While Chris Robinson has always handled the vast majority of lead vocals for The Black Crowes, guitarist Rich Robinson had his turn as frontman when the band covered The Velvet Underground classic “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’.” The Black Crowes, led by Rich and without Chris, busted out “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’” for the first time in nearly eight years in the middle of Thursday night’s concert at Camden, New Jersey’s BB&T Pavilion.
The game plan for this Black Crowes tour has been performances of their debut album Shake Your Money Maker in its entirety followed by live staples and the occasional back catalog rarity to form the main set. From there, the group would tear through a lone classic rock cover, The Velvets’ “Rock & Roll” among them, as the encore. So it was unusual when a cover, let alone the gem from The Velvet Underground’s iconic Loaded LP, split the Shake Your Money Maker and “beloved originals” portions of the evening.
Rich has been fronting “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’” since The Black Crowes debuted their rendition of the song at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, New York on February 28, 2009. The shows at The Band drummer’s famed venue were recorded for both the Crowes’ Before The Frost…Until The Freeze album and a DVD concert film/documentary Cabin Fever. “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’” was featured on Cabin Fever and remained in heavy rotation through the band’s last go-around in 2013. Rich even brought the cover to the solo projects that filled his time between 2016 and 2018.
Chris would typically play guitar and provide powerful harmonies on Crowes versions of “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’” between 2009 – 2013. Last night, Chris Robinson left the harmonies on a song last played by the band on December 6, 2013 to Black Crowes backing vocalists Mackenzie Adams and Leslie Grant. The frontman returned for the rest of the show which ended with a cover of The Rolling Stones’ “It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It).”
Watch last night’s “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’”below:
Setlist
The Black Crowes at BB&T Pavilion
$hake Your Money Maker
- Twice as Hard
- Jealous Again
- Sister Luck
- Could I’ve Been So Blind
- Seeing Things
- Hard to Handle
- Thick N’ Thin
- She Talks to Angels
- Struttin’ Blues
- Stare It Cold
- Oh! Sweet Nuthin’
- No Speak No Slave
- Sting Me
- Soul Singing
- Wiser Time
- Thorn in My Pride
- Remedy
Encore
- It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (but I Like It)
- The Rolling Stones
