About the Festival

In the Press

Counting Crows rock McCoy for arts fest
By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN,

Pawtucket Times 8/25/2007

PAWTUCKET - Like the Counting Crows' breakthrough album, "August and Everything After," the Friday night concert at McCoy Stadium was the perfect segue into the three-week-long 2007 Pawtucket Arts Festival.

Under clear skies and a light breeze, a large, enthusiastic crowd gathered in front of the stage on the ballfield and rocked to the three-band line-up featuring Collective Soul, Live and the Counting Crows. While some fans twirled on the grass, others lounged on blankets or chose to take in the music from the comfort of the stadium seats.

While the turnout was somewhat less than for last year's concert with rock legend Bob Dylan, the venue drew a respectable crowd of about 8,000, according to a PawSox spokesman.

Many of those in attendance praised McCoy Stadium as a concert venue, as well as the ticket policy that admitted children under 12 at no charge.

For Laurie Ross, of Milford, Conn., a longtime Counting Crows fan, the concert was a chance to introduce her four children, ranging in age from 12 to 6, to the band's music played live. "My husband and I have been following the Counting Crows for at least 10 years, and we've seen them play many times. Usually, we have to get a babysitter," she joked.
For Bill Mahoney, a PawSox fan from Medway, Mass. the "free child" admission policy was a definite draw in taking his three children, Caleb, 10, Tyler, 8, and Tully, 6, with him to see a band he has always liked. "It's a bargain, for the price," he stated, while son Caleb boasted, "It's my first concert!"

While the Counting Crows drew the bulk of the crowd, many of the concert-goers said they had come to see Live, an alternative rock band that originated in York, Pa., while others were on hand to take in the opening act, Collective Soul.
Josh Ayers. of Warren. and John Stone, of Boston, said Live was the band that brought them to McCoy that evening. "It was a good show," Ayers, said of Live's performance. Stone joked that he and his friends were having trouble naming more than two of the Counting Crows' songs.

Greg Pereira of Warren, sitting with his younger brother and sister, also said he had come to see Live. It was his first visit to McCoy Stadium, and he said he liked the venue and thought the band had put on a good show.

Monika Bailey and Jennifer Montefusco, both of Cranston, said they skipped Collective Soul's performance, but had arrived in time to see Live and the Counting Crows. "This has been great. It's a perfect venue," said Montefusco.

Bailey, formerly of Pawtucket, said she had seen many PawSox games at McCoy, but this was her first concert. "It's been really fun," she said. "What a nice night!"

Also happily taking in the music and the summer breeze were Dave and Debby May of Foster. The couple said they had come to last year's Dylan concert and had such a good time, they decided to come back. "We came to see everybody," Dave laughed, when asked which of the bands was his favorite in the line-up.

Collective Soul, an alternative rock band originating from Stockbridge, Ga., warmed up the crowd with a set that included their hit "Shine" and other fan favorites.

Live followed, playing an energetic string of crowd-pleasers that included their hits "Selling the Drama" and "Lightning Crashes," along with a rendition of the Johnny Cash favorite "I Walk the Line."

The Counting Crows, featuring lead singer Adam Duritz, were welcomed warmly, with the crowd cheering when they broke into the recognizable first notes of their hit "Mr. Jones."

The Crows moved between hard-rocking tunes from a new album that is due out in November and their older material, to be featured on a reissue of 1993's "August and Everything After," hitting stores in September, said Duritz.

back