“Tonight we’re planning on meeting expectations,” lead singer Adam Duritz joked during Counting Crows performance at the Miller High Life Theatre Wednesday night.

“Exceeding [expectations]! Exceeding!” one audience member pleaded.

It was a memorable moment in a night filled with nostalgic hits, newer music and plenty of stage banter.

The opening act, 2000s emo-rock group Dashboard Confessional kicked off the show with drummer Chris Kamrada crashing the opening drum patterns to an excited audience. The band initially embraced the poppier side of their music – classic 2000s rock-pop dominated with guitar riffs reminiscent of Train and The Fray – but as the show went on, the group’s emo influences were unleashed in belted choruses and spoken word segments.

This concert marked a hometown performance for Dashboard bassist Scott Schoenbeck. The Bay View native was an original member of Milwaukee-based emo pioneer band The Promise Ring before joining Dashboard in 2002.

Lead singer Chris Carrabba toed a line between mature family man and lead singer energizing the crowd. Carrabba’s identity struggle fits snugly into the ethos of Dashboard Confessional. Lines like: “And I am flawed / But I am cleaning up so well / I am seeing in me now / The things you swore you saw yourself” from their hit song “Vindicated” reveal that this crisis isn’t new.

Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carrabba opens for Counting Crows at the Miller High Life Theatre. Credit: Brianna Griepentrog

Counting Crows opened their set with their 7-minute epic “Mrs. Potter’s Lullaby,” an outwardly upbeat song with a vulnerable core that aptly led off a set filled with sentimentality and stage banter. In just that opening track, Duritz turned to a different band member for each line, leaned in to play air-guitar and hopped on the boxy speakers on the edge of the stage.

The band next launched into their second track of the concert, their 1993 hit “Mr. Jones,” bringing the ecstatic audience to an uproar.

It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!

Vote here!

Counting Crowd found a balance between playing those crowd-pleasing favorites they’ve played for the past 20 years, along with cuts from new releases that haven’t had the same reach as their earlier works. Between hits like “’Round Here” and “Omaha,” they included tracks from their 2021 EP Butter Miracle Suite One. The new music embraces the group’s root influences and stays loyal to the sound that brought them acclaim.

This tour, Counting Crows also revived “Butterfly In Reverse”, a song absent from their setlists for 20 years. It’s is a cheery swing track in 3/4 time, a sunny song that borders on the sound of a Broadway showtune.

Adam Duritz of Counting Crows sings at the Miller High Life Theatre. Credit: Brianna Griepentrog

Concerts are consistently elevated by the sound and lights team, and in this case, the team admirably matched the emotive output of the band. Lights in rich colors trickled over the band and brought an intimate feel to the large theatric setting.

Duritz brought a warped version of nostalgia to the stage, reminiscing on vivid imagery and creative spirit in between songs. Before he sang “Miami,” Duritz told the audience a personal story from decades before. He was at the airport, waiting at the gate for his then-girlfriend to land in Miami (“this was before 9/11,” he reminded the audience). While he waited, Duritz watched the “flaming” sun “plunge into the horizon” and saw a plane fly into the ball of fire. He panicked. His heart told him that it was his girlfriend’s plane, and he felt like “the end was near.” But everything was fine. The plane landed. She got off, and “things were alright … until they weren’t.” The vivid imagery of that moment stuck with him.

Duritz also spoke about his respect for Dashboard Confessional, noting that he was “inspired to be better by Chris [Carrabba]”.

The group went on to play a mix of newer tracks (“Elevator Boots,” “Bobby and the Rat Kings”) and branched out with songs featuring minimalist electronic beats similar to Phil Collins’ Genesis.

But when the first notes of “A Long December” rolled from the piano, the crowd was brought to their feet. It was hard to tell who got more catharsis from the performance – Duritz or the audience.

Chants for “Adam!” and whistles coaxed the band back on stage for an encore. “Hanginaround” featured Dashboard Confessional, the bands joking and dancing together. Counting Crows concluded the set with “Holiday in Spain.”

The band didn’t play one of their biggest hits, “Accidentally in Love,” but from the ecstatic mood of the audience by the night’s end, it’s clear the show did manage to exceed expectations.