Adam Durtiz can be forgiven for forgetting his band, The Counting Crows, have actually played Thunder Bay before.
Duritz, owner of the most famous set of dreadlocks since Bob Marley ruled the reggae world, made up for lost time on Sunday night in their first Lakehead gig in nearly 16 years, the seven-piece band blasting through a solid 20-song set of hits and near hits – not to mention several songs from their latest album, 2014’s Somewhere Under Wonderland.
They didn’t waste any time giving the 900-strong at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium what they wanted - albeit sometimes straying from the song version fans were familiar with.
The Crows opened with Round Here, the second single on their multi-platinum 1993 release August and Everything After, the record the launched them into the global music consciousness.
After a brief interlude, introducing 2014’s Scarecrow, the one-time big, big stars dropped a funky version of Mr. Jones, Duritz’s autobiographical ode to his younger self – with references to the legendary Bob Dylan - dreaming of life as a rock star.
The Auditorium crowd ate it up, a third or so remaining on their feet for the remainder of the show.
That suited Duritz, dressed in a simple black T-shirt and faded black jeans, just fine.
“How the hell are you?” he asked six songs in, the obligatory roar from the crowd his answer.
“Glad to hear it. It’s a rock concert. You can stand up if you want to. You can sit down if you want to. Seriously, I’m cool either way.”
Duritz, who joked more than once he had a lot of nonsense dancing around his head, dipped into 2002’s Hard Candy for back-to-back offerings, New Frontier and Miami, before slowing things down with a soulful, harmonica-tinged rendition of Washington Square from 2008’s Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings.
“This is for a girl we know who is sick in the hospital,” Duritz said, dragging the entire crowd to its feet once again as he belted out Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi, finding his own swinging hot spot on the Auditorium stage.
Duritz, whose band includes guitarists Dan Vickrey, Dan Bryson and David Immergluck, bassist Millard Powers, drummer Jim Bogios and keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, showed a little playfulness as the night wore on.
Sitting down at a piano hastily wheeled out on stage, spotlights aimed at him from every direction, the 50-year-old Duritz played a few notes, then abruptly stopped.
“I don’t know. Someday that’s going to be a cool song. Not yet. Mark that down. Take a note,” he said.
The band, none of whom has less than 10 years tenure, still had plenty to give, offering up the band’s 1999 hit Hanginaround, which reached No. 2 on the Canadian charts, before walking off the stage.
The veteran rockers, who were preceded by Chris Carrabba’s Twin Forks, finished with a three-song encore that included 2014’s Palisades Park, Rain King and Holiday in Spain.
“I know it’s been a long time and I really appreciate you coming out,” Duritz said, his memory clearing up as the show went on.
“We’ve got to drive to Toronto and it’s a long drive. But don’t worry, we’ll be back.”
Hopefully it won’t take 16 years this time.
