Birds of a Feather and The Whole Truth and Nothing But...

It's concert week, boys and girls! Wednesday is the Black Crowes' summer romp through northern California and a precursor to the band's wintertime run. The Crowes have announced that finalizing the tours will be an "indefinite hiatus", which means, if anything, I will have more money in my pockets for the next couple of years. All I want is much of the new album from last summer, the best release of 2009 - Before the Frost...Until the Freeze. I wasn't blogging at the time of this release, which is unfortunate for the Black Crowes. This has been the best release on the music scene for a long time. To hear many of the songs live (only caught four last December) would be a treat.

The only album that rivals Before the Frost is, of course, the eponymous debut from T&S. They'll be opening for the Crowes Wednesday at Saratoga's Mountain Winery and headlining their own show the night after in the city. The first show will probably be similar to their previous outings, heavily pushing most of the album with a sorty-minute set. Thursday's club gig will hopefully see a couple of more songs than their Santa Cruz gig, and putting the show around an hour and a half in length. Even more the better, but just to catch them up close will be a treat. My friend and I will catch Wednesday's show behind the parking lot, concessionares boothes and the local Starbucks - the tickets are pretty danged pricey and we'll be in the back-back. That's fine by me. It'll also balance the next night, which will inspire me to write a nice piece about this week.

So, here's to the beginning of the end, so to speak, for the Black Crowes. If they ever reunite, I'll be there. If the band decides in the interim that remaining apart is the best, the band's history and contribution to the history of rock and roll is firmly intact. Perennially touring, always evolving and never seeking the status quo or the middle of the road, the Black Crowes charted their own path and brought along countless thousands of music lovers along for an amazing ride. Here's to Wednesday.