Rameo Marquez on Counting Crows

For the longest time i've been a follower of the Counting Crows, it's hard to say how they make me feel, specially since most of the songs seem like they written for me. It's been pretty hard to be a CC fan in Mexico since no one ever really listens to them or knows anything about them that is not Mr. Jones. So when i heard they where going to Texas, i had to take the chance of my life.

As soon as i heard they were coming, i made all the arrangments to get tickets for the Houston show, and i got them. One week later i spent 1 hour on a long distance phone call to get some tickets for the Austin show, and i did get them!

So here i was now, with no hope to ever see the crows in my own land with two tickets for 2 shows of them, i guess i got lucky, very lucky.

Anyways, the countdown started, and as time went by, i told everyone in this city that i was going to meet to the Counting Crows, that was my goal.

So the day finally came, my dad drove me from Monterrey to Houston (8 hrs) and when i got to the place of the concert i coudn't beileve this was real.

Anyways, i went to my seat, and as Fiona Apple opened the show i noticed a guy sitting in the front row with a Adam-Duritz look, of course i didn't think it was him, instead i thougth ot was someone trying to look like him.

Anyways, so this guy gets up from his seat, and starts walking toward the soundboard, and he's walking with a cane. He walked 5 inches away from my seat, so as soon as i saw his face, i thougth: "Oh my god, it's Adam". I quickly got up to follow him and to meet him, and when i got close to him, he seem a lot more diffrent in close-up, he was very thin and wearing glasses, so i said: "Mr. Duritz", and he said: "Yeah?". Wow, it really was him!

So i finally met the person i've been admairing all this time. Then i told Adam waht a pleasure was to meet him and that i really loved his work. Actually i was pretty freaked out about the whole thing so i couldn't really say something more meaningful, and besides i was at the soundboard and the guard noticed that i didn't belong there, so he kicked me out. But i didn't care, because i had shaken Adam's hand, and that's all i cared for at the time.

So i went back to my seat, and waited for the band, when they were out i just felt the king of the world. Thw show was just like i thougth it'd be, Adam puts mixes a lot of emotions that every single song, it was like if he was acting the story written in his songs.

I remember "Anna Begins" as one of the most beautiful moments of the concert, and i was so happy that they played Mr. Jones, Adam said: "This next song we haven't played for anybody in two years, so this is for you". It was a very slow, mellow, version sad enough to drag me to tears, as the song ended i noticed that i was not the only one crying, Adam was in tears too.

So they played more songs, and also the longest version of Round Here, which really got myself pleased.

After the show i tried to look for some exit to see if i could sai hi again to Adam, but i couldn't find anything, so i just rested my hopes for the next day at Austin.

We drove the next day from Houston to Austin (3 hrs), and got barely on time for the doors being opened to the show. Since it was a general admission, i thougt this would be my chance to be really close to the stage, and i couldn't have been more rigth. I got in the front row, so now i had to wait for them to come out. After a while i noticed that a whole bunch of people running towards somebody, so i got close there and there he was, Adam signing autographs to whom ever that wanted one. Lots of people got around him, to say hi, and get every sort of items signed, like tickets, dollar bills, shirts, etc. He was nice to everyone and we were all impressed for this gesture of good will. Everyone was talking about what a nice guy Adam is, and everyone went home with a pice of Adam.

When i got him my stuffed signed (cd covers, pictures, tickets) i told him that i had come all the way from Mexico just to see him and he seemed impressed, i asked him if he had plans to go to Mexico and the said: "Well, not this week". So maybe next week he'll go. After getting my stuff signed, i just went and sit down close to him staring at him and thinking, "He is the greatest!"

He kept signing stuff for about one hour and then he left. I went back to my place and waited to Fiona Apple to come and go.

So again, here i am waiting for the band, with the adrenalin at max, and all i am thinking is "i really love this guy!" Who wouldn't?

So they gave a EXCELLENT show, i enjoyed even more than the last nigth's, they played a diffrent show, some songs where on and some off, he played 'A Murder of One' which is one of my favorites songs of AAEA with some stuff from Doris Day which i love too.

I got a drumstick and also the list of the songs so i got pretty god and invaluable souvenirs.

At the end of the show, i went out to look for the exit they were going out, and i found it. So i jus waited for them to come out. The security guys were being really mean, and they were threathing everyone of getting us arrested, as if i cared about that!

Well i found a way to sneak in, and i approached to Adam as he was just coming out the door, and i got to walk like 20 yds with him. I felt the luckiest person as i was walking besides Adam Durits towards the crowd. I was the envy of the crowd. So when we got to them, he signed my poster, my songs list, and some other stuff.

After that i just waited for him to finish with the crowd so i could talk with him, and i did. He recognized me from the nigth before, and he make some jokes about me looking really, really excited. Well "i have troube acting normal when i'm vnervous", i thougth.

Anyways he was the nicest, he really won the fans hart by doing these. I've always said that a musician has no obligation of being nice to the fans, because that's not his job, his job is being a good musician. So when i meet a guy, who is an excellent musician and also a wonderful, humble human being, well i can't less than take off my hat and say, thanks Adam.

After a while the rest of the band came out, they where also very nice to the people, the signed everyone everything, and got to chat with everyone.

My second favorite member of the band is Dan, and after chatting for a while he said: "I like you", he shook my hand and he said "i'm Dan Vickery", "as if i didn't know you" i said, he made some remark on my name (Romeo), and after that i left to say hi to the rest of the band.I like you too Dan.

Then i got to meet David, which i really admire a lot, i said hi, and asked him a couple questions about some guitar techniques, and when i told him that i had liked the article on Guitar Player, he said he lied the article, but not his pictures, he thougth he looked kind of geeke, which i of course said no.

Charlie, Matt, and Ben were also very nice guys. They talked to me for a while, and they all agreed to get pictures taken, everyone except for Adam and David. They said they don't like pictures, and everyone was very respectful of that.

Well, that's pretty much how my weekend went, it is something i'll never forget in my life. There has't been a single day where i don't think about it nor a night where i don't dream about them...

So now there's one less thing on my list of things to acomplish in my life-meeting the band-, i guess now i'll have to move onto something else. I think now i'll work on going on vacation with them!

Romeo

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