Black Crowes, still hard to handle?

By Ed Hannan, Sun Correspondent

They've had more lineup changes than a slumping baseball team and two brothers who feud more than any band not named Oasis, and yet they keep on touring with a fiercely loyal fan base in tow.

They are The Black Crowes and they are coming up on the 20th anniversary of their 1990 major-label debut, Shake Your Money Maker, an album that has sold more than 6 million copies. They will perform two shows next weekend at Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, Thursday and Friday, June 18-19.

The Crowes' lineup features mainstays Chris Robinson on vocals and Rich Robinson on guitar, Steve Gorman (drums), and Sven Pipien (bass), along with newcomers Adam MacDougall on keyboards and guitarist Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi All-Stars. They are touring behind last year's album, Warpaint, their first new material since 2001. They are also working on a new double album, Before the Frost, Until the Freeze, that is slated for release in September. It is said to include bluegrass and country-blues influences and arrangements.

For those who have lost touch with The Black Crowes either since their debut album or their hiatus earlier this decade, here's a quick primer on what you'll see next weekend. They change the set list every night, so doing your homework involves knowing all of their albums, since the Crowes are likely to play songs from their entire catalog. They will play some of their hits, but if you go in expecting to hear the entire Shake Your Money Maker album, you will be disappointed. When they play songs like "Hard to Handle," they get the quickest of run-throughs. However, on other hits like "Thorn in My Pride," they stretch out into lengthy jams.

Indeed, where the Crowes were once mainstays on rock radio, they have now settled comfortably into the world of jam bands like Phish, Umphrey's McGee, and .moe. That includes 20-minute versions of songs and copious amounts of substances that will get you a $100 fine in Massachusetts. But, that said, as someone who has seen them more than a dozen times, I can tell you that every Crowes show is a musical journey. If you like music, it's worth the trip. They will play songs you love and songs you think you've heard, but can't remember. But once you've seen the show, you won't forget it anytime soon.

Ed Hannan can be reached at edhannan@gmail.com and through his blog, http://newenglandmusicblog.blogspot.com.