Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson found himself in the middle of a controversy at a Florida concert after pushing back on fans who chanted “U-S-A”, triggering boos, walkouts and a wave of angry reactions online.
What happened at the Tampa show
The band was performing in Tampa on Sunday as part of their “Southern Hospitality Tou” when an image of their black crow mascot dressed as Uncle Sam was projected on the screen behind the stage, according to TMZ.
The crowd responded by chanting “U-S-A.” Robinson who is 59, was not pleased.
“Thanks for the geography lesson,” he said sarcastically, according to video of the moment obtained by TMZ. When the chanting continued, he went further, telling the audience, “I don’t know what you have to be so proud of right now.”
The remarks immediately drew boos from the crowd, and some people got up and left the concert entirely.
As the audience thinned out, Robinson kept going from the stage: “Some of us have real faith. For those of you f***ing booing us, some of us are not afraid. And we most assuredly are not f***ing ignorant.”
The confrontation happened while the band was performing their well-known song “She Talks to Angels”
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How fans reacted online
Video of Robinson’s comments spread quickly online, and the backlash was swift.
A fan on X who described himself as a US veteran and wrote, “Bought tickets for my wife’s birthday in Tampa. Chris Robinson mocked the USA chanters… We walked out disappointed. Hoping for a partial refund.”
“Don’t forget to charge back your tickets. No reason they should make a nickel from America. F**k these trashy wanted-to-be-but-never-were-successful ‘performers’,” wrote another.
Another wrote, “So I’m at the Black Crowes concert in Tampa tonight… Chris Robinson basically just told Patriots to kiss his ass! Not kidding. This was my 12th Crowes concert since 87, I just dropped them like a hot iron.”
One more fan summed it up this way: “Never had any issue with the Black Crowes, but good lord, Chris Robinson handled this in the worst way possible. It’s one thing if the fans are combative or disrupting your set, it’s another when fans are innocuously chanting USA.”
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Who are the Black Crowes?
Robinson founded The Black Crowes in 1984 with his brother, guitarist Rich Robinson. The Atlanta-born band became a rock staple in the early 1990s, particularly with their first two albums, Shake Your Money Maker (1990) and The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion (1992).
The band split in 2015, reunited in 2019 and are currently touring in support of their 10th studio album, A Pound of Feathers. Their previous album, Happiness Bastards, was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards.
Interestingly, Robinson had described himself as apolitical just months earlier. In a March interview with Mojo magazine, he said, “I’m not interested in politics. I’m more interested in poetry and art and people and experience,” as per Page Six.