BC Tour Blog: Georgia Music Hall of Fame Induction - Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

The Black Crowes

Georgia Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

September 11, 2010

Remedy
She Talks To Angels*
Georgia On My Mind (1st time played)*

*with Chuck Leavell

"This is the first time in 20 years that we’ve all washed our hair on the same day."

Chris Robinson

Tonight the band was honored by their home state with an induction into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. After an introduction by Chuck Leavell and a short speech by Chris, the band performed a three song set comprised of Remedy, She Talks To Angels and a first-time played cover of the state's official song, Georgia On My Mind. With Chuck sitting in on the latter two, the sight of him on stage with the band provided everyone an opportunity to look back twenty years into the past. Chuck's involvement with the band's career early on was heavy from his playing on Shake Your Moneymaker to his gigging with the band in 1990...subsequently, his influence on the band's future was even heavier by way of his seminal contribution in being the man who recommended and introduced them to their future keyboard player, a dude by the name of Eddie Harsch.

Here's the story as told by Ed from an interview in Keyboard Magazine, 1996...

"Chuck played on their first record, says Eddie of Leavell, "and they were trying to get him to join the band, but Clapton wanted him to go on tour. So one night he says, 'Eddie, you'd be great for the Crowes.'"

Summarily, Eddie booked a flight to Atlanta to meet up with the Crowes on
the set of a video shoot.  On his first night there, "Nobody even talked
to me.  I was invisible.  But on the second night, Johnny [Colt, bass player]
came up to me and said something like, 'Dude, you're that keyboard
player?  Wanna go for a drink?'  So we went to the Gold Club [Atlanta
adult establishment], and some dude jumped on Johnny...sucker-punched him. 
A giant fight broke out, and I ended up on top of this guy, pummelin'. 
The next day Johnny went back to the Crowes with a report: 'I don't know
if this guy can play, but he can fight, and that's good enough for me!"

Eddie did have to play, eventually, but one quick two-song audition was
all it took:  "You're in."

Ed's first show with the band came two weeks later. Imagine how different the Crowes sound would have been had they never met Ed. Would Southern Harmony and Amorica be as good as they are without him? Would the breakdown in Remedy be as funky? Would Thorn In My Pride come in through your speakers as effortlessly smooth without his organ there holding it all together? What would have become of My Morning Song, She Gave Good Sunflower, Descending, Wiser Time, Downtown Money Waster or Peace Anyway without the weird ol' space alien in studio on keys? Would they have been able to attempt or do justice to covers like Nasty Boogie Woogie, Shake Your Money Maker, Sloppy Drunk or Give Peace A Chance without him? Would they have sounded as good playing Zeppelin tunes with Jimmy Page if another keyboard player had been on stage? Thanks to the recommendation of Chuck Leavell, we never had to find out.

Here's the live video of She Talks To Angels with Chuck still in the band during a three-night run at Center Stage in Atlanta in December 1990. Coincidentally, Burning Tree opened all those shows...changes were afoot with the band as their sound and chops were evolving, a new keyboard player was about to enter the mix and their future lead guitar player was continuing to bond with his future bandmates.