Counting Crows
The background to my life so far
A few weeks ago, I was searching for a Counting Crows song to share for a post from my trip to LA. Naturally, “Goodnight LA” made perfect sense, and it led me back to listening to one of my all-time favourite albums, Hard Candy.
I first discovered Counting Crows when my parents left me alone for an hour or so in the penthouse we were staying in while visiting Luxembourg. It sounds a lot posher than it was—back then, you couldn’t just book places online, and it was simply the only option available. Anyway, this was the first time I remember watching MTV.
As part of the MTV generation, those are some of the best memories I have—music videos on the TV, me glued to the screen. “Mr. Jones” was one of the songs that played endlessly at the time.
Fast forward a few years, and I was introduced to Hard Candy, which had just been released. That autumn, I listened to it on repeat as I fell in love, travelled around the UK, and revelled in my 20-year-old life.
A couple of years later, I convinced my friend to come with me to see them live in Manchester. We ended up running into a couple of her older sister’s friends, who were surprised we were fans. I made everyone wait outside to meet the band, and meet them we did. We hung around by the tour bus, got autographs, and had a quick chat—they were so lovely!
Afterwards, we got my friend’s sister’s friends to take us to an indie club in the centre. I can’t remember what happened to them; we probably ditched them as we strutted our stuff on the dance floor.
I went to see them again later, a calmer gig this time, still in Manchester. I introduced my boyfriend at the time to them, and from then on, he was as hooked as I was. We listened to them everywhere—in the car, on holidays, at home.
When people ask me who my favourite band is, my answer is always Counting Crows. They might not be the most widely known band, but they’ve had a place in my heart for too many years for anyone else to take the top spot.
What I love about music is how it brings people together. And what I love about the Crows is their songwriting. Give me a good songwriter, and I’m captivated.
I’m so hooked that on my last trip to San Francisco, I tracked down the dive bar where Adam Duritz got the idea for “Mr. Jones”—the New Amsterdam. Sadly, it’s changed its name now, but I soaked up the atmosphere, hoping to channel a bit of Adam’s creativity. They had photos and records on the wall to commemorate the moment. Plus, I thoroughly enjoyed their happy hour deals; a beer and a vodka and diet coke hit the spot perfectly.
If you follow my Instagram stories, you’ll know I have a soft spot for prosecco and a nice venue, but my god, I love a good dive bar even more!
I love how one band has been the soundtrack to so many amazing moments in my life. I know they’ll continue to be, as I’m listening to them for inspiration right now as I write this.
I can’t wait to see them again one day. In the words of Adam Duritz: “If dreams are like movies, then memories are films about ghosts.”