Starring: The Black Crowes
Studio: Eagle Vision
Video: 1.78:1 Enhanced for 16:9 Widescreen, 1080i HD
Audio: LPCM Stereo, English DD 5.1, English DTS 5.1
Subtitles: None
Extras: None
Length: 160 minutes
Rating: **1/2
When the Black Crowes burst on the scene in the nineties, they offered a surprisingly fresh approach to a seemingly well-traveled rock ’n’ roll genre. Their fan base grew steadily through the first few studio albums; however, internal chaos (involving numerous personnel changes) and the seemingly overpowering domestic bliss of lead singer Chris Robinson (married to actress Kate Hudson at the time) eventually derailed the group, which went into hiatus in 2002. Needless to say, true fans were seriously disappointed. But hope springs eternal, and in 2005 Chris Robinson reassembled the band for this five-night series of concerts at San Francisco’s storied Fillmore auditorium, the results of which are captured on this new Blu-ray disc from Eagle Vision.
If you’re a huge fan, this disc is a no-brainer, but for the rest of us there are some noticeable distractions. My main complaint stems from singer Chris Robinson – maybe he’d just watched a screening of Oliver Stone’s ‘The Doors’ and decided that he could channel a stoned and drunken Jim Morrison better than anybody, because his singing is damned-near unintelligible frequently throughout entire concert presentation. On top of that, whether it was an art direction choice or just a shaky cameraman, the frequently shaky video leaves much to be desired. Personally, I prefer the band, unencumbered by video trickery, to impress me with their art, and not to have the music ‘enhanced’ by video shenanigans.
The image quality was mostly serviceable, and the DTS soundtrack provided the most immersive concert experience for me. Technically, and on a performance level, the entire package comes up a bit short for an enthusiastic recommendation. But definitely a rental.
– Tom Gibbs
