If the band busts out of its pretty jazz-folk groove, and Duritz's restless spirit gets the support it needs, Counting Crows may become the "black-winged bird" of Duritz's dreams. The one that soars above the earth on its way to heaven.
If they do get there, Duritz and the band may run into Sam Phillips. In her impressive opening set, the former Christian singer turned her crystalline voice and jaundiced eye on fundamentalist preachers, possessive lovers and anyone else looking to smother her with easy answers and cheap sentimentality.
In her tailored satin blouse and proper blond pageboy, Phillips looked as subversive as a Junior Leaguer on her way to a bake sale. But her uncompromising intelligence and astringent wit cut through the surface gloss in minutes, leaving an impression that lingered for hours.