by: Josh Marks
Black Crowes Review
The Black Crowes swooped into the Greek Theatre on a balmy summer evening and
gave an energetic, soulful performance to an appreciative audience. Any doubts
about the band returning to form since the group came together again in March
2005 were squelched as the Crowes were musically in-sync with a perfect
performance at
Singer Chris Robinson, his brother Rich on guitar, original drummer Steve
Gorman and the rest of the ensemble dived into its extensive catalogue of songs
and also brought back some classic rock covers.
While the Crowes bring a repertoire of original hits worthy of Led Zeppelin or
the Rolling Stones, the highlight of the concert was guitarist Marc Ford
soloing Neil Young’s “L.A.” from the 1973 live album “Time Fades Away.”
The thousands of fans at the Greek all stood up for the Crowes’ most
recognizable number, “Hard to Handle,” off their first studio album, 1990’s
“Shake Your Money Maker.” While the band has probably performed this song
thousands of times live, it wasn’t jaded. Chris Robinson put so much vitality
and emotion into the vocals that it seemed like he was singing it for the first
time.
The Crowes have endured their share of ups and downs since starting out in
Atlanta all those years ago. They have somehow been able to push through the
adversity and are now playing some of the best music of their lives as the
recent concert at the Greek affirms.
Greek Theatre Showcase
The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles is one of the best outdoor venues in the
country to see a concert. The amphitheatre is a straight shot up Vermont Ave.
from the trendy Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, but it feels miles away
from the bustling city below. The smog stays at the bottom of the hill and the
first thing you notice when arriving at the Greek, which is in a wooded area of
Griffith Park, is the mountain fresh air.
Of course, first you have to deal with stacked parking, which can be somewhat
of a mess. While parking is not as bad as the Hollywood Bowl — at a capacity of
5,700 the Greek is a smaller venue — getting out of the area after a concert
can be trying.
However, once you pass the gates and enter the Greek, it is a pleasurable
experience. The venue offers excellent site lines in every seating area because
of the small size. Even seated in the back, as I was recently at the Black
Crowes show, you still get a level of intimacy that is lacking from some of the
bigger venues.
During the Crowes concert, the acoustics were perfect. The 75-year-old theater,
which is owned by the city of Los Angeles, has spent a lot of money on sound
quality and you can hear the difference.
The theater was recently named the country’s “Best Small Outdoor Venue of the
Year” for the fifth time in the last six years by Pollstar, the live
entertainment industry trade magazine. After attending a concert there, I can
see why.
The Greek Theatre is located at 2700 North Vermont in Griffith Park. For more
information, visit www.greektheatrela.com. To buy tickets visit the box office
or log on to www.ticketmaster.com.
Some upcoming events include:
Melissa Etheridge, July 1; Kristin Chenoweth, July 9; Lyle Lovett plus special
guest The Blind Boys of Alabama, July 12; Go-Go’s plus special guest
Morningwood, July 14; Bloc Party plus special guests Broken Social Scene/ Mew,
Aug. 3 and Matisyahu plus special guests Michael Franti & Spearhead, Aug. 9.