Counting Crows flew into town Tuesday with Augustana and created a circus atmosphere that we won't soon forget.
The Circus never sounded this good.
With two bands and 12 musical acrobats crowded onto the stage at Nokia Theatre on Tuesday night, the Counting Crows’ Traveling Circus & Medicine Show could have been a chaotic, big top flop. But the bouncy enthusiasm of Crows’ ringleader Adam Duritz, and the vocal high-wire act of Augustana frontman Dan Layus, created a mesmerizing musical revival – a show for all ages.
I suppose if you came hoping to hear the melodious Crows crank out two hours of their hits, you might have been disappointed. But the freeflowing spirit of the Traveling Circus jam session was infectious. From the opening notes of the Crows’ Omaha to a harmonious encore on Simon & Garfunkle’s Cecilia, this was organic, egoless rock at its finest: two bands on stage together (in various permutations) playing their hearts out and having a great time.
It’s not what you’d necessarily expect from Duritz, whose songs have a self-indulgent streak. But the big-haired genius seemed content to lope around the stage, wailing out a few hits (Hangin’ Around, Goodnight Elizabeth, Mr. Jones) and showcasing the talents of the other guys, in particular Augustana frontman Layus.
If Duritz is The Rain King, then Layus is the dashing prince in waiting. Looking like a cross between a young Bob Dylan and Johnny Depp from Pirates of the Caribbean, Layus caught the crowd by surprise with his honeysuckle tenor and jitterbugging joy. When he and some of the band members came down off the stage with acoustic guitars and started harmonizing in the 10th row, he earned their eternal gratitude (When the sound failed, Duritz jumped in and held the mic.)
I’m not sure if the Circus would have gotten out of control with six more musicians (Michael Franti and Spearhead missed this tour stop because Franti is recovering from a ruptured appendix), but on this night there was strength in numbers. When all 12 musicians tore into an electrifying version of the Crows’ Rain King and then drifted into a soulful riff on the Beatles' With a Little Help From My Friends, it was a refreshing reminder of the power of a great rock show.
