Black Crowes and Oasis
Radio City Music Hall, New York (June 7, 2001)
»
|
Oasis
Radio City Music Hall, New York
June 7, 2001 |
"But Troy," you say, "those bands don't rock hard -- they're washed up early-'90s pop groups that are entirely irrelevant today." Well, dear reader, I suppose you could look at it that way. But you'd be wrong.
Now admittedly, Oasis hasn't exactly been known for its groundbreaking music, and the Crowes haven't put out a really exciting record since Amorica (Three Snakes if I'm in a good mood). But the loveable cheeky Brits have built up a store of enough good pop-rock tunes in their four albums to make for a quite enjoyable hour-long gig, not to mention the fact that they've recently replaced their original guitarist and bassist with bona fide decent players, vastly improving the effectiveness of their live show.
As for the Crowes, if you've only been following their progress via the Billboard singles charts (riiight), you need to turn your head toward one of their live gigs. This is a group that has honed its shows into some of the finest displays of jam-rock available at any level today. Via incessant touring, the invaluable addition of guitarist Audley Freed, and a year-long stint playing with Zeppelin guitar god Jimmy Page, the Georgia boys have evolved into a sexy machine of rock power with a crack drummer, two exciting guitarists and one of the most soulful singers in the biz.
Right, then:
Oasis kicked off the show (actually Spacehog played a short set earlier, but I didn't care to see them -- sorry, boys) with a set chock-a-block with their most tolerable tunes. We didn't have to sit through potentially boring retreads of "Wonderwall" or "All Around The World" and thankfully the group's most lyrically painful recent stuff, like "Put Yer Money Where Your Mouth Is" and "Little James," were absent as well. In their stead, we rocked along to b-sides like "Fade Away," "Step Out," and "Acquiesce," the latter of which featured a nice vocal trade-off from brothers Noel and Liam (Noel choruses, Liam verses) -- a nice touch on the "brotherly love" tip.
They closed their set with two of their best epics, the spacey "Slide Away" and a nice, lighters-aloft rendition of "Champagne Supernova," to which my seat-mate exclaimed, "Damn! Now I'm gonna have that song in my head for two weeks." As a special, if not wholly unpredictable, treat, they rocked out on a little "I Am The Walrus" to close things out proper.
But a-ha! The show was not over at all -- that was just the opening band! Well, lovely. A nip out to the lobby for a refreshment, and back in time for the lights going down on the main attraction. Once again: the Black Crowes aren't the best band in the world, but they are professional rock musicians. They come to rock you, and they don't slack off. I don't know what drugs of choice run through the group these days, but there was no unwanted sloppiness in the delivery, no wanking off or whining, just pure rocking out on some great soulful southern rock music.
I must admit I haven't dug their new album so much in sporadic listenings, but live, it was hard to deny the power of such rockers as "Midnight From The Inside Out" and "Lickin'" as well as the plaintive ballad "Miracle To Me," which definitely exceeded expectations based on the studio version.
As the Crowes were sharing the bill with Oasis, they didn't play much longer than an hour before breaking for encore. But they still found a way to smush in no less than four songs from their excellent second album Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, including a stunning "Thorn In My Pride" that must have run for almost twelve minutes, its crescendoes giving way to solos by almost every band member. For encores, we got the spirited "Sometimes Salvation" and then a true blast from the past, "Twice As Hard," the opening track of their debut album. They tore that up, then invited the lovely Noel Gallagher and his guitar-slingin' pal Gem Archer from Oasis up to close the night with a cover of the Stooges' "Down In The Street." What fun.
So, yes, it rocked. I still don't hold either of these bands' work among my most cherished musical pleasures, but last Thursday night, all that really mattered was the rock. The Crowes do what they do so very well, and Oasis seemed pressured by the possibility that they could get blown off the stage every night of the tour, likely resulting in their decent, concise performance. I couldn't have asked for more.
TROY CARPENTER | Troy Carpenter founded NATN from a Chicago apartment during the ambitious winter of 1998 with co-conspirators Ben French and Jonathan Cohen. After a five-year stint in New York, he and wife Lourdes have recently relocated to Indianapolis, where he spends days listening to music and nights in the kitchen at Elements restaurant. Musical heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Super Furry Animals. What else makes life worth living: Sushi, Phucty, runs in the park, and the Atlanta Braves.