Wilmington, Delaware, July 22nd, 2007 Options

[Tina]

So...my niece leaves for college next month. She's never been to a LIVE concert. I'm going to take her to this show so we can spend some time together before she leaves. I can't wait...we're going to have a great time!!

[torcatofan]

It felt like the 90s all over again.

And it was glorious.

[FishOutaWater]

At the risk of being redundant, I will post the same review here that I posted at FOL.

Live put no a really GREAT show. Playing in front of a large crowd at a large open venue is where Live really shines. The energy was huge.

Before the show, there was about a square mile of tailgaters, drinking, barbequing, and just generally partying. I haven’t seen that in a while. It was a lot of fun.

The ballpark setup works pretty good. The HUGE stage was set up around second base. There was some type of flooring on the infield for the GA crowd. The infield seats at the ballpark were full. Lots of bathrooms, and there were tons of drinks, food and tour merchandise for sale everywhere. A real good atmosphere.

Collective Soul was great. I was very impressed. They went on at 6:30 sharp. They brought a lot of energy and put on a really good show for their 45 minute time limit performance. They closed the set with Shine and it left me thinking that Live had a pretty tough act to follow. I must say that Collective Soul really came across like a real class act. I was very impressed by them.

Live came on at 7:30. They opened with All Over You. Then I think the River. I can’t remember set lists very well. They had very high energy and sounded great. Just like for Collective Soul, it was still daylight, so Live didn’t get the benefit of a cool light display. Specific notes:

The Blind Willie Johnson cover is amazing in concert. Don’t try to imagine it from whatever you have heard about the song. You’ve just got to see it. It is really great. It is a major Chad Taylor highlight. It starts out with some great slide guitar. The guitar solos really rock. Bluesy and heavy. Because of some technical difficulties, Live had to change up the setlist order and play Wings after God Don’t Change. That proved to be an awkward transition. God Don’t Change is an ear pounding experience and then they cooled it off for Wings and it just didn’t seem right. I think it would be amazing to see God Don’t Change, followed by Lakini’s Juice and then I Alone. That would be 20 minutes of heart-stopping, mind-blowing action.

What I thought was a big positive is that Ed stated that he recently heard God Don’t Change for the first time and it blew him away and changed his whole life. Hmmm. I wonder if that means that good ole Blind Willie might be a catalyst for some new sound from Ed and Live. I hope so, because this song sounds amazing. I wonder who played it for Ed?

They played one of the best performances of They Stood Up For Love that I’ve heard. It was sweet!

They play Heaven as the sun set and Ed pointed to the sunset when that line in the song came up.

No Mother Earth Is A Vicious Crowd. That was a disappointment.

No White Discussion.

No encore.

The tight 1 hour time limit was a bit of a bummer, but hey, what can you do?!?!

They closed with Lightening Crashes. That’s the first time I saw them close with that. It works. The crowd was really into it.

I could have done without The River, Wings and Where Do We Go From Here, and replaced it with Pain Lies, Mother Earth, and White Discussion at the end and it would have been a perfect hour. It seemed like the set was really high energy and maybe it’s just me, but the SFBM songs just don’t seem to fit with the rest of the songs. The SFBM songs are too sweet and nice when they are surrounded by Lakini’s Juice, God Don’t Change, I Alone, etc.

Counting Crows… What can I say.? I left half way through Counting Crows’ set. Adam doesn’t sing anything like the songs sound on the albums. His pitchy, whiny voice is all over the place. He has no stage presence. Mrs. Potter and Round Here went on for about 20 minutes each. Mr. Jones sounded unrecognizable. I just don’t get it. It actually sounded funny to me, like a bunch of twelve year old children pretending to be the Counting Crows at a grade school talent contest. After Collective Soul and Live ROCKED, Counting Crows just didn’t seem to belong in the same show. The stage lighting was AMAZING for Counting Crows. God how I wish Live could have had that lighting. I think if you were being truly honest, you would have to say that Counting Crows should have opened the show, followed by Collective Soul and then Live.

Like I said, I left the Counting Crows performance early and went home. And I had aftershow passes. I could have met the band and stuff, but I couldn’t listen to any more of the Counting Crows.

I’m sorry and I hope I don’t hurt anyone’s feelings. But Live’s show and Counting Crows show were so different. It was similar to the juxtaposition of God Don’t Change followed by Wings. Just too much of an energy let down.

[PurdueSteve]

Like I said, I left the Counting Crows performance early and went home. And I had aftershow passes. I could have met the band and stuff, but I couldn’t listen to any more of the Counting Crows.

Seriously??

Aftershow passes for all bands, CC, Live or what, you couldn't tolerate some music to meet the band?

How did you score the passes, I wasn't sure if they were holding aftershow stuff for these Triple Play shows.

[crazy1]

Counting Crows… What can I say.? I left half way through Counting Crows’ set. Adam doesn’t sing anything like the songs sound on the albums. His pitchy, whiny voice is all over the place. He has no stage presence. Mrs. Potter and Round Here went on for about 20 minutes each. Mr. Jones sounded unrecognizable. I just don’t get it. It actually sounded funny to me, like a bunch of twelve year old children pretending to be the Counting Crows at a grade school talent contest. After Collective Soul and Live ROCKED, Counting Crows just didn’t seem to belong in the same show. The stage lighting was AMAZING for Counting Crows. God how I wish Live could have had that lighting. I think if you were being truly honest, you would have to say that Counting Crows should have opened the show, followed by Collective Soul and then Live.

Like I said, I left the Counting Crows performance early and went home.

I totally agree with you! Collective Soul I have to admit was good. Not as good as Live though.
I was a little disappointed that they played Mirror Song and not Mother Earth Is A Vicious Crowd but I liked that they played Where Do We Go From Here. God Don't Never Change was AWESOME!!!! I even got one of Chad's guitar picks!!! It landed right in front of me!!!
Counting Crows....we left after Mr. Jones...God did he butcher that song!!! It was like a train wreck, I just couldn't look away!!! The lighting was nice though.

[flyersfan62379]

I've been saying that for years since I saw Live with the Crows back in '00. They may like one another, but their sounds are so different and I don't think their audiences are the same. Counting Crows should always be the opener when playing with a high-energy, big-guitar band who has been just as successful as them.

[SJN1279]

I thought Live put on an awesome show last night. The crowd were really into their hits and the band came across as they were really happy to be there. Ed even thanked Collective Soul, Adam, and the Crows prior to Lightning Crashes.

I will not give my review of Collective Soul because I do not want to get crucified. I left before Counting Crows started the set so I can't review their performance. However, a good number of their fans didn't seem too pleasant. The majority were cool, but I saw a good number of guys who wanted to start fights and cause trouble.

Setlist:

1. All Over You
2. The River
3. Selling The Drama
4. Mirror Song
5. Where Do We Go From Here
6. They Stood Up For Love
7. God Don't Ever Change(replaced I Walk the Line do to a techical difficulty)
8. Wings
9. The Dolphin's Cry
10. Lakini's Juice
11. I Alone
12. Heaven
13. Lightning Crashes

[SJN1279]

Found this review at Counting Crows from a Delaware newspaper:

Two out of three ain't bad at Frawley
Counting Crows, Live live up to their reputations, but Collective Soul disappoints...


WILMINGTON -- The advertisements for Sunday night's concert at Frawley Stadium by Counting Crows, Live and Collective Soul left little to the imagination about what fans should expect: "One night! Three bands! All the hits!"

Since they charged $50 per ticket, they should have included "Free car wash by Live singer Ed Kowalczyk!"

Alas, there were no free car washes included in the steep ticket price, but fans of '90s alternative rock were treated to more than three hours of live music from three bands that have, surprisingly in some cases, survived more than 15 years in the business.

It was the opening night for a 26-date tour of minor league ballparks, and almost all of the near-sellout crowd stayed for the closing set by Counting Crows, the lone band on the bill that has proven its relevancy in recent years.

A noticeably slimmed-down Adam Duritz and the six-piece band delivered one of their trademark shows, filled with extended, rearranged versions of their hits, showing off their knack for breathing new life into old songs.

"Mr. Jones" teetered on disaster as Duritz sang/spoke the lyrics, zigzagging to match the lyrics with the music. But they pulled it off, making it hard for fans to sing along, but easy for them to respect the band's chops.

Duritz wore his influences (and heart) on his sleeve throughout the night, especially during a three-song run in the middle of the set.

First came his laid-back version of the Grateful Dead's "Friend of the Devil," which he introduced as "a song by a band from our hometown." (The Crows began their career in Berkeley, Calif.)

Then it was his ode to Richard Manuel, the late keyboardist for The Band, aptly titled "If I Could Give All My Love (Richard Manuel is Dead)." He told of how he was drunk in bed with a woman one morning around 6 a.m. when he picked up the newspaper and read about Manuel's suicide.

"I got to thinking, man, that nothing is permanent," he told the crowd. "My hero is gone and this girl will probably be gone soon, too."

After the audience recovered from that buzz kill of a story, Duritz followed it with Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" -- with some of the lyrics rewritten, as Duritz is known to do.

Once the tributes and covers were out of the way, the band ran through the hits the fans were promised, including their most recent, 2004's "Accidentally in Live" from the "Shrek 2" soundtrack. Duritz told the crowd, "I forgot how much fun this song is. I'm in love and this is about being in love."

Throughout the night, the band raided their catalog, pulling "Round Here" off "August and Everything After," and even delving into the more obscure songs off their breakthrough debut, like "Perfect Blue Buildings."

Before the Crows took to the stage, which was just beyond second base on Frawley Stadium's field, Live took to the stage for an hour-long performance.

The band has played in Delaware several times since they stormed the charts in 1995 with "Throwing Copper," which sold 8 million copies. (Kowalczyk even once sat in on some songs at Arena's one night more than 10 years ago while visiting Rehoboth Beach.)

The band came out swinging with "All Over You," before rattling off "Selling the Drama," "Lakini's Juice" and "I Alone."

The highlight came when Kowalczyk pulled out a lyrics sheet and threw down a full-on rock interpretation of bluesman Blind Willie Johnson's "God Don't Never Change," originally recorded by Johnson in 1929. A smiling Kowalczyk said his recent discovery of Johnson's music had "changed his whole world around."

Unfortunately, the set was marred when Kowalczyk took his shirt off in the middle of the final song, "Lightning Crashes," a song about a friend who had died in a car crash. It was cheesy, even though Kowalczyk proved that he's a surprisingly buff 36-year-old.

But it was easy for him to show off following Collective Soul's opening 45-minute set. As the only band with a new album coming out this summer, they tried out a handful of forgettable new songs with lead singer Ed Roland practically begging the crowd to sing along at times.

Sure, fans got to hear their few hits like "December," "Shine" and "The World I Know," but you could smell the desperation when Roland left the stage saying, "Tell your family and your friends that you saw Collective Soul, man!"

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dl...30348/-1/NEWS01

[crazy1]

Unfortunately, the set was marred when Kowalczyk took his shirt off in the middle of the final song, "Lightning Crashes," a song about a friend who had died in a car crash. It was cheesy, even though Kowalczyk proved that he's a surprisingly buff 36-year-old.


http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dl...30348/-1/NEWS01

What a jerk this reporter is....cheesy..not to us women!!!!

[crazy1]

oh...and another thing..the freakin reporter is tone deaf too if he thinks the Crows were good!!!

[BP24]

Unfortunately, the set was marred when Kowalczyk took his shirt off in the middle of the final song, "Lightning Crashes," a song about a friend who had died in a car crash. It was cheesy, even though Kowalczyk proved that he's a surprisingly buff 36-year-old.

I thought Lightning Crashes was about the circle of life and how while an old woman dies a new baby is born into the world? At least that's how Ed described it on "The Videos" DVD that came with Awake.

[Heather]

Unfortunately, the set was marred when Kowalczyk took his shirt off in the middle of the final song, "Lightning Crashes," a song about a friend who had died in a car crash. It was cheesy, even though Kowalczyk proved that he's a surprisingly buff 36-year-old.

I thought Lightning Crashes was about the circle of life and how while an old woman dies a new baby is born into the world? At least that's how Ed described it on "The Videos" DVD that came with Awake.

Yeah the reporter needs to do his research. The song was dedicated to a friend that died in a car crash, not written about her.

As for the shirt thing, I'm a woman and I still think it's cheesy.

[Existentialist]

Yeah, my girlfriend thinks it's creepy when Ed takes off his shirt. He's a rock star, not a stripper!

[Hoodstock]

But it was easy for him to show off following Collective Soul's opening 45-minute set. As the only band with a new album coming out this summer, they tried out a handful of forgettable new songs with lead singer Ed Roland practically begging the crowd to sing along at times.

Sure, fans got to hear their few hits like "December," "Shine" and "The World I Know," but you could smell the desperation when Roland left the stage saying, "Tell your family and your friends that you saw Collective Soul, man!"

That is pretty much exactly what I said in my review from Clarkston, MI. He ended the show with the exact same line. I am still to embarrassed to tell my family and friends

COLLECTIVE SOUL SUCKS ON STAGE!!!!!

This post has been edited by Hoodstock: Jul 23 2007, 12:15 pm

[crazy1]

Yeah, my girlfriend thinks it's creepy when Ed takes off his shirt. He's a rock star, not a stripper!