Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson sparked a backlash Sunday night after shutting down a patriotic chant from the crowd at a Florida concert and questioning what the audience had to be proud of as Americans.
The trouble began during the band’s show at MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa, part of their “Southern Hospitality Tour,” when an image of the group’s black crow mascot dressed as Uncle Sam appeared on a screen behind the stage, prompting some audience members to begin chanting “U.S.A.”
A source told TMZ the chanting broke out just before the band was set to play their hit “She Talks to Angels.” Mr. Robinson responded from the stage, saying, “Thanks for the geography lesson,” before adding that he didn’t know what fans had “to be so proud of right now.”
As portions of the crowd began booing and some concertgoers headed for the exits, Mr. Robinson doubled down, telling those booing, “For those of you f—-ing booing us, some of us are not afraid.”
In video circulating online, he can also be heard declaring that he and the band were “most assuredly” not “f—-ing ignorant.”
The blowback on social media was swift. One fan identifying himself as a U.S. veteran wrote on X that he and his wife had walked out disappointed and were hoping for a partial refund. Another longtime concertgoer wrote that the Tampa show had been his 12th Black Crowes concert since 1987 — and that he was done with the band.
Others pushed back in Mr. Robinson’s defense. One supporter argued the reaction was consistent with rock and roll’s rebellious tradition, noting that Mr. Robinson “isn’t well known for his warm personality and happy vibes” and had always been that way.
Mr. Robinson’s political outburst was, in fact, a relative rarity. In a recent interview with Mojo magazine, he had said, “I’m not interested in politics. I’m more interested in poetry and art and people and experience.”
Rolling Stone noted that Mr. Robinson has occasionally commented on former President Trump over the years but has largely kept his views out of his performances.
Mr. Robinson is not the only prominent rock artist to generate controversy over political remarks on tour this year. Bruce Springsteen, whose “Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour” launched in March, has faced criticism after repeatedly denouncing the Trump administration from the stage. The tour followed the release of his song “Streets of Minneapolis,” a protest tune targeting the administration’s deployment of federal agents to crack down on illegal immigration in Minnesota.
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