Snow Falls in August by Kristyn Clarke

Let me start by saying what a privilege it was to be able to attend a show with two completely fantastic headliners! Both the Counting Crows and Maroon 5 put on an amazing show and it was great to see the two acts blend together, although their styles of music are not the same. While I questioned the ideas of putting the Counting Crows on before Maroon Five, because trust me, they could have brought down the house as the show closers with no problem, I think the Crows did a fine job of working up the crowd and getting everyone on their feet before Maroon Five took the stage and really got the crowd jamming.

The Counting Crows played most of their hits such as Rain King, Mr. Jones, and Hard Candy. I was completely moved by the beautiful version of "Long December", in which they brought out a piano and the stage backdrop showed snow falling to the ground outside of windows. It was one of those moments where I was completely lost in the music, and it was amazing. It was as if the band could play all night long, and not a single audience member would get tired of listening. You can really tell by the way this band performs, that they are truly connected to the music and lead singer Adam Duritz's vocals take you on an emotional ride of ups and downs through each and every song.


The entire band sounded energized and their set flowed with ease from start to finish. It was also worth noting that this was a "green" tour and funds were being donated to local community outreach programs in each city. It is great to see artist's that are giving back to the community and urging others to take an active role in helping others and becoming more knowledgeable about the world around them.

Now that the stage has been set, Maroon 5 made their entrance in full orchestral glory. I can definitely say I was impressed with front man Adam Levine's stage presence and vocal ability. He was able to connect with the audience and got things started on a high note with their hit song, "This Love" as an opener. The band then poured through their hits such as "If I Never See Your Face Again", "Tangled", and "Sunday Morning". A truly standout moment of their set was the fabulous cover of Chris Isaaks' "Wicked Game" as an intro to, "She Will Be Loved," (truly fitting if you ask me and it showed off more than ever Levine's' vocal range). Maroon Five closed out their set with the songs, "Harder to Breathe" and "Sweetest Goodbye".

Overall, I thought the show was great and the pairing of these two bands made for a show that was full of variety and substance. You can tell that both bands truly put their heart and soul into the music they are making and we were just lucky enough to get a taste for our listening pleasure.

Now check out page two of our PCM concert exclusive featuring two slideshows of photographs from the concert!