The Struggle to Be Adam Duritz: A Tribute Band Member’s Quest to Be Cool, Mysterious, Witty, and Talented (aka "what it’s like Counterfeiting Crows")

The Struggle to Be Adam Duritz: A Tribute Band Member's Quest to Be Cool, Mysterious, Witty, and Talented (aka "what it’s like Counterfeiting Crows")

You know how it is—you're standing in front of a mirror, a microphone in your hand, and you ask yourself, "How on earth can I ever be Adam Duritz?" The cool, mysterious, witty, and ridiculously talented frontman of Counting Crows.
How does he make it look so easy? And how do I, as a humble member of Counterfeiting Crows, even begin to replicate that level of effortlessly cool while belting out "Mr. Jones" or "Round Here" for the thousandth time?Honestly, it feels like trying to replicate a rare and precious work of art. But more on that later.

The first step to becoming Adam Duritz? Confidence. Confidence that is half self-assuredness and half "I might actually be a bit of a mess, but we're gonna call it 'charm'." I try to channel that every time I step up to the mic.
The dreadlocked hair—check. The energy of someone who's seen it all, and yet still manages to be oddly relatable—check. But it's more than just the look. It's the vibe. I've got to embody the guy who, while singing "Mr. Jones," isn't just thinking about a drunk night at a bar, but maybe, just maybe, about the loneliness that comes with all that fame. Sure, there's a bit of humor in there, but it's never as simple as it seems.

And then there's the most crucial part—the mystique. How does Adam maintain that aura of "I'm going to tell you everything, but you'll never know anything about me"? You can't just sing the line "maybe this year will be better than the last" from "A Long December" and expect to sell it without that look—the kind that says, "I've been everywhere and nowhere all at once, and I might just be making this up as I go." 

The trick isn't in the words. It's in the delivery. The way the raw emotion feels so effortless. The way he leaves everything on the stage.

But here's the catch—no one can actually be Adam Duritz. If I were truly Adam, I'd have a million-dollar contract with Rolling Stone and a secret passport to some other dimension. So I do the next best thing: I sing his songs, I tell his stories, and I try to give my heart to each one, just like he does. 

But even as I try, I know deep down that when I'm singing "Round Here" for the hundredth time, I'm not pretending to be Adam—I'm honoring him.Sure, I'm not Adam. I can't be. But that's what's so fun about this whole thing. I don't have the magical ability to turn every soul-searching ballad into an epic declaration of misunderstood existence, but I give it my best shot. 

I practice "Perfect Blue Buildings" until I can actually feel the weight of those words. I channel the melancholy of "Sullivan Street" on sleepless nights. And when I'm screaming "Colorblind," I put everything I have into that moment, even though I know I'll never be able to capture the depth of Adam's delivery.

But here's the deal: it's all in good fun. I'm not trying to be Adam. I just want to honor him and the band. I may not have his magic, but I've got plenty of heart and soul to put into every note, every line, and every "Murder of One" breakdown.
Sometimes, I even crack a joke about how "I want to be with you, but I don't have any money" (shout-out to "Holiday in Spain"). I know that part of what makes Adam Duritz so incredible is that he can make you feel deeply, laugh, and leave you feeling like you've experienced something both heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. And that's what I want to share.

So, come see us live. Let us share the fun and music with you. Maybe I'm not Adam Duritz, but I promise I'll give everything I've got to make each performance feel as authentic and heartfelt as possible. 

Come for the music, stay for the fun, and let's enjoy the ride together—because whether I'm pretending to be Adam or just living my best non-Adamic life, there's something magical about Counting Crows songs. And isn't that the whole point?

-Shane
 www.CountingCrowsTributeBand.com  

 

P.S. No crows were actually counterfeited in the making of this tribute.