Adam Duritz, you disappoint me

Tonight's Counting Crows concert was good.  The evening was great, the venue was great, the company was great.  But it wasn't as good as it could have been.  It was a night brimming with potential, but it didn't end up living up to it.  Unfortunately.  It seemed things like parking and walking and beer prices were going to ruin the night, but there was always a silver lining.  Yeah we had to walk a ways, but there wasn't a line at Will Call.  Yeah the beer was ridiculously expensive, but they had Magic Hat and Killians, surprisingly.  Yeah, we were far away from the stage and felt like we were just watching a video on a jumbo-tron, but the grass was soft and comfortable, the summer evening air was nice and being out under the sky was relaxing.

From there, there weren't really as many positive counterpoints to balance it out.

Goo Goo Dolls opened.  Disappointing at best.  The banter from lead singer, Johnny Rzeznik, earned a grade of D- and a big yawn.

Counting Crows.....sigh

now maybe i am more critical of them because they are one of my favorite bands and i have seen them a couple times before, so i have something to compare it to.  but the stage and lighting and set list and energy level and passion....were all lacking big time.

the set was hurtfully short.  i honestly felt like they only played half of a show.

songs they didn't play that i really wanted to hear (in order of importance)

round here

raining in baltimore*

a murder of one  

anna begins

angels of the silences

four white stallions

american girls

barely out of tuesday*

sullivan street

up all night (frankie miller goes to hollywood)

goodnight elisabeth*

goodnight L.A.

new frontier

if i could give all my love to you (richard manuel is dead)

mercury*

walkaways*

all my friends

*i didn't really expect them to play these songs, but i really wish they had.

songs they didn't play that i am glad they didnt play:

accidentally in love

songs they did play that i disagreed with (in light of the fact that they were taking the spot on the set list of one of the aforementioned songs):

have you seen me lately

catapult (which i love, but not that much)

omaha (see above)

ghost train (see above)

big yellow taxi

and above all, adam just sang.  no instruments.  he played piano for A Long December and nothing else.  I see that as kinda weak.  especially since at past shows he has played piano or at least harmonica or tamborine during certain songs.  it is weak sauce if you ask me.

so in general, i can't bad-mouth the Counting Crows cause they are a great band and have a special place in my heart.  But, if I were to bad-mouth them, you would have just finished reading me doing so.