Chris and Rich Robinson, the brother duo behind the Black Crowes, have been circumspect about a new album since announcing a resumption of the band five years ago.
But last month’s arrival of “Happiness Bastards,” the group’s first album in 15 years (not counting last year’s covers EP “1972”) showed that new music from the reconstituted band was inevitable.
“We had these songs and then I kept writing, y’know,” Rich Robinson, 54, says via Zoom. “Because of (the pandemic), a year and a half kind of plopped in my lap. In typical, nonplanning Black Crowes fashion I was just like, ‘Well … I’m just gonna write,’ and it wasn’t for any purpose. It was just for writing.
“And then it came to the point where the next step would be for us to make a record and, y’know, we had a platform of songs and there were more songs and we decided, ‘OK, now’s a good time.'”
“Happiness Bastards” — “We’re happy, but we’re still bastards,” Robinson says with a laugh — sports 10 tracks and was produced by Nashville-based Jay Joyce, a Grammy Award-winning producer of the year who’s worked with Eric Church, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Lainey Wilson and many others. Wilson, in fact, guests on the track “Wilted Rose.” The album also allows the Robinsons to show off the latest edition of the band, which includes longtime bassist Sven Pipien, while the other members have been in the lineup mostly since after the group toured in 2021 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its debut album, “Shake Your Money Maker.”
“To me, the excitement of all the new guys brought this sort of new viewpoint to the band,” says Robinson, who along with his brother oversaw the release of a deluxe edition of the Black Crowes’ second album, “The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion,” last December. “Because they’re excited to be there, we’re excited to be there, and so it has all these different moving parts. I think it all felt kind of new and old at the same time, ’cause Chris and I, how we work, has always been the same. It’s never really changed.”
The Black Crowes perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 20 at the Fillmore Detroit, 2115 Woodward Ave. Doors at 7 p.m. 313-961-5451 or thefillmoredetroit.com.
Other music events of note this weekend (all subject to change) include …
FRIDAY, APRIL 19
• There’ll be all that jazz at the Fisher Music Center when pianist Kenny Barron and his Quintet plays at 8 p.m. in Orchestra Hall, preceded by Civic Jazz Live! at 7 p.m. in The Cube. 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-576-5111 or dso.org.
• The Detroit Symphony Orchestra is in the neighborhoods this weekend to play Mozart, Ravel and more at 8 p.m. tonight at the Meyer Theater in Monroe and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 21, at the Seligman Center in Beverly Hills. 313-576-5111 or dso.org.
• Peter Noone leads the latest incarnation of Herman’s Hermits into something good at 8 p.m. at Andiamo Celebrity Showroom, 7096 E. 14 Mile Road, Warren. 586-268-3200 or andiamoshowroom.com.
• British DJ FuntCase brings his 360 Unleashed show to the Crofoot Ballroom, 1 S. Saginaw St., Pontiac. Doors at 8 p.m. with Dubloadz, Deucez, Criioz and more also on the bill. 248-858-9333 or thecrofoot.com.
• The Harp Twins (yes, harp-playing twin sisters) play an Electric Spring Fling at 8 p.m. at 20 Front Street in Lake Orion. 248-783-7105 or 20frontstreet.com.
• California heavy rock quartet Movements performs at Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit. Doors at 6:30 p.m. 313-961-8961 or saintandrewsdetroit.com.
• Grammy Award-winning dance music duo Sidepiece joins Botez at the Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Doors at 9 p.m. 313-833-9700 or themajesticdetroit.com.
• Simple Wisdom tops a rock bill with Remember Me, Never the Crash and more at the Diesel Concert Lounge, 33151 23 Mile Road, Chesterfield Township. Doors at 6 p.m. 586-933-3503 or dieselconcerts.com.
• A trio of homegrown favorites — Carolyn Striho and Scott Dailey, Laura Rain and George Friend, and Mary McGuire — take the stage at 8 p.m. at the Trinity House Theatre, 38840 W. Six Mile Road, Livonia. 734-436-6302 or trinityhousetheatre.org.
• Trumpeter Allen Dennard and his band play through Saturday, April 20 at the Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe, 97 Kercheval, Grosse Pointe. 313-882-5399 or dirtydogjazz.com.
• Icarus Fell, Carbon Decoy and others will have the Cadieux Cafe rocking hard at 8:30 p.m. 4300 Cadieux Road, Detroit. 313-882-8560 or cadieuxcafe.com.
• Trapxart Detroit will pay tribute to EDM’s Freaknik Era with music, a fashion showcase and more at El Club, 4114 W. Vernor Highway, Detroit. Doors at 10 p.m. 313-757-7942 or elclubdetroit.com.
• The quintet Toed tops a bill with Graystation and Boy Blue at the Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale. Doors at 8 p.m. 248-820-5596 or thelovingtouchferndale.com.
• Pushing Daisy’s Band and Act Casual play at 8 p.m. at the New Dodge Lounge, 8850 Jos Campau, Hamtramck. 313-638-1508 or thenewdodgelounge.com.
• Get your Personal Jesus fix with Strangelove — The Depeche Mode Experience at District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte. Doors at 7 p.m. district142live.com.
• The Emerald Theatre in Mount Clemens pays tribute this weekend to Journey with Infinity & Beyond and then on Saturday. April 20, to Lynyrd Skynyrd with Sweet Home Alabama. 31 N. Walnut St. Mount Clemens. Doors at 7 p.m. for both. 586-630-0120 or theemeraldtheatre.com.
• New York singer-songwriter Willie Nile rocks at 8 p.m. at The Ark, 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 734-761-1818 or theark.org.
• Phish’s four-night stand at Sphere in Las Vegas will be livestreamed via LivePhish.com at 8 p.m. through Sunday, April 21.
• CBS will present an encore broadcast of “Billy Joel: The 100th — Live at Madison Square Garden” — this time with the closing “Piano Man” intact, the network promises — at 9 p.m.
• “We Still Can’t Say Good Bye,” a documentary about the making of the all-star Chet Atkins tribute album of the same name, premieres at 10 p.m. on CMT.
• The trio Beach Weather plays at 6 p.m. from Austin, Texas, streaming free via veeps.com.
• Michigan-bred Billy Strings streams his three weekend shows from St. Augustine, Florida, at 6:30 p.m. through Sunday, April 21. Tickets via nugs.net.
SATURDAY, APRIL 20
• Outspoken rapper-singer Nicki Minaj brings her Pink Friday 2 World Tour to town at 8 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena, 2645 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-471-7000 or 313Presents.com.
• The Spinners — in their first hometown performance since the death of the last original member, Henry Fambrough — joins fellow R&B mainstays Stylistics at 8 p.m. at Music Hall Center, 350 Madison Ave., Detroit. 313-887-8500 or musichall.org.
• The Detroit Opera Youth Choir presents “Odyssey,” an opera targeted to a young audience, at 2:30 p.m. at the Detroit Opera House, 1526 Broadway St. 313-237-7464 or detroitopera.org.
• Conductor Brent Havens and the band Windborne join the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to play “The Music of Pink Floyd” at 8 p.m. at Orchestra Hall, 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-576-5111 or dso.org.
• The a cappella troupe Sweet Honey in the Rock brings its continuing 50th-anniversary celebration to Christ Church Cranbrook for a 7 p.m. concert. 470 Church Road, Bloomfield Hills. 248-644-5210 or christchurchcranbrook.org.
• The hard rock trio King’s X reigns at the Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Road, Westland. Doors at 6:30 p.m. 734-513-5030 or tokenlounge.com.
• Hardcore hero Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein from the Misfits and Otep will rock at the Diesel Concert Lounge, 33151 23 Mile Road, Chesterfield Township. Doors at 7 p.m. 586-933-3503 or dieselconcerts.com.
• Tennessee singer-songwriter Vaden Landers comes north for an 8 p.m. show at 20 Front Street in Lake Orion. 248-783-7105 or 20frontstreet.com.
• Los Angeles punk group Spanish Love Songs rocks at Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit. Doors at 6 p.m. Oso Oso opens. 313-961-8961 or saintandrewsdetroit.com.
• The house music duo Bonnie X Clyde spins at the Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave. Detroit. Doors at 9 p.m. Gina Maria and Prim also perform. 313-833-9700 or themajesticdetroit.com.
• Detroit’s Lager House hosts 420 Fest with 15 bands playing two stages starting at 5 p.m. 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit. 313-500-1475 or thelagerhouse.com.
• Parti! is an appropriate 420 band for the New Dodge Lounge’s Blaze party, which also features Already Over, Wisher and the Reckless Scamps. 8850 Jos Campau, Hamtramck. 313-638-1508 or thenewdodgelounge.com.
• Mendax, Sam Shabazz, DaBoat and more also will be celebrating 420, at El Club, 4114 W. Vernor Highway, Detroit. Doors at 8 p.m. 313-757-7942 or elclubdetroit.com.
• Vocalist Pamela Wise presents “Women in Jazz” at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. through Saturday, April 20 at Cliff Bell’s, 2030 Park Ave., Detroit. 313-961-2543 or cliffbells.com.
• Finnish DJ Darude and Detroit’s own Kawsan play at 9 p.m. at Elektricity, 15 S. Saginaw St., Pontiac. 248-599-2212 or elektricitymusic.com.
• Vocal group The Macombers presents its Spring Extravaganza at 7:30 p.m. at the Cadieux Cafe, 4300 Cadieux Road, Detroit. 313-882-8560 or cadieuxcafe.com.
• Prince channeler Marshall Charloff and the Purple Experience parties like it’s, well, 2024 at 8 p.m. at Andiamo Celebrity Showroom, 7096 E. 14 Mile Road, Warren. 586-268-3200 or andiamoshowroom.com.
• Randy Bastards rock ‘n’ ska at the Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale. Doors at 7 p.m. Roots Vibration and Superdot also perform. 248-820-5596 or thelovingtouchferndale.com.
• Singer-songwriters Dave Boutette and Kristi Lynn Davis, along with the Dangling Participles, play at 8 p.m. at the Trinity House Theatre, 38840 W. Six Mile Road, Livonia. 734-436-6302 or trinityhousetheatre.org.
• Virginia punk troubadour Tim Barry takes the stage at Small’s, 10339 Conant, Hamtramck. Doors at 7 p.m. Fishgutzzzz and the Picasso’s also perform. 313-873-1117 or smallsbardetroit.com.
• Devil Church and the Nightmare pound it out at the Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff, and Hamtramck. Doors at 7 p.m. 313-462-4117 or sanctuarydetroit.com.
• The Tom Petty tribute band The Insiders play at the Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale. Doors at 8 p.m. 248-544-1991 or themagicbag.com.
• Local legend Mark “Mr. B” Braun hosts his 27th Annual Blues and Boogie Piano Celebration at 7:30 p.m. at The Ark, 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 734-761-1818 or theark.org.
• Karriem Riggins, Donavan Glover and Clairvoyant man the decks for a WhatJaeSay? tribute to the late J. Dilla at 9 p.m. at Spot Lite, 2905 Beaufait St., Detroit. spotlitedetroit.com or fusciology.com.
• Alt-rock favorite Bayside plays at midnight from Anaheim, California. Streaming tickets via veeps.com.
SUNDAY, APRIL 21
• Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Todd Rundgren brings his new Me/We Tour at 7:30 p.m. at Sound Board in the MotorCity Casino Hotel, 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit. 800-745-3000 or soundboarddetroit.com. For an interview, visit theoaklandpress.com.
• Indie rock favorite Waxahatchee plays a sold-out show at the Majestic Theatre, 4140 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Doors at 7 p.m. Good Morning opens. 313-833-9700 or majesticdetroit.com.
• Guitar hero and former Scorpions member Uli Jon Roth stings at the Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Road, Westland. Doors at 5:30 p.m. 734-513-5030 or tokenlounge.com.
• Atlantic Starr, Evelyn “Champagne” King and the SOS Band star in a Spring R&B Explosion at 7:30 p.m. at Music Hall Center, 350 Madison Ave., Detroit. 313-887-8500 or musichall.org.
• Assault, Jesus Wept and Syphoned will bring the heavy to the Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff, Hamtramck. Doors at 7 p.m. 313-462-4117 or sanctuarydetroit.com.
• Monique Ella Rose presents “The Soul Experience” at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. at Cliff Bell’s, 2030 Park Ave., Detroit. 313-961-2543 or cliffbells.com.
• Surf Trash, Parrotfish and Moravian mop up the weekend at 8 p.m. at the Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit. 313-500-1475 or thelagerhouse.com.
• Signer-songwriter Dan Cafferty hosts an Empty Chair Night, inviting audience members to join him in performing James Taylor songs at 7 p.m. at the Trinity House Theatre, 38840 W. Six Mile Road, Livonia. 734-436-6302 or trinityhousetheatre.org. Those interested in performing should email daniel.cafferty@yahoo.com.
• A Taylor Swift Dance Party will screen “The Eras Tour” concert film and celebrate her new album at 5 p.m. at The Roxy, 401 Walnut Blvd., Rochester. 248-453-5285 or theroxyrochester.com.
• Fiddler Nick Shoulders & the Okay Crawdad plays a sold-out show at 7:30 p.m. at The Ark, 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. Maddy Kirgo opens. 734-761-1818 or theark.org.
• “Chicago & Friends in Concert,” filmed last November in Atlantic City and featuring guests such as Robin Thicke, Chris Daughtry, Steve Vai, Robert Randolph and others, screens in movie theaters. Locations and ticket information at chicagoandfriendsdintheateres.com.
• The 2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees will be announced during tonight’s episode of “American Idol,” airing at 8 p.m. on ABC. This year’s nominees include Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Eric B. & Rakim, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Jane’s Addiction, Kool & the Gang, Lenny Kravitz, Oasis, Sinéad O’Connor, Ozzy Osbourne and A Tribe Called Quest.
• Contemporary Christian singer-songwriter Anne Wilson celebrates the release of her new album, “Rebel,” at 7 p.m. from Lexington, Kentucky. Streaming tickets via veeps.com.
