Counting Crows Celebrates 30th Anniversary For Top-Selling Folk Pop Album, “August And Everything After”

Photographs by Corinne D. Sullivan 

SEPTEMBER 14, 2023: Counting Crows announced today a 30th anniversary celebration for the album first released way back in 1993, “August and Everything After.” Counting Crows social media participated in congratulations by the tens of thousands. The wave is more than a little determined to continue as more and more “CC Dreadheads” hear the significant date has arrived and join in.

The Counting Crows’ album “August and Everything After” might have already become “The Most Important Folk Pop Album of the 20th Century”. If it is solidly ranked at the top of all 1900s music drops, it happened long, long before social media, memes and streaming polls sifted ferociously through America’s collective fan enthusiasms. Thought I would tell the tale behind such a happy moniker, but from one special Counting Crows fan’s autographed perspective.

At midnight last night I proclaimed, “I have had a fortuitous day!” I was having a blast and it all centered around Counting Crows fans.

Things kicked off around dinner time last night, the13th of September. My wandering vector crossed paths with a supremely kind woman named Christi. I was waiting to attend the Counting Crows packed-out concert at the Kalispel Indian Reservation and found a seat inside the lobby of the Northern Quest Resort. Christi spoke with solemn importance about the show and, in the moment, we bonded in a sisterhood. Then, she gave me her extra VIP ticket, as well as the accompanying merch bag which includes a poster autographed by the Counting Crows. In an hour, we were seated under stars.

We enjoyed a gorgeous one-hour sonic experience by Dashboard Confessional.

Next… entered the Counting Crows!

Christi attended her first Counting Crows show in 1996 at the Bronco Box in Dallas, Texas. It was a tiny venue, and a sublime experience for her at sixteen. “How do you put it all in words,” she asked me. “I feel like Adam Duritz is in my head. It’s like he wrote his music out of my emotions. I guess that’s why it’s so easy to be in love with the band. The way they put it out there, you’re just like, ‘Yes, that’s exactly how I feel.’”

By the end of Summer 2023, Christi will have attended more than thirty concerts by the Counting Crows. Sadly, Christi has experienced trouble recently. After the show was over, she told me, “I feel like I’m hearing the songs different even though I’ve heard them a thousand times. This time, because of the situation I’m in, I’m picking up all the loss in the songs.”

With so many interesting people in attendance at last night’s Counting Crows performance, it made me start to analyze the reality of sales for the band.

I possess audio recognition skills to hear, without alteration, the verified commitment of men and women of my age bracket. Sixty percent of that slice of population proclaim they purchased “August and Everything After” in the 1990’s.

The ratio of the national population is applied to result in projections above 100 million album sales of “August and Everything After” since its September 1993 release.

With big, big, grandiose sales everywhere in America, “August and Everything After” is questionably the top-selling folk pop album in history.

Heavy congrats to Songwriter and composer Adam Duritz, and to his band of musicians for the success of “August and Everything After”.

Watching Counting Crows perform on stage last night, I can only imagine how much the band’s magic contributed, way back in the fall of 1993. In terms of sensations and musical explorations, as the album was laid down, track by track, there’s nowhere to find something as good and gooey as the collaborations of Steve Bowman, David Bryson, Adam Duritz, Charlie Gillingham, David Immergluck, and Matt Malley playing together.  Also, I want to proclaim my sincere affection for members of Counting Crows who we saw after “August And Everything After” and make the band today: Jim Bogios, Millard Powers, and Dan Vickrey.

Hoping that the Counting Crows are given a wide stage this year by the American Recording Academy to take a full bow soon for their historic contributions to our American culture.

Article written by Corinne Devin Sullivan