#countingcrows Archives

Two weeks ago, I wrote a column entitled, THINGS THAT PISS ME OFF & A MOVIE THAT USED TO. I’ll admit, it was a bit heavy handed, even though it was mostly in jest. Mostly. Ok, not really. Those things did and continue to piss me off, and a few of you responded in agreement. But in an effort to show I’m not a complete curmudgeon, I thought it only fair to write a column that balances it out. And with that, I present to you–A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS, with another nod to The Sound of Music.

Major League Baseball’s Opening Day–it doesn’t matter whether your team is good, bad or in between. It doesn’t even matter if its cold and cloudy. Everyone is undefeated on opening day and you can always layer up. It’s like Christmas in April. Only with beer.

The first time you realize the person you love, feels the same way about you. I don’t know about you, but I find it amazing that anyone can tolerate me. I’m OCD. Bullheaded. Argumentative. And have only been wrong once in my life, and that was caused by a faulty GPS address. See what I mean? And yet somehow, I found someone who was willing to spend the rest of her life with me. I knew she was the one the moment I saw her fold herself Indian style into a chair not meant to be sat in that way. But could she feel the same way in return? I guess there really is someone for everyone. I’m living proof.

Sunny 72 degree days with a slight breeze. I think this is self explanatory.

A good day drunk. Nothing like drinking in the afternoon with friends without a care in the world. Passed out by 10:00 and you can still function the next day. What’s better than that?

Well, maybe this is. Your favorite movie that you haven’t watched in a few years, coming on in the middle of the night when you can’t sleep.

Dancing to Prince. I had the opportunity to briefly meet him once when I was working in Los Angeles and although he was small in stature, he was one of those people that was larger than life without even trying to be. Soft spoken and gentle, he is one of the few people that left me awestruck. And in case you don’t know, there is a rule that whenever a Prince song comes on the radio (or the movie Purple Rain), you HAVE to dance. This is non-negotiable. And it doesn’t matter if it’s 3:00am, noon, or if you’re at work. Rules are rules. If you don’t immediately break out your worst dance moves when Baby I’m a Star/I Would Die 4 U comes on, you have no soul and need to take the next elevator straight down to hell. RIP, Prince. Your music and legacy will live on.

Super Bowl Sunday. But I’d like it even more if it was on a Saturday.

Grey, cool, fall days, that require a sweatshirt and jeans, but nothing more. Lying in a hammock looking out as the colorful leaves begin to slowly make their way to the ground one and two at a time.

Seeing an old friend for the first time in years and feeling as though you saw them only the day before.

Laughing so hard, tears start streaming down your face. We all have that friend who can make us laugh no matter how awful our day has been. Call that person TODAY.

Reading old cards from long lost family members. I still have a card my parents gave me on my high school graduation 75 years ago (maybe a slight exaggeration) telling me how proud they were of me. I would literally give anything to be able to pick up the phone or go to visit them and hear their voices just one more time.

Flying in over the New York City skyline and wondering what every person is doing below.

Writing. There is nothing quite like creating a story that makes you feel a little better after you’ve read it than you did before. Nothing like creating characters so heroic you wish you could be just like them. Life can be depressing at times. It’s amazing to create your own world where everything is as it should be.

Tim McGraw.

Sitting on the top deck of a ferry boat cruising across the ocean to my favorite place in the world. Nantucket. If you’ve never been, you need to go. Beautiful sandy beaches. Grey shake shingle homes with widow’s walks on the rooftops looking over the entire island. A quaint town center with cobblestone streets and shops that are fun to walk in and out of even if you don’t buy a thing. Best of all, Nantucket is a place where ice cream isn’t just for kids.

Outdoor concerts. Whether you are on the lawn, in the pit or backstage, there’s nothing like a summer outdoor concert.

Counting Crows. Counting Crows at an outdoor summer venue even better. Saratoga Springs Performing Arts Center the best.

An outdoor hot tub on a snowy winter night.

Christmas Eve with the lights on, carols playing in the background, and It’s a Wonderful Life on the TV.

Dogs. All of them. For their loyalty and unconditional love. Especially our boys Mr. Beans and Mr. Bode.

A good book that forces you to put everything else on hold until you’ve finished it.

What are some of your favorite things? Share them by contacting me through my website. www.mattmicros.com

Until next week, conquer your greatest fears and watch the doors of success fly open….

When I was living in Los Angeles back in the 90’s, a band burst onto the scene with a different sound. Haunting at times. Melodic. Great lyrics. They soared to the top of the charts with hits like “Mr. Jones” and “Round Here”. Their lead singer dated TV and movie stars. But whereas some bands let fame go to their heads and disappear, never to be heard from again…24 years later, the Counting Crows have persevered and prospered. They’ve done so by staying true to what made them popular in the first place, while at the same time, not being afraid to step out of their comfort zone. Some bands are known for one or two songs, and you spend an entire show waiting for them, barely listening to the songs before them. If they don’t play them, you leave disappointed. But the Counting Crows are one of those rare bands that play a different set for virtually every show. You could see them ten times on the same tour and see a different show every night. And it doesn’t really matter what they play, because if you like their music, you like them all.

The Crows have always had a special place in my heart, first in my 20’s living in California, later as one of the songs in our wedding, and most recently, as a reference point in a crucial moment of my newest novel, The Music Box.

Needless to say, the opportunity to see them in concert (again), catch their sound check, and meet the band, was a dream come true. As a friend said, when you get to meet your heroes, it can go one of two ways. It can either ruin the mythical imagery you have of them, or it can make it stronger. Happily for me, it was the latter. My wife and I had the opportunity to sit in on the sound check before the concert and it was a surreal experience watching them interact with each other as if they were getting ready for a school concert in high school. It was like having a private concert in your basement–if your basement held 10,000 people but there were only 25 there. Enjoy a snippet from it below…

CountingCrowsSoundCheck

What I liked best is that these guys seem to genuinely like each other after all these years, and it shows in their performances. Great sound. Great lyrics. Great music. Full of energy and creativity. They played a nice mix of classics (Mr. Jones, Rain King, Omaha, A Long December) along with songs from their new album (Palisades Park, Scarecrow, Dislocation, Earthquake Driver, God of Ocean Tides). Sadly on a personal level, they didn’t play Mrs. Potters Lullaby (the song referenced in The Music Box) in last night’s show at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut, but they’ve played it when I’ve seen them previously, and I’m sure they will when I see them again–which I most definitely will.

The Music Box is the story of Nick Reynolds, a dying man who has one final wish–to spend his remaining days with his estranged 12 year old son, Josh. As his ex-wife brings their son over to see him, and at her son’s urging, she stops at a seedy pawn shop in an even seedier part of town, so Josh can purchase a music box for his father. What he doesn’t realize is that every song it plays has the ability to transport both father and son back to the time when his father first heard the song. Through their visits, Josh begins to finally see who his father really is, as well as learn some valuable life lessons along the way. Is it the magic of the music box? The sway of the music itself? Or the sheer power of the human mind at work? There have been a number of bands and solo artists over the course of my life that have had an impact on me, but none more so than the Counting Crows. Their songs have always had the ability to take me back in time and were in no small part the inspiration for the story behind the story.

And that’s about the best compliment I can give.