Counting Crows, ’90s mega hit machine, nonetheless flying after 30 years

For each one that says, “Counting Crows, are they nonetheless round?” is a legion of followers nonetheless hungry to listen to one of many largest pop bands of the Nineties hit makers, which burst on the scene in 1993 with their seven occasions platinum album “August and Every little thing After.”

Little has modified with the band besides the lack of lead singer Adam Duritz’s signature dreadlocks.

The band hasn’t had a line-up change because the early 2000s, and the core members, Duritz, guitarists David Bryson and Charlie Gillingham, keyboard participant David Immergluck, have been collectively since their days enjoying gigs within the San Francisco Bay space within the early Nineties. Add to that, they by no means totally stopped touring and they’re nonetheless recording new materials.

Duritz and his band returned to central Pennsylvania Thursday evening, enjoying to an enthusiastic crowd of Gen Xers at Penn Heroes Stage at Hollywood On line casino in Grantville.

Halfway by means of the two 1/2-month, venue-packed Full Sweets Tour, the band took the group on a nostalgia journey after an hour-long set by opener alt-rock band The Gaslight Anthem, celebrated for its Jersey Shore sound.

The band launched the set with a brand new observe, “Spaceman in Tulsa” off the brand new “Butter Miracle, The Full Sweets,” album and “Mrs. Potter’s Lullaby,“ from their 1999 album ”This Desert Life,” earlier than igniting the group with the acquainted “shalalalala” of the band’s 1993 breakout hit, “Mr. Jones.”

The band breezed by means of the uptempo “Boxcars,” earlier than Duritz took the piano to cowl Taylor Swift’s “the 1″ and the mournful ballad “A Lengthy December.”

Woven into the setlist had been a number of new tracks off the just-released “Butter Miracle The Full Sweets,” the Crows’ first album in 10 years.

Duritz has lengthy been recognized for writing lyrics heavy on longing — eager for what was, what could possibly be, what may need been. Within the haunting ballad, “Colorblind” Duritz displays on his wrestle with dissociative identification dysfunction, a situation that provides one the sense of by no means fairly feeling comfy in their very own pores and skin.

However these struggles appeared within the rearview for Duritz. He advised the viewers he’s in a great place now, rocking along with his outdated mates, enjoying the hits and experimenting with the brand new, and the music mirrored that.

The band delivered a three-song encore that includes the hit “Hangingaround,” earlier than closing the 90-plus minute present with “Vacation in Spain,” off the 2003 “Onerous Sweet” album, what he known as a lullaby for his followers, thanking them for sticking round.

Stated Duritz, “I recognize it in any case these years.”