, Rich, Jackie on East Virginia Blues, Last Place That Love Lives, Oh The Rain and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
We can’t wait to hear this show and we’ll keep our eyes out for video.
