On Friday night, the Crosby Collective returned to Santa Barbara, Calif., to close their two-night stand at the historic Lobero Theatre. The evening was a high-energy affair, with the crowd electrified by the ensemble’s unique blend of rock and jam classics. Led by bandleader Jason Crosby, the collective, including Widespread Panic’s Dave Schools, Greg Leisz, John Morgan Kimock, Tom Guarna, Doug Stringer, Jeremy Jeffers, Lamar Williams Jr., Chavonne Stewat, and Alethea Mills, and at select moments special guest Jackson Browne. During the event, the band perpetuates the power of stirring a crowd with a series of first-time debuts that surfaced during the performance.
Like in previous concerts, Crosby set out with the subtle piano composition “Clare D’Lune,” which flowed into a full-band sweep through Grateful Dead’s “Jack Straw” and The Allman Brothers Band’s “Dreams,” dubbed “Jack’s Dream.” “I Know You Reprise” merged two jam classics, the traditional “I Know You Rider” with Phish’s “Tweezer Reprise.” The gentler side of the first set leaned on “Casey’s Eclipse,” a current of Pink Floyd’s Eclipse parsed with lines from Robert Hunter’s “Casey Jones.”
The arrival of “Billie Rider” produced an instantly recognizable intro akin to the original intro of The Doors’ “Riders on the Storm” with the lyrics of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.” “You Really Gotta Go My Way” saw Crosby take the lead on vocals, intersecting The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me” over the music of Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” with Lamar Williams Jr. knocking Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” before dissolving…