Counting Crows and Their Traveling Circus and Medicine Show Fall Short at Koka Booth
photos by Flying Rooster
Excitement. Where was is? It certainly was not at the Traveling Circus and Medicine Show. The concert consisted of the Counting Crows, Augustana and special guest NOTAR. Contrary to your average rock and roll show, there were no “opening acts”. It was a free for all of musical chaos where musicians from all the bands collaborated and played together. The crowd was into the show for about the first 3 songs, right about the time the Counting Crows left the stage and let Augustana take the lead. It was at this point that the musicians had lost the crowd.
Augustana lead singer Dan Layus
Dan Layus, Augustana’s lead singer, did his best to maintain the crowd’s interest. However this fell short while during their big hit “Boston” a roadie walked to center stage and shoved the microphone into Layus’ face. The tough night was not over for Augustana. As musicians shuffled around again, comments spewed from the crowd, “We want Counting Crows!” Layus’ response was less than refreshing, stating “Don’t blame us, we just work here.”
Counting Crows front man Adam Duritz
The concert was not without some bright moments. There were times when Counting Crows front man Adam Duritz would lose himself in the moment and begin to direct the band impromptu style. Duritz felt compelled to call for an intermission so he could tweet about the show, and trash Koka Booth’s decibel cap at the same time. “Just accidentally played a 15min version of A MURDER OF ONE. Got carried away. NOTAR is killing MATADOR right now. dB levels can kiss my ass”
Duritz does have the right idea about NOTAR. This kid can put on a show. NOTAR, who is on Duritz’s label, was given the front position for only 2 songs. But, by the end of the second song, the audience had witnessed a welcomed light show, musicians jumping around stage and even some torn clothing. NOTAR seemed to be the crowd favorite, which is not an easy task for a rapper playing for a “southern rock” crowd. When asked about how the audience responds to an unexpected genre, NOTAR says “Some are shocked, some love it and some hate it. People are trying to classify music too much. I mean, great music is just great music.”
NOTAR
NOTAR was joined on his song “Matador” by Leroy Justice’s Jason Gallagher. The song infused rock, rap and all of the above. And why not? NOTAR is a classically trained jazz trumpeter. “My jazz training,” remarks NOTAR, “has helped me with some of my beats and rhythm, but it’s mostly a tribute to my father.” Expect great things from NOTAR both live and on his upcoming debut album from Tyrannosaurus Records.
While I do enjoy watching bands try new things and expand horizons, the Traveling Circus and Medicine Show fell short. Maybe it was the heat, maybe it was Koka Booths bizarre decibel rules or
maybe it was a fluke, but this show was entirely too forced. Especially for those who paid the steep price of 60 plus dollars to see a concert…sort of.
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Lx
07/19 10:04 AM
This is typical of sub-par musicians. Duritz, while revered in the rock world, really showed his ignorance w/the DB level comment. EVERY trained musician (at least in the Jazz genre) knows how to “play the room.” This is why the rock genre cannot fully support a project like this. Rock musicians aren’t trained to actually listen to one another as they play the number, and certainly cannot improvise like the giants of hard bop/bebop. So this sort of project is always laughable to me. The “jam session” basically becomes one huge clusterf%$*
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Jon Williams
07/19 11:57 AM
I was there and can say that this show, just like the others I’ve attended at Booth, would have been *greatly* improved simply by cranking the volume. The scale of venue, stage, lights, etc make the audience feel like they’re watching the band practice inside a glass box. It’s completely alienating.
Cary needs to either increase the dB limit (say before 11pm?) or stop booking rock acts altogether. Maybe we can swap booking agents with the downtown Raleigh amphitheater?
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CtrlBurn
07/19 01:26 PM
The Counting Crows are a terrible band, and always have been. How anyone expected that they would put on a good show is beyond me.
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Jim
07/19 02:20 PM
It’s Counting Crows. What did you expect? Did the singer have in his extensions, or is that his real hair now?
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Brocktoon
07/20 02:01 AM
The Independent’s article on area venues a few months ago really explained the DB level controversy. It explained that rock acts will play there once and when they experience the DB level limitations, don’t return. I know that I will not attend another show there.
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John
07/20 02:06 PM
can’t blame the venue when My Morning Jacket dealt w/ the same volume limitations and played one of the greatest shows ever.
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Jon Williams
07/20 02:18 PM
Actually, I was at the My Morning Jacket show too (maybe 50ft from the stage), and I couldn’t hear the bassist. At *all*. The two drunks beside me sang louder than the lead singer. Significantly louder.
Yes, they put on a good performance, but the volume limit seriously detracted from it. “One of the greatest shows ever” is definitely in the ear of the beholder.
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CSP
07/21 07:22 AM
Why does Koka Booth keep booking rock acts ? You know they have to get tons of complaints from people who make the mistake of going to KoKa Booth to see a rock show. I saw the Counting Crows at Walnut Creek a couple of years back and they were good. I don’t expect New Raleigh.com to give them any credit because they have sold too many albums, and people actually know who they are, so not really gonna impress the hipster, I’m sure, unless they were some obscure band that 10 years from now won’t even have the privilege of being a nostalgia act, like Counting Crows.
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the goat
07/24 08:13 AM
Crank it up fuckers
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Jen
07/27 10:36 AM
Say what you want about the Crows, I’m embarrassed that I like them, but I do. Bottom line is, I paid $60 to see them. Not some no-talent-ass-clown rapper wanna be and a cheese-dick crooner. I wanted to throw my $7 beer at them to get them offstage, and that’s saying a lot since my beer was the only thing that got me through.
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J
08/15 06:39 PM
Couldn’t agree more with most of these comments - ashamed that my favorite band associates themselves with a rapper and a young band that can’t hold anyone’s attention for more than a song.
Left this show with an hour to go, and really wish I could’ve gotten my money back. Lame lame lame.
CC - you blew it on this tour.
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