Matchbox man, Crows find a way to finally tour together
Counting Crows and Matchbox Twenty had wanted to tour together for years, but each band’s fame was equally matched, and no one could agree who would open for whom.
Frontmen Adam Duritz (Counting Crows) and Rob Thomas (Matchbox Twenty) have been friends for decades, but their current co-headlining tour — Thomas is performing solo — is their first.
The groups have sold millions of melodic rootsrock albums, and both are still hit-makers.
And both men are survivors who first became famous in a quainter era. Thomas, who has been married for 16 years, has remained scandal-free; Duritz, who used to date famous actresses, was a tabloid staple. In separate interviews, Thomas and Duritz talked about keeping their bands together. The following is an edited transcript of those conversations:
On being famous before social media
Rob Thomas: When we started, there was no social media, there was no TMZ, there was no one waiting outside of every club to catch you doing something wrong. So right at that time you don’t know what the hell you’re doing and you’re so excited, you had the freedom to (mess) up privately. Nobody saw it happen, and we could grow up and get our (stuff ) together and realize it’s not that cool to be the drunk slob going out everywhere.
Adam Duritz: I didn’t like it (even) then. It was horrible. I really, really did not like being in the tabloids, or being followed around the streets in LA. I don’t know how people do it now. It has nothing to do with music.
On band fights
Duritz: We all stopped that early. Everyone still complains about stuff, but if you’re really a jerk, you’re not here anymore. You’re allowed to disagree with me and yell at me about anything that has to do with music, and that’s fine. (But) arguments about music turn into arguments about arguments. It’s tough.
Thomas: When we were in our 20s, we would throw things, and it would get really crazy. Now, in our 40s, everybody will scream for a second, then go to their own corner. Then somebody will walk over to the other and say, “Listen, when you said that, it made me feel like you weren’t to listening to me, and I wasn’t being appreciated, and I got upset, and I’m sorry that I overreacted.” Now we’re therapizing each other. It’s like one long episode of that Metallica documentary.
On the diminished expectations of a longrunning band
Duritz: There’s going to be moments in life where, if you’re lucky, you’re the center of popular culture. We had that moment. And then there’s going to be lots of moments where you’re not. It’s impossible to stay there, for most bands.
Thomas: It’s not really about staying famous. At this point, world domination is off the agenda.