For more than two decades, Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz has been boldly serenading crowds with “A Long December” and sha-la-la-ing to “Mr. Jones,” and Friday night at Irvine Meadows Amphitheater was no exception.
Never mind that the band – clearly a treasured favorite for the large crowd – is on tour behind its sixth studio album, last year’s “Somewhere Under Wonderland.” Indeed, in their 20-song set the Crows included a half-dozen from their latest, even opening the encore with “Palisades Park,” an eight-minute adventure that is easily the new disc’s best and most ambitious piece.
But what’s a Crows show without a rousing rendition of “Omaha”?
The seven-man band launched its umpteenth O.C. performance with “Sullivan Street,” off 1993’s beloved debut “August and Everything After,” and right away it felt like seeing an old friend.
Certainly after 22 years there is a sense of nostalgia for some fans, but instead of reducing its material to trite reminiscences, Counting Crows reworked songs just enough to freshen them up without straying too far from original versions. While “Sullivan” was a little slower (and maybe not as dramatic) with additional lyrics about summertime blues, most others from the group’s first four albums were easily recognizable.
By the time “Mrs. Potter’s Lullaby” rolled around nearly halfway into the two-hour show – accompanied by key words (“dream,” “talk to me”) projected onto the screen behind the band – two things had become quite clear:
1) Duritz is far from slowing down. His voice is as haunting and sultry as ever, perhaps stronger at age 51 than it was 10 years younger. Typically clad in black band T-shirts (his choices this evening were the Cars and T. Rex), he was in good spirits, his familiar dreads – fake or not – bobbing along, although his black-rimmed glasses fogged up so much during a couple of songs that you couldn’t see one of his eyes when cameras zoomed in on his face.
2) This band simply loves to play, and seems especially proud of its latest collection.
While older songs never sounded tired, they did seem to lack the kind of enthusiasm these guys thrust into newer tunes and covers. Duritz certainly let it all out on the stage during “Hard Candy” and a fast, fun version of “Rain King,” and even playfully laughed in the middle of “Hanginaround,” which sounded like what a party must be like at his house.
But when he belted out “Blues Run the Game” – a Jackson C. Frank original covered by Simon & Garfunkel – with just band mate David Immergluck playing acoustic guitar next to him, the crowd fell into silent awe. It was a side of the singer that hasn’t always come off so well in bigger venues, but this night the combination of his experience and fervor shined through.
After “Blues,” 13 songs in, Duritz finally addressed the crowd, admitting it had just occurred to him that he hadn’t said hello. No matter. On to the next tune, “Possibility Days,” from 2012’s covers assortment “Underwater Sunshine” that was “stolen” (Duritz’s word) from the play he was working on at the time. It moved with a pleasant laziness, like a weekend morning yawn and stretch, yet was still intimately conveyed by the rest of the band, including original member David Bryson (guitar), longtime members Dan Vickrey (guitar) and Charlie Gillingham (keys), and “newest” members Jim Bogios (drums) and Millard Powers (bass), though those last two have been around since 2002 and 2005, respectively.
As is customary at a Crows show, after introducing the players Duritz mentioned local nonprofit organizations in attendance, including AIDS Services Foundation of Orange County, Back to Natives and Laura’s House. He then thanked openers Hollis Brown and Citizen Cope, the latter solid but sleepy, both of which at least provided nice background music for the long walk in.
And like a farewell embrace after a long chat over coffee with someone you hadn’t seen in a while, the band closed with its lullaby “Holiday in Spain,” the crowd singing and swaying along.
