Ok, ok, ok… yes, Tom Petty did headline this show. But when you know from past years that Tom Petty is a good cure for insomnia, you go just to see the opener. In case you’re wondering, this reviewer stayed for 45 minutes of Petty’s hit filled set… it provided no new insight to why so many people enjoy this man’s music. Seriously, seeing Petty live works better than Ambien, or any other sleep aid. So, I left early, but was entertained by the strong second coming of the Black Crowes .

The Atlanta based band (which includes the always caustic Robinson brothers Chris and Rich) wailed out a jam based 80 minute set which gave the crowd a strong welcome back to the music world. After doing a series of dates in New York earlier this year, the Crowes decided to give touring another shot, and the high profile opening slot for the Petty tour seemed to be the right fit.

The band came out to “Midnight From the Inside Out”, which let the jamming commence, before launching into the 1992 gem “Sting Me”. The latter song seemed to get the fans in a drunken, riled up mood. The band spent the time on stage like nothing had even changed. There was not much interaction between the Robinson brothers, but there was never much love on stage between them, so that seemed like nothing new. Tunes such as “Wiser Time” received polite applause from the sold out crowd, most of which seemed to be already in their seats by the time the Crowes came on.

There was plenty of improvisation by the band during their set, and they spent almost too much time playing around, instead of performing the songs the fans wanted to hear. An hour into the set, it seemed like a lighbulb went on in the band’s head and they decided to play some of the songs that fans wanted to hear.

In rapid succession, the band launched into the sing-along “She Talks to Angels”, followed by the personal favorite of this reviewer “Jealous Again”, and the huge hit “Remedy”. With those three songs, the crowd walked away satisfied and hoping that the band will come back headlining a tour of their own. We can only hope that the Robinson brothers don’t try to kill each other before that happens…

Art can be reached at arthatesyou@detroitbuzz.com.