Black Crowes @ Hammerstein 3/30/05

The Black Crowes are an amazing band to see live. Before this show I had seen them play Further Festival and with Jimmy Paige (which was one of the most amazing concerts ever!). When they announced the additional dates at Hammerstein I had to snag myself some tickets and I'm ever so glad I did.
The opening band was the North Mississippi All Stars who played some rockin' blues like nobody's business. It was a pleasure to listen to them jam.
For the Black Crowes, the stage set was an intricate, beautiful painting of what looked like a gothic cathedral and there were chandeliers and candelabras everywhere that changed colors along with the stage lighting. It was a very surreal atmosphere that accompanied the music well. The Black Crowes did not disappoint!
"Cursed Diamond" was the kick-off song and the band was really on. They jammed their way through "Gone," "Nebakenezer" and ended the set with the classic "Hard to Handle." Then, for the encore some members of North Mississippi All Stars joined the band on stage for an amazing climax. If you check out their website, www.blackcrowes.com, you can check out their upcoming tour dates with one of my all-time favorites, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.