Counting Crows and company brought friends to Atlanta last week when the band hit Chastain Park as part of their second-annual Traveling Circus & Rebel Show, performing alongside California-natives Augustana and up-and-coming rapper Notar.

The concert, which took on a more variety show-like format, kicked off with the members of all three acts coming on stage to collaborate on a myriad of tunes by all three performers.   And while many in the crowd seemed a bit disenchanted with the idea of the Counting Crows NOT performing their hit songs in a manner identical to the studio release, the real music fans within the crowd embraced the eclectic offerings.

Augustana’s lead vocalist Dan Layus, with his unwavering coolness, complimented Adam Duritz’ well-established  style in a way that gave songs like “Hanging Around” and “Long December” a fresh twist.  Augustana were also able to perform their biggest hits to date, including, “Boston” and “Sweet and Low.”

Notar’s participation in this, dare we say… circus, offered the most polarizing addition to the already packed jamboree. Spitting freestyle verses in and between Counting Crows and Augustana songs,  Ohio-born Notar essentially filled the gap once held by the act Spearhead during last year’s festival.  And while the crowd was split as to their perception of the rapper’s performance (the couple immediately to my left were overheard asking themselves “Why isn’t this dude big yet?” whereas the man immediately to my right left his area in apparent disgust and blabbered, “I just don’t get it.”),  Notar brought a much-needed energy to the stage that otherwise would have been lacking. 

The nonconventional approach and subsequent audience reaction to the Traveling Circus & Medicine show ultimately illustrates the dichotomy of the crowd.    On one hand, you have the consumers.  They came for Counting Crows and simply wanted Adam Duritz to perform the band’s songs as-is.  Give them the “Hanging Arounds,” the “Mr. Jones’,” and the “Long Decembers.”  On the other hand, you also have the creative enthusiasts who, while they may have appreciated a more traditional set by the Crows, understand the value of such a diverse collaboration and why it’s important to push musical boundaries.  Neither group could be considered “better” than the other, but it clearly says a lot about the expectations of those in the crowd.

So who did Duritz and company appear to be favoring by creating a tour with such a nonconformist presentation? Well… they didn’t play Mr. Jones - if that’s any indication.   Great show.

Finnish sensations RUBIK performed at the Masquerade last week and on my drive over to the venue, all I could  think about was how freakin' hot it was outside.  "How were these dudes going to make it," I thought,  "Aren't Finnish people made of snow?"  I didn't find out until later they weren't. (Which was a relief)

With the temperatures peaking above 100 degrees Fahrenheit including the humidity index, the last thing I wanted to do upon arriving at the Masquerade was to wait in line.  Sadly and somewhat surprisingly, the line was already around the block - which is just my luck.  To make the best of the situation, I did what any normal person would do and started making small talk with some of the other patrons nearby.  While engaged in an enthralling conversation about the effects of supply-side economic policy on our national budget deficit, our little circle of street-side scholars were attacked by a runaway terrorist/bumblebee.  Though most of us made it through the attack unscathed, one poor bastard didn't.  He was eaten whole. Sad, really. Here's the last known picture of the dude alive.

Moving along...

We at Swigged! have managed to get our hands on exclusive live footage of Rubik's psychedelic performance from that night and invite all of you to check it out.  As always, we take you to the front row.  Bam!