Rich Robinson is one of those artists that should be much more popular. His Acoustic Tour stopped at the Bear’s Den at Seneca Niagara Casino last Saturday and he played to a less-than-full house. As a founding member of The Black Crowes, Robinson enjoyed a few years of success with lots of radio airplay and top selling albums. His older brother Chris was lead singer and Rich handled most of the songwriting and band leading duties.
The solo Rich Robinson, standing center stage, played an enthusiastic and touching set of originals with a few cover songs mixed in with powerful results. Opening with “Enemy” off his solo debut album “Paper,” he set the tone for the evening. Robinson is a determined artist. His music is his life. He brought his emotions to every song. Expert guitar playing and a rich singing voice are traits that make Robinson a pleasure to see. More originals like “Leave It Alone” and “In Comes the Night” brought screams of approval from the crowd at the first notes.
Switching between acoustic and electric guitars, Robinson left no part of his talent and ability unexplored. This was a night to see a display of artistry that’s missing in today’s popular music. Robinson, for sure, would not be a talent controlled by the corporate music world. His Dylan cover of “Sign on the Window” was a brilliant display of how he could interpret another artist and be true to himself. Crowd response prompted another Dylan song “Girl from the North Country.” Too bad this show was seen by a small crowd. Don’t miss Rich Robinson the next time he comes to town. He is an artist who deserves more attention.
Setlist:
Enemy
I Remember
Bye Bye Baby
Leave It Alone
In Comes the Night
Falling Again
I Have a Feeling
I Don’t Hear the Sound of You
Sign on the Window (Bob Dylan cover)
Girl From The North Country (Bob Dylan cover)
Lost and Found
Hey Fear
Blackwaterside (Bert Jansch cover)
The Giving Key
Bring On, Bring On (The Black Crowes song)
Encore:
What Is Home (The Black Crowes song)
Kind Woman (Buffalo Springfield cover)
We would like to thank Philip J. Pantano from Pantano & Associates for the credentials to review the show.
