The Black Crowes are preparing for their summer tour dates, sharing the stage with country rockers Whiskey Myers. To celebrate, the two groups recently collaborated in the studio to record a gritty cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Star Star,” which UCR is pleased to premiere below.

The combined forces provide a musical preview of what fans can expect at the upcoming concerts on the extensive Southern Hospitality tour, launching May 17 in Austin. They faithfully channel every bit of the swagger and attitude of the original (which appeared as the closing track on the Stones’ 1973 album Goats Head Soup), while delving deep into the song’s barroom jamming vibe and audible decadence.

However, their interpretation is also infused with a certain vibe that gives it the feeling of being a lost Southern rock jam.

Watch Black Crowes and Whiskey Myers Perform ‘Star Star’

What to Expect From the Black Crowes and Whiskey Myers Summer Tour

“We’re excited. It’s a big year. We feel that we have a lot of momentum from Happiness Bastards and everything going on,” Chris Robinson shares with UCR. “To have this [new] record, [A Pound of Feathers], and to get to interject some of these new songs [as part of the tour] gives us a lot of energy. I think the summer is going to be super fun, man. These kids in Whiskey Myers are super cool. We just got to hang with them recently.” [Editor’s note: They’ve got the song above to prove it!]

“For the tour, we’re discussing bringing back some old things that we used to do, that people haven’t heard in a long time, which is exciting,” he says. “We love that our music still means something…enough to people to come be a part of it and feel it — and jump up and down.”

The Crowes Embraced the Unpredictable Moments On Their New Album

“Typically, I’ll send Chris more finished songs and then we’ll get together and kind of work out smaller arrangement things, but it’s kind of a little bit more done than normal,” Rich Robinson tells UCR in a separate interview. “But on this record, we wanted to use the studio [as a tool].”

“I had songs [that weren’t as far along], you know, verses and choruses, maybe a couple of bridges, just a general idea of what it was going to be,” he explained. “Chris would hear a chorus as a verse and a verse as a chorus, and we would try that out. Sometimes it works, sometimes it didn’t.”

Get Ready for a Lot of Good ‘Racket’ on the Road

With over 40 tour dates scheduled, it will be a busy summer for the Black Crowes and Whiskey Myers. The Southern Hospitality tour will take them from Austin to many other markets, including Nashville, New York, Detroit, Toronto, and St. Louis.

“It’s changed a lot. Of course, our audience has changed. I think people’s attitudes at concerts have changed,” Chris says about the live experience. “But ultimately, getting out there to make a racket and get the energy flowing is important; knowing that people are involved in these songs in their lives just as they intertwine with our experiences is crucial [is really great].”

“Doing a full tour in 2026 is incredible. You know what I mean? Like that people care that we have this level of success and that people still enjoy it; these songs are part of their lives. They’re part of my life, and they’re part of your life. And I think that’s always been really important to us.”

READ MORE: The Black Crowes Announce 2026 Summer Tour