For Chris Robinson, his days with the Black Crowes are very much in the past
If rocker Chris Robinson could talk about the NBA instead of music, the self-described Draymond Green of the jam band scene would be happy.
“I can’t get enough of the (Golden State) Warriors,” Robinson says in an interview, calling from calling from Madison, Wisc. “Is there anything more beautiful than basketball?”
Robinson, 51, is the former leader of the Black Crowes and current frontman of his band, the Chris Robinson Brotherhood.
He also was a high school shooting guard while growing up in Atlanta, which explains why he is thrilled the NBA season has arrived.
Robinson and his band will perform two shows at the Lincoln Theatre Oct. 25-26. We talked to him about his days with the Black Crowes, which ended in 2015, and how his more recent musical venture is liberating.
After this interview, the band announced a fourth live album will be released Nov. 16, “Betty’s Midwestern Magick Blends,” with recordings from three concerts in October 2016.
Q: What is it like being a rock star?
A: I walked past the velvet curtain and breathed the rarified air of rock stardom. I turned on, tuned in and dropped out. It’s fascinating, but I’m not interested in that world. I don’t want to sell myself short. Money is not a motivating factor.
Q: Will you ever reunite with the Black Crowes, the band you formed with your brother, Rich Robinson?
A: No. We had an amazing time. We made music that I love and we did incredible business. But why in a million years would I go back to something that makes me so incredibly unhappy? It’s about the music, not money.
Q: But you came of age during the ‘80s when it was about the music, not about fame and the trappings of success.
A: Yes and remember the cover of that album, “Pleased to Meet Me”? It was the hand of a businessman shaking hands with a punk rocker with a torn shirt. That cover said so much to me. But like you said, I came of age during a cool time. I’m of the last generation that understands the real gravity of rock ‘n’ roll. That was my youth. Music is what we did.
There was always a lot of local bands playing in Atlanta and Athens every night back then. You were part of a scene with punks, goths, folkies or whatever. I would listen to everything. I would go see Black Flag but I would also listen to Bob Dylan and Thelonious Monk. I was this weird, dyslexic kid, who found my calling.
Q: What’s the best review you’ve read about an album you created?
A: The best review I ever read was written recently and posted on some kid’s blog. This kid wrote, ‘These guys don’t know what rock and roll is.’ That perfectly encapsulates us. I want to get that tattooed on my arm.
Q: How liberating is it to be in a band in which you don’t have to play the hits?
A: It’s incredibly liberating since we don’t have any hits. We can live in the moment and we don’t have to be nostalgic. We aren’t beholden to people from record companies. We’ve made seven studio albums in eight years. That’s incredible.
Q: When will your next album drop since you’re due?
A: It’ll be out next year. We’re always excited about playing new material. (“Barefoot in the Head” will be released in 2019, according to liveforlivemusic.com.)
Q: What’s the biggest difference between this generation and the generation your 14-year-old son is growing up in?
A: It was more about intelligence back then. Today it’s about having great abs and having the latest app. It was just a deeper, more intellectual time.
Q: What do you watch on television?
A: Just the NBA. I’m obsessed with professional basketball. There’s nothing like it. If we only talked about the NBA, I would have no problem with that. It’s going to be very interesting to see what happens this year with LeBron (James) in Los Angeles and what the Warriors will do. I love music but I need something else and that something else is basketball. There’s no game that’s as amazing as basketball.
Details
Who: Chris Robinson Brotherhood
Where: 8 p.m. Oct. 25-26
Where: Lincoln Theatre, 168 E. Cabarrus St., Raleigh
Tickets: $20 to $30 general admission. $79 to $249 VIP.
Info: 919-821-4111 or lincolntheatre.com
This story was originally published October 19, 2018 at 6:00 AM.