Newly indie band Counting Crows was back in Australia this week for a few shows with The Who and one or two without them and with a few modifications to a couple of old songs.
It is not often you get to see a band so in tune with each other. Counting Crows have been doing this a long time and while Adam Duritz is certainly the name people know, the musicianship of David Bryson, Charlie Gillingham, Jim Bogious and Dan Vickrey shall no go unmentioned. David Immerglunk, who has played on all CC albums but only became a full-time member in 1999 was equally on fire for the evening.We are talking true musicians but also true music fans here. In fact, while support act The Verses was playing (the new band from Killing Heidi’s Elle and Jess Hopper), Adam Duritz stood side of stage and was snapping a few pics.
Considering the last 15 years and 5 studio albums, Counting Crows spread the setlist across the entire career and peppered out the bigger hits such as ‘Mr Jones’ and ‘Round Here’ with deeper cuts from all of their studio albums.
The spotlight fell early on Dan Vickrey. His guitar solo on ‘Children In Bloom’ was simple mind-blowing.
This wasn’t a set heavy on the latest album. The recent ‘Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings’ got set-checked 5 times.
I guess with time, bands need to keep it interesting for themselves. They played around with a lot of the songs during this show to the point of adding a completely new verse in ‘Miami’ from 2002’s ‘Hard Candy’.
Outside afterwards, the general fan chatter was of approval. Thats a good sign. The Counting Crows fans were pretty excited by the night’s setlist (The Crows change the set for each show).
Melbourne March 27, the crowd was served a good one.
Here is the setlist:
Cowboys (from Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings, 2008)
Children In Bloom (from Recovering The Satellites, 1996)
Mrs. Potters Lullaby (from This Desert Life, 1999)
Miami (from Hard Candy, 2002)
Black and Blue (from Hard Candy, 2002)
Hanging Tree (from Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings, 2008)
Time And Time Again (from August and Everything After, 1993)
Mr. Jones (from August and Everything After, 1993)
When I Dream Of Michaelangelo (from Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings, 2008)
Anna Begins (from August and Everything After, 1993)
Richard Manuel Is Dead (from Hard Candy, 2002)
I Don't Believe In Sundays (from Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings, 2008)
Good Time (from Hard Candy, 2002)
Round Here (from August and Everything After, 1993)
Colorblind (from This Desert Life, 1999)
A Long December (from Recovering The Satellites, 1996)
Come Around (from Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings, 2008)
