the Counting Crows

The Counting Crows finally came through with their long awaited, rescheduled concert at The Warfield in San Francisco on Jan. 29. The audience was hungry for some of that hometown music from vocalist/pianist Adam Duritz and his entourage. Opening band Joe 90 really rocked the casbah. It is easy to see why Duritz promotes them as one of his favorites.

After a lengthy intermission, the Counting Crows sauntered onstage with that overpowering confidence a band can feel only on their home turf. Duritz immediately busted into one of their biggest hits, "Mr. Jones." Duritz, sporting a goatee and his trademark dreadlocks, passionately worked his way through the rest of it. After a minute-long jam, he crafted a freestyle bridge through the rest of the song. No, he didn't forget the lyrics; he evolved them, giving the audience a new take on the well-known song.

This freestyling technique remained throughout the show, adding a unique spin to songs most of his listeners knew by heart. The talent and skill of the other musicians were stunning, adding an organ, piano, accordion, mandolin, drums, three guitars and a bass to the mix of the songs.

The second song was accompanied by the audience singing louder than the band, while bassist Matt Malley slapped that bass faster that most had ever seen. They followed with "I Wish I Was A Girl," off their newest album, This Desert Life. Duritz hypnotized the audience with hand gestures related to the lyrics, controlling them like a snake charmer.

The greatest thing about seeing the Crows play live is that the seven-member band plays as one solid unit. Of course, break out with a solo every now and then, and even some killer duets between a guitar and mandolin, but it is easy to spot that they enjoy playing with each other and in front an audience.

It is also easy to see that Duritz knows he is the leader of the band. As he jokingly told them, "I made you, I can break you." Duritz chatted to the audience as if it was a group of old friends, which essentially it was. He talked about Berkeley, his hometown across the Bay.

The band rolled through "Daylight Fading," off Recovering the Satellites; and "Mrs. Potter's Lullaby" and "High Life," both from This Desert Life. They ended with "Round Here," from August and Everything After, with the spotlight focused on Duritz, who was intently studying the microphone and the audience. The band stood behind him, bathed in a moody, purple light as they watched Duritz, anticipating just what he was going to do or say next. As he sat at the piano, he sang "Amy Hit The Atmosphere."

The show drew to a close with the current radio hit, "Hanginaround." They brought out Joe 90, for a grand total of 12 musicians on stage for this final jam. They performed with an energy and enjoyment seldom found in a successful band.

The audience pounded away with hoots and applause, begging for more, and were given a five-song encore which included "A Long December," and "Anna Begins."

The nice, slow, easy pace of the show was a welcome change from the huge stadium shows presented by other bands with equally huge record sales. There were no set changes, no costume changes—just Counting Crows and their music.

Bookmark: