The Magpie Salute New England Area Three Show Review & Photos

The Magpie Salute – Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom – August 5, 2017

More than anything else the biggest takeaway concerning The Magpie Salute is that the band is not, and never will be, the Black Crowes. This may be a disappointment to some of the band’s hard core fan base but believe it or not, this is actually a good thing.

The Magpie Salute instead is exactly that, a salute to the spirit of the Black Crowes and everything they embodied not only in the studio but through the vehicle that truly served as the heart and soul of the band, their live performance.

It would have been beyond easy for Rich Robinson to bring in a collection of talented musicians for the sole purpose of taking Black Crowes fans on a nostalgia trip through their back catalogue. And to be honest many of their fans likely would have openly embraced that kind of tour.

Fortunately, Robinson is not only much smarter than that, the man clearly understands that in order to move forward musically it’s best to forge ahead and not look too far into the rearview mirror. The good news for any fans of the Black Crowes is that The Magpie Salute is if anything, an evolution of something all of them have already fallen in love with.

One one hand the band pays homage to all that sublime music the Black Crowes produced over the years. This of course being the easy part of the equation as not only is Robinson himself in the band, he’s also recruited former Black Crowes players Marc Ford (lead guitar) and Sven Pipien (bass) to be a part of the Magpie’s journey.

This three headed snake gives the band instant credibility in terms of the Black Crowes selections they choose to perform, while at the same providing a window into the past for fans to connect with that feels both warm and pleasantly familiar.

The flip side to the coin is the material The Magpie Salute has in their repertoire that is not Black Crowes oriented. The band stills tips their hat to the music that inspired them as they were trying to figure out who they were as musicians oh so many years ago.

This in and of itself is a direct line to the hearts of any true Black Crowes fan. Some of the most beautiful moments the band ever created on stage came via their interpretations of music by the likes of Bob Dylan, The Band, Led Zeppelin, The Faces, The Rolling Stones, Little Feat, The Allman Brothers and countless others acts.

Not surprisingly some of the biggest fan reactions on the band’s current tour run throughout the New England area recently have come when they’ve played familiar Black Crowes cover staples such as Pink Floyd’s “Fearless” and The Velvet Underground’s “Oh Sweet Nuthin.”

The Magpie Salute, however, again doesn’t exist to serve as a recreation of the Black Crowes. Besides the aforementioned players the band is comprised of Michael Bellar (keys), Joe Magistro (drums), Nico Bereciartua (guitars), John Hogg (vocals), and three back up singers comprised of old school Black Crowes collaborator Charity White as well as Adrien Reju and Katrine Ottosen.

It would be an absolute travesty to not mention that Robinson had originally recruited long time Black Crowes keys player Eddie Harsch. Sadly Harsch died last year before the band had a chance to tour extensively but he still played on the band’s debut album that was recorded live and recently released to predominately positive reviews.

Without question the loss of Harsch was not only a blow to all those who knew him personally and professionally, his death has prevented fans from having the opportunity to reveal in the beauty of his playing up on the lighted staged at least one more time.

Any long time fan of the Black Crowes knows that during their heyday in the early to mid 1990’s Harsch was the heart beat of the band at times. His contributions elevated some of those soul shattering slow burners such as “Sometimes Salvation” and “Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye,” to insane highs.

Ford recently said of Harsch, “He was one of the true musicians. The guy just ate it, and breathed it, and slept it. He was his music. It was beautiful to watch.”

It’s an obvious assumption to make but some of the most critical eyes will be on The Magpie Salute’s vocalist Hogg. There will be no dodging the inevitable comparisons to original Black Crowes vocalist Chris Robinson. Any such comparisons, however, would not only unfair, the fact is they’d be uncalled for.

Throughout the course of a run of three shows in Boston, Connecticut and New Hampshire this past week Hogg proved to the masses that not only is he not intent on trying to impersonate Robinson, he has plenty to offer fans as a unique vocalist in his own right.

Should you require any evidence to support this claim I’d simply ask besides seeing the band perform live that you jump on the inter-webs and check out The Magpie Salute’s first single, “Omission.”

If this track doesn’t prove what Hogg is capable of adding to this band on vocals you probably should just cave in and pick up the latest Katy Perry or Justin Bieber record and simply move on.

Sticking to the topic of the band’s current journey throughout the heart of New England it would be a mistake to not mention how truly unique the band’s live performances have been coming across.

Should you require a more complete description of the state of current tour in terms of vibe and overall quality, the only thing I can say is that this tour is playing out entirely authentic in ways that have been very similar to any of the best tours the Black Crowes ever embarked on.

Please take note that I’m not directly referring to the songs the band is performing live. Instead I’m trying to convey that the band’s current live shows have had this incredibly diverse musical palate to them. The Magpie Salute is offering up typically twenty plus songs a night, with the set lists being unique night in and night out.

Perhaps more importantly the shows themselves, much like the Black Crowes tours of old, each seem to have their own particular pacing and style that also changes from show to show.

Boston’s show at The Wilbur was at times a hard charging rock and roll affair at certain points such as when the band closed with a killer one, two punch of “Sometimes Salvation” and “No Speak No Slave.”

While at other times the performance was introspective and patient, with fans having the opportunity to get lost in evocative acoustic tracks such as long time Black Crowes staple, “How Much for Your Wings?” as well as a resplendent take on Rod Stewart’s, “Gasoline Alley.”

The band’s show in Beantown also seemed to be one where Ford and Robinson shared the spotlight, with each guitar player taking the crowd on fantastic journeys of rock, blues and psychedelia. The interplay between the two has been joy to witness again.

It’s obvious their familiarity and comfort with one another as players is bringing out the best in them on this tour cycle. At the same time it’s also cementing the fact that the Ford and Robinson influenced each other deeply in terms of their play style as you can hear bits of Ford’s playing in Robinson’s and Robinson’s in Ford’s.

The band’s performance the following night in Hartford, Connecticut at the Infinity Music Hall and Bistro was an entirely different affair as from the outset it seemed the pony was going to be primarily driven by Ford. The guitarist immediately made fans take notice with sweeping and transcendent solos on tracks such as “Another Roadside Tragedy” and “Greasy Grass River.”

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Another highlight from both the shows in Boston and Hartford had to be the bass playing of Pipien.

Often times bass players get lost in the wash both on stage physically as well as in the sound mix itself. Pipien was on fire throughout both of these performances, with his playing as well as his enthusiasm at such high levels. It was simply impossible not to see much fun he was having and how much his playing truly adds to the band.

Conversely the band’s performance at the Hampton Ballroom Casino in New Hampshire was a much more reigned in affair. Despite coming out of the gate with crushing takes on fan favorites “Wiser Time” and “A Conspiracy” the night turned out to be more of a slower paced showcase for the entire band.

Ford took a step back on the night, as did Robinson himself to some degree, to allow others to share in the limelight a bit.

It was difficult not to recognize the talent guitarist Bereciartua brings to the table as he shined on several tracks in New Hampshire. Having a third guitar player of Bereicartua’s caliber in the band creates a much thicker guitar sound in a live setting, while also providing Ford and Robinson the opportunity to tackle the band’s music from different perspectives.

Additionally, of the three shows Magistro seemed to have his best night behind the kit in New Hampshire. This may have been a result of the show being a bit more subdued in terms of rock and roll power, making it easier to take notice of his playing. Or perhaps it was just a byproduct of his becoming more and more comfortable showcasing his own skills in a band dominated at times by over the top players.

It’s also worth noting what a joy it has been to see, and more importantly hear, Charity White providing vocals on some of the most memorable Black Crowes songs the band is performing these days. Her vocals along with those of the incredibly talented Reju and Ottosen provided this wall of rich soul. The trio absolutely shined on tracks such as “Sting Me” and “Thorn in My Pride.”

The Magpie Salute are at the very beginning of their musical migration. Whether the band chooses to record multiple studio albums and tour for decades, only time will tell.

For now The Magpie Salute is providing fans with the opportunity to come out and once again share the musical ride of a lifetime with the band, and as importantly, with one other.

If that’s not a sentiment you can jump on board with then I’m guessing you missed the point as to why the Black Crowes ever existed and why Robinson, Ford, Pipien and the rest of The Magpie Salute are still out there inspiring each other and countless fans spanning the globe.