Photo Credit: Paul Citone

On Friday,  April 12, The Black Crowes took their Happiness Bastards Tour to the famed Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. Unbeknownst to the audience was the slate of surprises the Georgia band had in store, including a pair of sit-ins featuring music industry vets, The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood and The Allman Brothers Band’s Chuck Leavell, who showed up separately and assisted on choice numbers, such as Faces’ “Stay With Me” for the first time since 1990.

As expected, The Black Crowes wasted no time starting their stage time, pulling songs off their ninth studio LP, and first in 15 years, Happiness Bastards, including “Bedside Manners,” “Rats and Clowns,” and “Cross Your Fingers,” which intermingled with classic “Twice as Hard” and “Gone.” The night’s first guest arrived next, Wood, who turned up and embraced the rock-and-roll spirit at center stage during a cover of “Stay With Me.” 

Notably, the song choice represented Wood’s history; he was a Faces member and contributed to the original 1971 studio recording of the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper. Following the conclusion of the A Nod Is As Good As a Wink… to a Blind Horse originator, The Black Crowes added more self-penned numbers before their next guest, Leavell. His arrival threaded another connection, this time to Wood. The pair have toured together since 1982 in The Stones. 

For Leavell’s stage time, he helped out The Black Crowes on two songs: Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle,” and their Shake Your Money Maker concert frequenter, “She Talks to Angels.” After the band’s second sit-in of the night, they returned to original music, which included an extended jam on “Thorn in My Pride.” For the final song of their Greek Theatre stand, The Black Crowes covered The Velvet Underground’s “White Light/White Heat.”

After the troupe’s Los Angeles concert, they took their live show up the coast to Oakland, Calif., and will continue through the Pacific Northwest tomorrow, performing in Seattle on Monday, April 15. Tickets remain on sale.