The Florida Theatre
Jacksonville, Florida
by Michelle Wilson of Rock Legends Photographers
Jam-band rockers The Magpie Salute cruised into Jacksonville on a cool, crisp Florida day and took over East Forsyth Street with their two mammoth tour buses. Members and road crew were in and out of the buses all afternoon into the evening, which was great fun for fans on the street (this one included). The casual appearance of Rich Robinson chatting outside of his bus in front of the fabulous Florida Theatre was a warm, inviting vision indeed. Following the demise of The Black Crowes in early 2015 after co-founding brothers Rich and Chris Robinson parted ways, Rich moved forward rapidly to assemble a superior lineup of musicians including guitarist Marc Ford, bassist Sven Pipien, keyboardist Eddie Harsch and backup vocalist Charity White, all former Crowes members. (Tragically, Harsch passed away just as The Magpie Salute was starting to take off.) Rounding out the ensemble are guitarist Nico Bereciartua, drummer Joe Magistro, newly added keyboardist Nick Rosen and lead singer John Hogg, who injects his own unique spin into the Chris Robinson sound, as well as backup vocalists Adrien Reju and Katrine Ottosen. With their self-titled debut record dropping earlier this year, the 10-piece collective has been touring steadily and offering a different set list at each show. Digging deep into the BC catalog and also opting for covers as well as material from individual ventures, this group knows how to mix it up and get it done right. What a treat it was to hear Robinson and Ford once again trade tasty licks with their dueling axes.
