Counting Crows rock IU Auditorium

Counting Crows rocked the house Thursday night at the IU Auditorium. \nThe packed concert kicked off with the Graham Colton Group warming up the crowd. When the band first came out on stage, I had no idea who these guys were. After their first song, they received polite applause from the seated crowd, but by the time they finished, they had earned a standing ovation and won over the crowd and I. \nWhen the lights went out, the audience got to its feet, while clapping and roaring with anticipation. Being a huge fan of Counting Crows, I had been waiting to see the band live for years, so I was quite excited as they took the stage. \nThe stage was sparsely decorated, except for the instruments and groups of electric candles. Behind the stage, images that reflected moods or themes in songs, like swirling hard candies or little blue dots or flowers, were projected onto three screens that hung behind stage. \nThe band opened with an odd choice of songs. I expected something with a little more energy than "Goodnight Elizabeth," to get the crowd into the show right away. Adam Duritz & Co. followed with the high-energy "Hard Candy," which really got the crowd going. \nThroughout the concert, I felt like Duritz was having a conversation with me within the songs about his love life and other personal topics, as he told me stories through his songs. He changed the inflection in his voice and altered the flow of the lyrics to give the songs a more intimate feeling. Duritz also used hand gestures to act out and emphasize emotions.\nThe band rocked hard throughout the entire show. While most of the band members didn't move around much, Duritz wandered the stage when he wasn't singing, stopping to sit in front of the wooden grand piano in the center of the stage. As expected, he got behind the piano for "A Long December." \nMelodically, the band was right on target. Perhaps it was the sound system, but most of the songs sounded heavier than their album counterparts. The heavy sound energized the crowd, which sang along throughout the show. At other times, the band wove songs together for a unique effect. During "Rain King," Duritz sang some of "Raining in Baltimore," then transitioned back into the original song. The surprise song of the night was a cover of Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi," included as a secret track on the band's most recent album.\nUnfortunately, the Crows didn't interact with the crowd much. It took four to five songs before Duritz even acknowledged the crowd, and he only talked to the audience twice. Occasionally he would hold the mircophone out to the upbeat, enthusiastic fans.\nWhen the band reappeared for its encore, Duritz went on a political rant about why young people need to vote. Afterwards, the Graham Colton Group and four members of the audience joined Counting Crows for a rousing performance of "Hanging Around" to end the night on a rocking high note.