It takes courage to thumb your nose at trends and convention but that's what Counting Crows has done for more than 30 years.
When Counting Crows released its breakthrough album, the straightforward rock effort "August and Everything After," in September of 1993, grunge ruled the charts.
There were bands aping Nirvana, such as Bush and Silverchair, and an array of vocalists doing their best Eddie Vedder impersonation — Hello Scott Stapp of Creed fame. And then there was Counting Crows, which had more in common with Van Morrison rather than DGC labelmate Kurt Cobain.
"We've never paid attention to what is in fashion," Counting Crows singer-songwriter Adam Duritz said while calling from his New York apartment. "That has never been important to us. Making the best music that we can has always trumped making something that sounds like what's on the radio at the moment."
However, Counting Crows has been able to create on its own terms and experience chart success. "August and Everything After," went seven times platinum and was the fastest selling rock album since Nirvana's "Nevermind."
"Mr. Jones," "Round Here," "A Long December," "Omaha" and "Einstein on the Beach" are just some of the band's hits.
The pretty "Accidentally in Love," which was written for "Shrek 2," earned the group an Academy Award nomination to go along with a pair of Grammy nominations.
The band will take the Mark G. Etess Arena stage in the Hard Rock for a 7:30 p.m. show Saturday.
Counting Crows has enjoyed significant commercial success and critical acclaim. "Recovering the Satellites," which was released in 1996, is a compelling and exceptional reaction to the overwhelming adoration the band experienced after "August and Everything After" ruled the charts.
Duritz was rocked by going from being an unknown to a celebrity under the microscope.
"I'm not complaining but it's not as easy as people think," he said.
Unlike the aforementioned Cobain, Duritz is still standing and remarkably has only been part of Counting Crows, which have eight releases to its name, including "Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!," which dropped in May. Many vocalists leave their band or at least work on side projects, but not Duritz.
"Why leave the group I love being part of?" Duritz asked. "I have everything that I want with this band."
"Butter Miracle," is the first full length album by Counting Crows since the group released "Somewhere Under Wonderland" in 2014. Counting Crows could ride the nostalgia wave but Duritz and his bandmates opted to create new material.
"We still have something to say," he said. "It's not enough for us to just play the hits and the other songs in our catalog."
However, Duritz is less than prolific.
"I've never been a guy who wrote all the time because I can't write on the road," he said. "I play piano. I can't bring one in my hotel room, so I've always gone like several years at a time without writing. I've always been a guy who just didn't write reflexively all the time, and I only write when I want to record. I kind of didn't want to make a record for a while."
When Duritz sits down to write, it's a process in which he is exacting when it comes to music and lyrics, which are typically vivid and detailed.
"I try not to ever take a shortcut," he said. "You just can't settle as a songwriter. that would drive me crazy. I can't write a lyric that is just, 'I met her and fell in love.' That's not enough for me. Instead, I'll write, 'When you look across a crowded room/See the way the light attaches to a girl.' "
Halfway through Jackson Browne's terrific hour-40 minute set Saturday at the Hard Rock, the venerable singer-songwriter couldn't help but notice the crowd.
"It's interesting playing here," Browne said. "It seems like people are getting up to go to the restroom or get a drink after every song. At least I hope that's what they're doing."
Well, it's been awhile since Browne has played an Atlantic City casino. The last time he was in town was a decade ago when he performed at the Borgata.
I once asked the late iconic comic George Carlin how he deals with casino crowds.
"I tell them before I even get started, 'I don't care if you come here because you have a coupon,'" he said. "This show is about me, not about you and, if you don't like that, you can leave."
When Fiona Apple headlined the Borgata in 2005, a fan interrupted the unpredictable but brilliant singer-songwriter during her set.
"You want me to do what?" Apple asked in an incredulous manner. "You want me to hurry along! Well, bleep you and get the bleep out of here!"
After tough as nails rock legend Chrissie Hynde completed a VH1 special on her Pretenders in 2006 at the Etess Arena, when it was part of Trump Taj Mahal, I asked the unforgiving songwriter how she deals with casino crowds.
"I don't care what they do," Hynde said. "I get paid no matter what. The people that come to the show can do whatever they want to do."
Minutes later, Hynde was on the floor jamming with a cover band.
Browne was fine with the audience that featured quite a few folks getting up and out of their seats during the show. However, the sedate crowd didn't stand collectively until the final two songs of the set.
Browne impressed with such hits as "Running on Empty," "The Pretender" and "Doctor My Eyes." But the highlight of the evening was a poignant cover of Steven Van Zandt's moving "I Am a Patriot."
