Augustana, Maroon 5, Counting Crows

I am generally not a fan of concerts at large venues, which come off frequently as poor sites at which to enjoy great meaningful music. The sound’s often distorted to be spread over a wide area, the bands are often given set times too short to present a solid musical statement, and the venues are built to supress the kind of enjoyment most often found at smaller venues, where fans can often get much closer to the music and the bands playing it. That, and those major corporations seem to have their hands in your pocket the entire night, often leading to an experience so costly you have to mortgage your first-born to get the full experience.

However, I got the opportunity to take in the recent show August 28 at Verizon Wireless Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana, which featured Maroon 5, Counting Crows and Augustana. And the show was superb, anchored by a solid opening act looking to further develp its fan base, supporting two veteran acts well known for their ability to put on solid shows in small and large venues alike. Fans from the lawn to the front row got their money’s worth easily with a show that ultimately surpassed expectations.

Augustana opened the night with a relatively tight 25-minute set, emphasizing songs from their new album, though they did play “Boston” early in the night for those of us who weren’t overly familiar with the rest of their catalog. I’ll admit I hadn’t paid much attention to the band since All The Stars and Boulevards, but Dan Layus was in fine form for this performance, making it disappointing that they were forced from the stage so quickly. The audience may not have fully been into it, being that many were awaiting the co-headliners, but the band’s half-dozen songs (latest single “Sweet and Low” being a highlight — see here for my video footage!) suggest that a full-length set would be one worth checking out if they get another chance for a nationwide headlining tour.

Maroon 5 followed after the first intermission, and quickly they took control of the venue. With a pounding wall of bass, guitars and keyboards coupled with a stunning light show, the band showed why they’ve been hailed as an excellent live act for longer than most Americans have heard their music — recall, after all, that they’d been touring behind Songs About Jane for two years prior to their first single’s massive radio success. Adam Levine owned the stage and got quite the workout, and his songs (which we all know primarily deal with his fantasy that he’s a sexual God) lent themselves well to a frenetic performance. It seemed at times that Levine wouldn’t be happy unless he was able to personally seduce every member of the audience, male or female. The band’s performances of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” and their own “Kiwi” were certainly highlights, and they also managed to hit just about every major single from their two albums, which certainly kept the teenage girls behind me entertained. I was disappointed that their love for Adam [Levine] didn’t translate to love for Adam [Duritz], however, for they’d all left long before the Crows hit the stage. Too bad for them!

Though it’s common knowledge that Adam Duritz is a fickle live performer, leading to different styled shows depending on his personal mood at the time, most times that simply leads to the need to see the band multiple times to get a full grasp for their overall live performance style. When he’s in a good mood, fans get a lot of the hits, the band’s key album tracks, and the occasional long jam, all interspersed with stories from Duritz when he feels fit. When he’s in a not-particularly-solid mood, the hits can become fifteen minute jams mingled with odd noodling and vocal experimentation. For those who don’t mind such meandering, the shows in which he’s not in the best mood can be the most revealing. But they can be frustrating shows for fans who just want the songs like they’ve heard on the album.

Noblesville was greeted by Adam in a pretty decent mood, though he still avoided a lot of the band’s biggest hits (“Round Here,” “Mr. Jones,” “Big Yellow Taxi” and such were not to be found). Still, he hit on key tracks from the band’s recent albums (“You Can’t Count on Me” and “Hanging Tree” from Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings) along with “A Long December,” one of their bigger radio hits, and several great album tracks (“Omaha” and “A Murder of One” from August and Everything After were big highlights, as was a solid rendition of “Good Time” from Hard Candy). Duritz seemed to be having a great time on stage and was full of energy, constantly interacting with his bandmates, particularly David Immerglück on guitar. And though we also got our fair share of noodling (a repeated chorus of “hello, my sweet orangatang” during the middle passage of “A Murder of One” was particularly amusing) and stories between songs, the band hit a wide variety of musical marks during what was a relatively short (seventy-five minute) headlining set. Overall, it was a spirited performance which, though it may have left some of the fans of the hits a little underwhelmed, was a perfect show for those of us who have followed the band now for nearly two decades.

Overall, having three bands of such solid ability in one venue led to great entertainment value for the money. And though I’m still not a fan of the big corporate stadium shows, I cuoldn’t have asked for more from four hours on a summer Thursday night. Anyone who gets the chace to catch this tour through the rest of its 2008 run needs to seriously consider at least buying a lawn seat. Disappointment is far from likely.

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.