The Black Crowes may have closed the show at Mortgage Matchup Center in downtown Phoenix on Sat. August 15, but their performance was defined by a rare, high-stakes battle of equals.
Billed as the Southern Hospitality Tour, the Atlanta, GA. veteran rock act clocked an 85-minute, 15-song set relying on the timeless, organic synergy of their songwriting catalog. Frontman Chris Robinson was in surprisingly exceptional vocal form, while brother and guitarist Rich Robinson was certainly no slouch either. He delivered the signature, gritty guitar hooks that anchor the band’s identity.
Together, they drove a set that featured one new song, Do The Parasite! as well as a recent one from 2024, Wanting and Waiting. Of course, classics like opening song Twice As Hard, as well as Remedy, Jealous Again and She Talks To Angels were the ones that brought the house down.
Throw in a killer cover of an obscure Faces song, Three Button Hand Me Down, and you now had an evening brought full circle. It was sort of a cheeky nod to the exact classic rock influences that gave The Black Crowes flight 36 years ago with their 1990 debut album, Shake Your Moneymaker.
Ultimately, while the Crowes won the night on the enduring strength of their songs, it could be argued that they had to fight hard to keep their crown, if you will.
In contrast, that “pressure” came directly from Whiskey Myers. Unlike other so-called “co-headline” tour packages literally in recent days in this same venue, this particular tour prioritized strict(er) and structural equity. In doing so, it afforded Whiskey Myers the opportunity to deliver a blistering, 80-minute 14-song set.
Blending foundational tracks like Bury My Bones and Glitter Ain’t Gold with newer highlights Midnight Woman and Time Bomb, some would contend they were the better musicians of the evening. Their tight, dual-guitar attack resonated pretty well through a scaled-down arena where the upper-level was curtained off to create a theatre setting that drew 5000 fans, according to box office staff.
Though the crowd remained largely seated throughout the show, it was deeply receptive, observing a focused, straight-ahead business ethic onstage. Conspicuously, neither co-headliner acknowledged the other from the stage, letting the music dictate an unspoken battle for dominance.
Opening act Southall— formerly known as the Read Southall Band— set the stage for this historic friction, for lack of a better word. They overcame the typical curse of the third-billed opener, earning a remarkably enthusiastic reception from the early crowd during their six-song, 30-minute set.
Their standout song, Beautiful Eyes, arrived as an intriguing hybrid of the Eagles’ melodic country rock and the raw grit of late-80s “sleaze rock” from a band called Junkyard. Interestingly enough, lead singer Read Southall’s vocals bore a striking similarity to Junkyard’s late singer David Roach.
It was an irony that was underscored by a Black Crowes stage setup that featured a literal mock junkyard complete with a center stage pickup truck. It injected a welcome (if not indirect) dose of rock history into a night that ultimately became a well-balanced rock and roll stalemate. If there is such a thing. But I digress.
The final verdict? Four out of five stars.
