Earlier this week veteran rockers Counting Crows embarked on a massive four-month, 56-date summer tour dubbed “Banshee Season“, with special guests Dashboard Confessional and Frank Turner on select dates. The band’s recent two-year tour supporting their latest release The Butter Miracle Suite One just ended a few months ago with final dates in New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa. Prior to the show in Omaha on June 13th, 2023, the band made a surprise visit to the legendary Troubador in Los Angeles, a venue they played early in their career, and played an intimate show for Sirius XM.
Opening night started fittingly, “somewhere in middle America” in Omaha, NB. The show took place at the Steelhouse Omaha, which just opened its doors for the first time on May 12th, 2023, and had only hosted three shows prior to Counting Crows. Though the Banshee Season tour featured Dashboard Confessional at almost all its stops, opening night was billed with Counting Crows headlining the show with no support act.
While all the stats aligned for this show, with the venue, the sold-out crowd, opening night of the tour, it was not without some drama. Prior to showtime, guitarists Dan Vickrey tested positive for Covid and had to quarantine. The remaining 6 members of the band, lead singer Adam Duritz, Drummer Jim Bogios, Bass player Millard Powers, Keyboard player Charlie Gillingham, Guitarists Dave Bryson, and lead Guitarist David Immergluck had to figure out how to revise the setlist to accommodate the last minute change.
Duritz came out on stage and told the crowd how the entire saga unfolded, and why they were down one band member, and without missing a beat they opened up the show with “Omaha”, off their debut album August And Everything After, which is celebrating 30 years since it’s release this coming September. During the two-hour show, due to Dan Vickery not being able to play, some obvious changes were made. The band could not perform the Butter Miracle Suite in its entirety, and the band went ahead and played 6 more songs from August and Everything After as Dan Vickery was not yet in the band when that album came out. Dave Bryson and David Immergluck took on additional parts during other songs and changed some of the arrangements in order to bridge the gap. Being the professional seasoned musicians they all are, the show was fantastic, high energy and Adam’s crowd banter was fresh and funny. All in all a great opening night to what is set to be a great summer tour!
The band is teaming up with NUGS again this year, and offering live recordings of the entire tour to stream or download on the platform, the Omaha show is available here. The tour resumes Saturday in Indianapolis.
Band:
David Bryson – Rhythm Guitar/Backing Vocals
Adam Duritz – Lead Vocals/Keyboards/Occasional Harmonica
Charlie Gillingham – Keyboards/Backing Vocals/Accordion/Clarinet
Dan Vickrey – lead Guitar/Backing Vocals/Banjo
David Immerglück – Guitars/Bass/Pedal Steel Guitar/Mandolin/Backing Vocals/Banjo
Jim Bogios – Drums/Percussion/Backing Vocals
Millard Powers – Bass/Rhythm Guitar/Backing Vocals
Setlist:
01. Omaha
02. Richard Manuel Is Dead
03. Rain King
04. Colorblind
05. Time and Time Again
06. Recovering the Satellites
07. Anna Begins
08. Miami
09. Blues Run the Game (Jackson C. Frank cover)
10. Friend of the Devil (Grateful Dead cover)
11. Washington Square
12. Sullivan Street
13. Catapult
14. Mr. Jones
15. A Long December
16. Round Here
17. Hanginaround
18. Holiday in Spain
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Long-time traveling Concert Photographer, Official Photographer for Counting Crows, In-House Photographer for City Winery New York. Publications inc. Rolling Stones, The Aquarian, Brooklyn Vegan, Elmore, The Village Voice, and more. On-tour photography, In-Studio Photography, and documentary assignments. Artist Portraits and Album Covers shoots.
