LIVE: CHRIS ROBINSON BROTHERHOOD – September 23, 2016 (Pontiac, MI)

Venue: The Crofoot

City: Pontiac, MI

Date: September 23, 2016

Review and Photographs by: Kevin Alfredo (TWITTER / INSTAGRAM)

Just as autumn officially ushered in the cool, crisp nights of late September, the Chris Robinson Brotherhood made their seemingly annual stop at the Crofoot Ballroom in Pontiac, Michigan.  While it was hard to leave the sleepy Lake Huron resort town I was holed up in, I knew that there was good times abound in Pontiac, a short one and a half hour trip away.  Now, just a month prior, I had the pleasure of seeing these guys at Lockn’, not only as the CRB, but also in cahoots with Phil Lesh.  I knew it would be difficult to beat that hot Saturday night of killer collaborations in Virginia, but smaller venues tend to have their own magical possibilities and this night of music did not disappoint.

Now, I’ve seen much of Chris Robinson through the years, and I’ve seen much of Neal Casal, as well, both with previous outfits.  But, having them on stage together with the CRB, belting out originals that they have composed together, as well as covers that are near and dear to their hearts, is a treat that I really can’t get enough of.  In the midst of experiencing the music that night, as well as in hindsight, I truly felt I was seeing some of the best rock and roll out on the road today.  Why, you may ask?  What is it about this band, who only draws audiences in the 10’s of 100’s, that sets them above the bigger acts drawing national attention?  Experience.  And decades of it.  Decades of creating a certain spectrum of rock and roll that seems to be lost in the 60s and early 70s.  I felt like the covers I was hearing, “Hello LA, Bye, Bye Birmingham”, “This Wheel’s On Fire” and “Stop That Train” fit right in with the CRB’s originals.  As the band fired though “Rosalee”, dreamily drifted through “Vibration & Light Suite” and showcased their newest songs such as “Narcissus Soaking Wet”, I found myself anticipating (and fully receiving) the beautifully toned sounds of Neal’s guitar, the wild and soaring sounds of Adam MacDougall’s keys, and the soulful sounds of Chris’s voice.  And here’s the kicker…these guys love doing it.  It’s not stoic, serious faces you see from one end of the stage to the next.  You see each of the band members feeding off each other, smiling, and enjoying each other’s playing.  And the crowd feeds off of that…it’s a feeling that’s extended out to the crowd and is instantly reciprocated.

So, get out there and see these guys…it’s some of the purest (dare I say, psychedelic) rock and roll out there these days… http://chrisrobinsonbrotherhood.com/tour-dates/

Setlist: Forever as the Moon – Leave My Guitar Alone – Hello L.A., Bye Bye Birmingham – California Hymn – Star or Stone – Oak Apple Day – This Wheel’s on Fire – Rosalee – New Cannonball Rag – Roan County Banjo – One Hundred Days of Rain – Never Been to Spain – Ain’t It Hard but Fair – It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue – Vibration & Light Suite – Narcissus Soaking Wet – Stop That Train

CHRIS ROBINSON BROTHERHOOD LINKS:

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Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries