After wrapping up their annual three-night run at The Fillmore in San Francisco earlier this month, Chris Robinson Brotherhood announced to fans that they would return to the Bay Area in just a few short weeks for a three-night New Year’s Eve run. So, here they are with a three-night, sold-out run at Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael, CA. The celebrations began on Friday night with two massive sets, featuring an impressive mix of originals and covers, including renditions of Roy Brown, Junior Wells, Waylon Jennings, Marvin Gaye, Slim Harpo, and more. Of course, the influence of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead prevailed itself in the second set, with a monstrous “Viola Lee Blues” sandwich, in which the three verses intertwined with renditions of “Down Home Girl” by Alvin Robinson, “I’m A Hog For You” by The Coasters, and “Never Been to Spain” by Hoyt Axton. The show closed with a heart-warming version of “They Love Each Other” by Jerry Garcia. The band returns to the stage tonight for two more shows to close out the 2017 in style.
In the middle of one of their most prolific periods to date, the Chris Robinson Brotherhood are riding a creative wave with a slew of studio and live records coming out amidst a rigorous tour schedule that only seems to fuel their fire even further. Their stellar new album, Barefoot In The Head, marks the CRB’s third studio release in just two years, and it finds them pushing boundaries and breaking new ground with more joy and wonder than ever before. Overspilling with stunning musicianship and infectious energy, the album showcases the continued growth of Robinson’s songwriting partnership with his bandmates: guitarist Neal Casal, drummer Tony Leone, keyboardist Adam MacDougall, and bassist Jeff Hill. It revels in the kind of adventurousness that can only come from five artists tuned into the same sonic wavelength.
Check out the gallery from Friday night’s show below, courtesy of photographer Jeremy Scott.
Setlist: Chris Robinson Brotherhood | Terrapin Crossroads | San Rafael, CA | 12/29/17
Good Rocking Tonight (Roy Brown), Someday Past the Sunset, Little by Little (Junior Wells), Little Lizzie Mae > Only When That’ll Walk the Line (Waylon Jennings), Try It Baby (Marvin Gaye), Blue Star Woman > Poor Elijah/ Tribute to Robert Johnson
Taking Care of Business, Viola Lee Blues (verse 1) > Down Home Girl (Alvin Robinson) > Viola Lee Blues (verse 2) > I’m A Hog For You (The Coasters) > Viola Lee Blues (verse 3), Never Been to Spain (Hoyt Axton), Beware, Oh Take Care, Got Love If You Want It (Slim Harpo)
E: They Love Each Other (Jerry Garcia)