Counting Crows in Port Chester

Adam Duritz
Counting Crows in Port Chester, NY

Touring the country and giving the fans a chance to hear and see them live, an American alternative rock band, Counting Crows, made an appearance last night at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY. The formula of a successful performance usually consists of three components: a lively crowd, dedicated musicians and a comfortable venue, and this Tuesday, October 23, all three played in unison.

Walking into the Capitol Theatre, one noticed right away that the venue was enormous, and the ceilings were high, and the sound was loud enough to make talking to friends or bartenders problematic. At the same time, it did not overwhelm anyone's ears or leave people temporarily deafened. It was, indeed, a perfect venue for the concert, since the bars and the restrooms were conveniently located close to the main area with the stage, so, even if one got distracted from the performance to get a beer or a cocktail, he or she could still hear the band, and did not miss anything.

The bands that started the evening played alternative rock as well, but the crowd was just getting into the mood, more enthusiastic about buying drinks, or getting a "21+ bracelet," for that reason. The venue even felt half-empty because people spread around, chatting, and many, probably, were still on the way. On the contrary, when Counting Crows appeared on stage (with about 10-15 minutes delay, which made the crowd boil with anticipation even more), everyone gathered in front of the stage, ready for a great show.

The Capitol Theatre stage

And a great show it definitely was. The lead singer, Adam Duritz, was singing his soul out, constantly moving around and interacting with the audience. The rest of the band was also all-in; one could feel that they loved being there and playing for the crowd. The concert began with newer songs that not many people knew, and there was less applause as compared to the end of the night when almost everyone was singing along and clapping their hands (amongst absolute favorites of the evening was, for example, the song "Friend of the Devil"). There was a lot of screaming to the point of voice loss, and plenty of pictures and videos were taken using the newest technology smartphones. The love for the band united the crowd, and everyone was friendly and polite towards others (that is, if you closed your eyes on beer cans, plastic cups and other garbage left on the floor after the show).

As the evening progressed, in addition to the light effects that would go from illuminating the stage to covering it in darkness, there were also shades on the ceiling. In the beginning of the concert, the shades looked like gentle orchids that moved clockwise, and towards the end the shades appeared in the colors of sunset, followed by screen-saver-like blue bubbles. The audience was torn between taking pictures of the band and observing the ceiling light play - so beautiful it was.

And last but not least, the staff of the venue was nice and sweet, giving the crowd a warm welcome at the door and politely showing them around inside the venue. Their "Have a nice evening" and "Thanks for coming" sounded sincere and professional at the same time. A nice good-bye is often the reason for another visit. After all, the ambiance is always one-third of the success of any performance.

Overall, the Counting Crows concert in Port Chester turned out to be a memorable night, one of those that inspire a non-fan, or a not-quite-fan to research the band online or even buy an album. Needless to say, those who already loved the band were happy to see them in the area and enjoyed the concert with a few hundreds of people who gathered there for the same reason.