Tuesday, 4/8/97
Count on ‘Crows’ to deliver upbeat concert
Group tours to promote new album; lead singer Adam Duritz fills
performance with emotion
By Brian Remick
Daily Bruin Contributor
Mock his appearance. Even ridicule his vocal ability.
But at Irvine Meadows on Saturday night, Adam Duritz of Counting
Crows showed everyone what true musical expression is all
about.
Counting Crows are currently on tour promoting their latest
release, "Recovering the Satellites," the follow-up to their smash
debut, "August and Everything After."
After an impressive opening performance by Ben Folds Five,
Counting Crows took the stage amidst a sea of blue and purple
lights.
The band immediately launched into a set of songs from their
latest release, including "Daylight Fading," "I’m Not Sleeping" and
the first single from the album, "Angels of the Silences."
Immediately obvious was how tightly Counting Crows stayed
together through the songs. The band itself is larger than most,
with two guitarists, a bass player, a keyboardist, a drummer and a
vocalist.
Despite the somewhat upbeat tempo of "Recovering the
Satellites," the crowd, who made the arduous trek out to Irvine
Meadows, strongly reflected the mood of their more acoustic first
release, staying very calm and reserved throughout the show.
Duritz shifted into a set from their first album, which included
the supposedly spontaneously-chosen "Omaha" and an amazing version
of "Rain King," still one of their best songs to date.
"We’re going to play some acoustic songs for you," Duritz said
as keyboardist Charles Grilling picked up an accordion. They dove
into a hardly recognizable version of "Mr. Jones," one of the
biggest singles from their first album.
With rumors flaring before the show that the band wouldn’t be
playing the hit song, the crowd was ecstatic when they heard the
opening chords, even though they were played on an accordion.
Duritz obviously realized the irony of "Mr. Jones," which is a
reflection on his desire to become famous. Duritz made his point.
He changed the well-known lyrics to, "We all want to be big stars –
well, I got some second thoughts on that." The crowd loved it.
The Counting Crows have a personable on-stage presence which
makes them fun to watch. Duritz, especially, makes an actual
performance of his lyrics, unlike most lead singers who merely
dance around and sing with no emotion.
Because of the emotion in Duritz’s voice, finding meaning in a
Counting Crows song before getting lost in the feeling of the song
can be quite challenging. Performing live, however, Duritz’s vocals
come to life, giving the songs a story behind them besides just the
feeling they create.
The band finished their first set with a few more songs from
"Recovering the Satellites," including the mysterious "Monkey" and
a fantastic version of "Goodnight Elisabeth," one of the best
performances of the night.
The encore brought the most audience reaction, with a 10-minute
version of long awaited "Round Here," complete with new verses
inserted in the middle of the song that caught the crowd’s
undivided attention. They concluded with "A Long December," the
latest single and the best track from their current album.
Counting Crows accomplished something on Saturday night which
few bands are able to do in their entire touring career – they
redefined their music.
Making even the trek to Irvine worthwhile.Geffen Records
The Counting Crows, (l. to r.) Ben Mize, David Bryson, Charles
Grilling, Matt Malley, Adam Duritz, and Dan Vickrey brought their
lyrics to life at Irvine Meadows Saturday night.