Chris Robinson was born in Marietta, Georgia on this date 52 years ago. While it’s uncertain how the Chris Robinson Brotherhood frontman will celebrate his birthday today, a decade ago he and his band at the time The Black Crowes marked his 42nd trip around the sun with a performance at The Fillmore in San Francisco that featured Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh sitting-in during the encore.
The Crowes lineup on December 20, 2008 included Chris’ currently estranged brother Rich Robinson, as well as Luther Dickinson on guitar, Sven Pipien on bass, Adam MacDougall on keyboards, Steve Gorman on drums and backing vocalists Mona Lisa Young and Charity White. Phish lighting director Chris Kuroda was in charge of the evening’s visual accompaniment.
The night of Robinson’s 42nd birthday began with a main set that opened with Traffic’s “Feelin’ Alright,” closed with The Crowes’ classic “Remedy” and featured the frontman being presented with a cake. Lesh joined the group for their encore, playing bass as Pipien picked up an acoustic guitar. The three-song collaboration began with the Grateful Dead’s “Sugaree” and continued with the staple “Cold Rain And Snow.” The show came to an end following a performance of “New Speedway Boogie.” Here’s a brief clip of “Sugaree” captured by Haight Bum:
Lesh would reprise his guest appearance almost a year later when Robinson and The Crowes played The Fillmore on December 6, 2009. Watch “Sugaree” and “Loose Lucy” from that show below:
