Counting Crows – August & Everything After: Live at Town Hall review

The Counting Crows have always held a special place in my heart, Recovering the Satellites was one of the first albums I bought which sparked my transition from Casey Kasem’s top 40 to more substantial works. They’re one of the few bands that are popular enough to be canonized alongside groups like Red Hot Chili Peppers, but original enough to maintain a slither of indie cred. August and Everything After was far and away the band’s most commercial success, and with Live at Town Hall, the multi-platinum record is recreated song by song.

I’ve always been somewhat skeptical when it comes to live albums, usually having the impression that they’re just another marketing ploy by a band that’s popular enough to release them because they aren’t able to come up with anything new. But since the Counting Crows not only encourage bootleg recordings, but actually have their own bootleg database where you can swap and share, they don’t seem to fit the bill, thus nullifying my initial corporate thoughts. While the songs sound fresh as ever, lead singer Adam Duritz really dominates this recording and emulates certain vocal styles that occasionally land over the top.

The quality on Live at Town Hall is superb, so crisp and clear that the only moments that remind you you’re listening to a live album is the applause before and after each track. There are a few changes to certain songs, but overall nothing too extreme. One of the main differences is the opener, “Round Here”, which is now almost 12 minutes long and includes a new rendition of their own “Raining in Baltimore”. Personally, I like the original better.

Now the real question is, is this album worth it? In the case of a die-hard fan the answer is yes, but for the casual listener I would say no. Although this record reveals the Crows to be an incredible live band, much better than I ever expected, there isn’t any new material, aside from the tweaking of a few songs, that would give it enough merit to act as a stand-alone album. Instead it serves as a companion piece to a captured moment when a group came out of nowhere and released one of the most acclaimed records in one of the most acclaimed decades.