THE BLACK CROWES ROAR LIKE ‘LIONS’ AT PRIVATE PARTY IN NYC FOR FORTHCOMING ALBUM

For those who were lucky enough to be invited, it was a night that won't be forgotten anytime soon.

MICK JAGGER, GOLDIE HAWN, MOBY, LIV TYLER and HOWARD STERN were among the bevy of celebrities and taste-makers who crowded into a vacant bank space transformed into a colorful rave setting in lower Manhattan Saturday night, February 3 to celebrate THE BLACK CROWES' completion of their forthcoming LIONS. Due out in mid-May, the DON WAS-produced album marks the band's debut for V2 Records, whose owner Richard Branson was on hand to host the exclusive bash. To quote one of the songs on the album, the whole experience was truly "Midnight From The Inside Out."

A little after 12:00 AM, a 10-minute video retrospective of THE BLACK CROWES–highlighting their success…and well-documented excess–was projected over the stage. Next, THE BLACK CROWES–lead vocalist CHRIS ROBINSON; guitarists RICH ROBINSON and AUDLEY FREED; drummer STEVE GORMAN; keyboardist EDDIE HARSCH; and new bassist ANDY HESS–launched into what was a bracing set of favorites like "Wiser Time" and "Seeing Things" and songs from LIONS that included "Lickin'," "Greasy Grass River" and "Young Man, Old Man."

Cheering on the BLACK CROWES as they roared into their breakthrough 1990 hit "Twice As Hard" (with Kelly Jones of Britain's Stereophonics guesting on lead vocals) and Fleetwood Mac's early nugget "Oh Well" (with Canada's Big Sugar guitarist Gordie Johnson) were the aforementioned celebrities plus a host of other musicians (Peter Frampton, Don Was, Nona Hendryx, Stereophonics, Darius Rucker, 3 Doors Down, Spacehog); and actors such as Liev Schreiber, three cast members of "The Sopranos" (Drea de Matteo, Aida Turturro and Dominic Chianese, who plays the menacing "Junior" character) and five cast members from "Saturday Night Live" as well as film director Jim Jarmusch.

In an item on Billboard.com, Jonathan Cohen said, "Dressed for the occasion, shaggy frontman Chris Robinson sported a knee-length white shirt with a multi-colored lion in the center. He and his bandmates…got heads nodding from note one of 'Midnight From The Inside Out,' a thick, midtempo number marked by a stellar guitar solo from Rich Robinson. Next was 'Lickin', highlighted by the guitarist's super funky, rhythmically off-kilter riffing."

THE BLACK CROWES, revered as The Most Rock `N Roll Rock `N Roll Band In The World, have achieved worldwide sales exceeding 15 million albums and vast critical acclaim.

On LIONS, THE BLACK CROWES don't back down from their original mission: to create rock and roll that is fierce and genuine. LIONS is heavy and raucous at times while expansive and tender in other spots. By further challenging themselves–sonically and emotionally–they've come up with their most distinguished album yet.