Green Leaf Rustlers
Former Black Crowe Chris Robinson may be looking more and more like he posed for the Shroud of Turin, but his voice has only gotten stronger through the years, as heard over the course of several solo projects. His newest, Green Leaf Rustlers, pairs him with frequent Jefferson Starship collaborator Pete Sears, Barry Sless (Moonalice), John Molo (Bruce Hornsby & the Range), and Greg Loiacono (the Mother Hips). The group will pay tribute to classic country and roots music on a short ten-date tour that includes their first performance in Alaska, as well as a March 20 appearance at the Belly Up.
They made their live debut in summer 2017 and embarked on their first tour last year. Being somewhat of a jam band that welcomes tapers, there are plenty of YouTube clips that demonstrate a tight, well-rehearsed ensemble, although be advised not to expect any Crowe-ing or anything by the Chris Robinson Brotherhood. Instead, you’ll be presented with faithfully arranged, if sonically over-amped, versions of evergreen tunes such as “Ride Me High” (J.J. Cale), “Big Mouth Blues” (Gram Parsons), “Standin’” (Townes Van Zandt), and “Honky Tonk Song” (Mel Tillis). Looking over setlists from just this month, they’ve also been covering Parsons’ “Still Feeling Blue” and Cale’s “Ride Me High.” One recent performance closed with an encore of “Bertha” by the Grateful Dead, a number known well by guitarist Barry Sless and drummer John Molo from their stints with Dead Family acts like Kingfish, Phil Lesh, and the Other Ones.