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In today's music industry, which primarily is focused upon the next mediocre four-minute radio single or iTunes compilation, it is extremely rare when an act is willing not only to showcase a new album, but play it in its entirety in front of a live audience. But over the last 18 years, the Black Crowes have always done things their own way, if occasionally alienating a mainstream constituency. So, the band was staying true to its roots this Friday evening in Chicago, by unveiling the new album to a sold-out crowd at the Park West.

The Crowes' recent LP, entitled Warpaint, is the group's first full-length studio effort in seven years and arguably their best album since 1996's Three Snakes and One Charm. The disc features 11 tracks - 10 original recordings and a version of the Reverend Charlie Jackson's "God's Got It" and has been released independently on Silver Arrow Records. The album also showcases the addition of soulful slide-guitar virtuoso Luther Dickinson and keyboardist Adam MacDougall, both of whom are now official members of the group.

Dickinson was in fine form all evening at Park West, harmonizing with Rich Robinson while offering incendiary slide guitar riffs. From Warpaint's opening track, "Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution" to the melodic slide guitar work on "Wounded Bird" to the final ethereal and beautifully arranged "Whoa Mule," it was evident not only that both guitarists were on top of their game, but that lead vocalist Chris Robinson was sounding better than he has in years. Such songs as "Oh Josephine", "Locust Street", and "Movin' On Down The Line" demonstrated that the elder Robinson has regained the form that helped the Crowes find success on such records as 1992's multi-platinum Southern Harmony and The Musical Companion.

Though individually all members of the band sounded great, the standout moments were the intimate ones that the group shared together. The extended outro on "Oh Josephine," the slide guitar jam on "Evergreen" and the Neil Young-esque guitar dueling between the Brothers Robinson and Dickinson on "Wee Who See The Deep" this set was a perfect example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. The complementary harmonies provided by bassist Sven Pipien and back-up singers Mona Lisa and Charity along with tasteful keyboard-playing by MacDougall created a thick, lush sound that filled out the venue and accompanied the album's solid melodic textures. Another highlight from Warpaint was "God's Got It", where drummer Steve Gorman took center stage and played a giant bass drum "apparatus" (as Chris Robinson jokingly referred it) while Rich and Luther traded murky gospel-infused riffs and Chris did his signature "barefoot hippy shuffle." The set concluded with the final album track, entitled "Whoa Mule," which started a cappella-style then progressed into a dense, six-minute beat-driven, acoustic number aided by a djembe played by Gorman elegant keyboard work by MacDougall, and ample guitar interplay between Luther and Rich.

After a fifteen-minute intermission, the Black Crowes returned to the stage amidst a chorus of deafening cheers. Rather than falling back on such crowd-pleasing favorites such as "Remedy", "Hard to Handle", or "Jealous Again" the band went in another direction. The Crowes pulled off an excellent cover version of "Poor Elijah" (Delaney & Bonnie) followed by "Good Friday" from their Three Snakes album. The next selection, however, was perhaps the highlight of the second part of the show. The group tore into the lesser-known B-side, "Another Roadside Tragedy" from the previously-released album The Lost Crowes. Bluesy, upbeat, and soulful, the band managed to push the tune as far as it would go and brought it all back to the chorus, keeping the crowd dancing the entire time. Three more covers would follow, including a rendition of "Rockin' Chair" by the Band. The encore featured a solid version of "Don't Do It" (also by The Band), along with the mid-tempo shuffle of Moby Grape's "Hey Grandma." One had the sense that the band seemed fixated on not only paying homage to their roots-rock predecessors, but giving the crowd something that one normally wouldn't find at most shows - a rock n' roll history lesson.

While the band's commercial success and mainstream appeal may have faded slightly, at the Park West Chris Robinson sang, "you need no wings - just set your mind to fly." Agreed.