Rich Robinson

There’s no question that Chris Robinson’s voice is at the heart of the Black Crowes’ sound, but younger brother, guitarist Rich Robinson, has always been the band’s backbone.

Last Thursday night, Young Rich (“Not so young anymore,” he responded to a fan yelling out his nickname) drove his solo project band into Club Helsinki, and not surprisingly, the two-hour show focused on his new album, “Through a Crooked Sun.” That the songs from the album – which had been released just two days earlier – made up more than half of his set list may sound like a daunting prospect for the crowd, but that really wasn’t the case.

While the songs were brand new, the sound certainly wasn’t. The flashback mode was in full effect. Launching into the opening “It’s Not Easy,” my concert companion Dennis said, “They sound like every opening act at the Fillmore,” after a moment’s pause adding, “And I don’t mean that in a bad way.”

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