Photo Credit: Paul Citone

On Thursday, Oct. 31, The Black Crowes assumed the spotlight at Uncasville, Conn.’s Mohegan Sun Arena for a very special Halloween show. From the moment the eight-piece ensemble led by brothers Chris and Rich Robinson took the stage, it was clear that they weren’t the slightest bit shy about committing to the holiday spirit. Decked out in matching skeleton costumes and face paint, the so-called Black “Dead” Crowes delivered a thrilling 20-track set dotted with curveball covers and a bust-out straight from the crypts.

The Black Crowes ripped into their performance with their first-ever cover of 45 Grave’s surfy, thrashing 1983 West Coast punk gem “Evil,” a marked turn from their typical heavy Southern rock sound that forecasted wild energy to come. This brash attitude bled into the array of originals that followed, from “Rats and Clowns” and “Dirty Cold Sun” from their recent reunion album Happiness Bastards to longtime favorites. “No Speak No Slave” and “Twice as Hard.” The evening’s second cover arrived with Clarence Stacy’s 1961 jukebox classic “Jack The Ripper,” the romping retro bop of which was transformed by the band’s gritty, garage rock approach.

After two more originals, the band dropped into another red hot cover, this time reviving The Cramps’ 1981 prowling retro, rockabilly take on Ronnie Cook’s 1962 hit “Goo Goo Muck.” The Crowes rode this momentum into a full-on reanimation of their classic 1996 standout “Evil Eye,” marking its first performance since 2013. The group then dropped the needle on The Velvet Underground’s “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’” before racing into more fan-favorite originals like “Thorn in My Side,” “She Talks to Angels” and a storied cover of Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle.” 

The Black Crowes wrapped their Halloween show with an explosive treatment of the live staple “Remedy,” then returned to the stage with an encore of The Velvet Underground’s “White Light/White Heat.” The band will return to the spotlight again on Thursday, Nov. 7, for a performance at Tulsa, Okla.’s Paradise Cove at River Spirit Casino Resort. For tickets and more information, visit theblackcrowes.com.

Watch fan-recorded videos of highlights from Thursday below, and read on for the evening’s complete setlist.

The Black Crowes

Mohegan Sun Arena – Uncasville, Conn.

10/31/24

It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll), Evil, Rats and Clowns, Twice as Hard, No Speak No Slave, Dirty Cold Sun, Jack the Ripper, Black Moon Creeping, Cross Your Fingers, Goo Goo Muck, Evil Eye, Oh! Sweet Nuthin’, Flesh Wound, Thorn in My Pride, Wanting and Waiting, Hard to Handle, She Talks to Angels, Wiser Time, Jealous Again, Remedy