In November 2013, Counting Crows released their seventh album Echoes of the Outlaw Roadshow, a live recording from their recent stint as headliners on the Outlaw Roadshow festival tour. The album reflected the band's pristine sets on the tour, which treated ticket buyers to Adam Duritz's haunting lyrics, the band's tight musicianship, and intense, emotional renditions of hits like "Rain King." On both the album and in concert, the band approached old and new material with a fresh eye, surprising fans with alternate versions of hits like "Round Here" and exploring new territory with covers of Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead.
The band's 2013 shows displayed the same energy they've had since breaking onto the scene in 1993, when they performed as stand-ins for Van Morrison at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony and impressed attendees with their powerhouse performance of Morrison's "Caravan." That same year, the band's album debut August and Everything After reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200, propelled by catchy, powerful singles like "Mr. Jones" and "Round Here." Both songs remain '90s alt-rock anthems, garnering fervent audience reaction on the Crows' 2013 tour dates. In late 2013, fans were delighted by the news that the band were returning to the studio to begin work on a new album, slated for a 2014 release.
