TONY ENGELHART: SHAKE IT AT THE FAIR >>>

The first time I heard The Black Crowes I thought they were an obscure band from the early ’70s. Unlike anything that was going on at the time, the band had a Stonesy vibe with a Faces-era Rod Stewart swagger. Competing with the Grunge movement was difficult in 1990, but somehow they managed to pull it off. With Chris Robinson’s whip thin body and Hendrix-like garb, classic rock fans could totally identify with the Georgia quartet.

Catch them tonight at the Puyallup Fair beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 to $55 at Ticketmaster.

Their first record, Shake Your Money Maker, was a bluesy boogie masterpiece chock full of archetypal guitar riffs and heavy rock beats. But critics slammed it for being a carbon of Jagger and Richards. But by the time they released the second disc, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, they found their own unique groove. While they still possessed a classic rock timbre, they added some Southern strut to the mix. Subsequent albums followed the prototypical second outing.

They received a huge endorsement in 2000 when Jimmy Page invited them to perform Led Zeppelin songs at the Greek Theatre.

This past March, Chris and company released a seventh studio record, Warpaint. While the lineup has changed, they are still sounding fresh as the buds they smoke.