#MyYearOfConcerts (post #2 today!) continued Wednesday night when I saw Counting Crows in Spokane! 
So I was pretty exhausted after the Billy Joel show and almost a week in New York City. We got home around dinnertime on Tuesday and the Counting Crows show was 24 hours later. TBH, I think Younger Matt would’ve skipped the show and stayed home. Older Matt said f**k that and made the drive north anyway! You only live once, carpe diem, life is short, etc. etc. etc. — that’s the whole point of #MyYearOfConcerts.
As you can see from the photos, I splurged on tickets for this one: first row!! 
It was totally worth it. It’s amazing to see the musicians that close, to see the guitarist close his eyes and get lost in the moment as he plays an all-time fave that he’s played a zillion times before … or to see Adam (Duritz, the singer) act out the lyrics in his facial expressions and sell every song to the audience. It’s incredible when there’s literally nothing but a rail between you and the music. Feels like the couple other thousand people aren’t even there.
All that said, I knew going in that this would be a tough show. Counting Crows kinda makes you work. They don’t play the songs as you remember them. Most artists will do that a few times in every concert, and that’s cool to hear a new twist on a familiar song. But CC changes up pretty much every song. (Listen to this clip from “Rain King” and you’ll know what I mean.)
The other challenge, which I also knew going in, is that they’re not playing my three favorite CC songs much on this tour. Oh, well. They did a bunch of deeper cuts that I wasn’t familiar with, which at first you’re like … ugh … but then I listened to those songs on the drive home today and DAMN they’re good. (“Colorblind” and “When I Dream of Michelangelo” stand out.) I did get to hear “A Long December” and “Holiday In Spain” live, so I came home a very happy camper.
Counting Crows and Collective Soul are my two fave ’90s bands. I’ve seen CS a few times, but had somehow never seen CC. So I’m glad I finally fixed that hole in my concert history.
More to come later this month. #MyYearOfConcerts will continue!
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