Adam Duritz has put on a few pounds since his college rock heyday and now needs glasses to see his fans. But the crazy-haired singer of the Counting Crows proved himself to be one of the most compulsively watchable rock frontmen of the last decade last night at Germain Amphitheater.

Ever since the video for his band's breakthrough single Mr. Jones in 1993, Duritz has become known for his gesticulatory, herky-jerky performance style that makes even the most mundane of phrases come alive on stage.

Duritz put his signature moves to use in moderation last night, but showed he still has an uncanny way of adding depth and emotional heft to songs he's been singing for over a decade now.

The band opened with an impromptu acoustic take on Four Days, which Duritz explained was about a girl from with whom he fell in love between her trips to Cleveland. Another track from 1996's This Desert Life -- a lively Mrs. Potter's Lullaby -- was revealed to have origins in the Buckeye state.

"Man, those Ohio girls, they will break you in two," Duritz told the crowd.

The slowed-down take on Four Days helped to set a mellow tone for an hour-plus set that also yielded a bluesy interpretation of early single Rain King, complete with Crosby, Stills Nash & Young-style harmonies. The band's frequent improvisations and interactions with each other were still engaging to watch even after five albums and more than 10 years together.
Source: Columbus Dispatch

Author: By Andrew Hampp