90s band clashes with crowd shouting ‘USA!’: ‘I don’t know what you have to be so proud of right now’
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The Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson has gotten into hot water with fans after he argued against a crowd who chanted “U-S-A.”
Robinson, 59, was met with boos at a show Sunday in Tampa, Florida after he pushed back on a pro-America cheer that started when an image of the band’s black crow mascot dressed as Uncle Sam was projected on a screen behind the stage.
“Thanks for the geography lesson,” the singer said sarcastically in response to the crowd’s shouting, according to a video of the awkward clash.
He then doubled down as the chant persisted, adding, “I don’t know what you have to be so proud of right now.”
The snappy remark sparked boos from the audience, and some people even left the concert in protest.
Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes argued with a concert crowd in Tampa, Florida, after they chanted ‘USA’ (Getty)
Robinson continued to rant as the crowd thinned out, saying 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 band had been performing their hit song “She Talks to Angels” when the conflict occurred.
Video of Robinson’s comments began to circulate online, prompting more pushback on the band’s official social media accounts.
“I had no clue who you guys were; but I do now. But I won’t listen to your music,” one person wrote to the band on X. Another added: “You’ve lost a lifelong fan with your disgusting anti American garbage. There is nothing ‘Southern’ about you or your music. What a disappointing farce. Get out of this country commie filth!”
The band has not publicly responded to the backlash against Robinson’s remarks, and did not immediately return The Independent’s request for comment. The group shared on X that they went to a Tampa Bay Rays baseball game the night after Sunday’s show.
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Robinson and his guitarist brother, Rich, started The Black Crowes in 1984. The rock band was a nineties staple known for their popular first two albums, Shake Your Money Maker in 1990, and The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion in 1992.
The group split up in 2015 and reunited in 2019. Earlier this year, the band released their new album A Pound of Feathers, marking their first project since their 2024 album, Happiness Bastards, was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards. They started the North American leg of their tour in May.
