Sunday night at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre, Counting Crows brought their Complete Sweets! tour to Sydney for the first of 3 dates, offering a nostalgic trip back to the 90s while mixing in newer material. The songs that defined a generation – about faith and sex and God (IYKYK) – still carry weight, particularly from their debut August and Everything After, though the set made it clear this wasn’t going to be a straight greatest hits run.
Formed in Berkeley, California in the early 1990s, Counting Crows broke through with their 1993 debut August and Everything After, driven by the breakout success of “Mr. Jones”. Fronted by Adam Duritz, they built their reputation on emotionally raw songwriting and a sound that pulled from alternative rock, folk and Americana, which set them apart in the 90s. Follow-up albums like Recovering the Satellites and This Desert Life only deepened that reputation, while their live shows became known for stretching songs out, changing arrangements and never quite playing things the same way twice. More than three decades on, lineup changes and long gaps between records haven’t slowed them down, with touring still the core of what they do and a catalogue that continues to resonate.
Opening the night, Kingswood delivered a concise, well-structured set rooted in country rock. Strong basslines, steel guitar and a well-placed tambourine gave their sound texture without overcomplicating it. “Good Whisky” set things up before “Golden” lifted the tempo. With two frontmen sharing duties, Fergus Linacre stood out for his clear, high vocal. “Ohio” was the obvious highlight, closing out a short but effective set with “Last One Kickin’”.
Adam Duritz opened with “Spaceman in Tulsa”, his voice instantly recognisable and still remarkably intact, anchoring the night even as the band moved between eras and deeper cuts. The setlist made it clear early that this wasn’t going to be a straightforward hit parade, with a mix of fan favourites and less familiar tracks shaping the flow of the night.
As an unusual choice, “Mr. Jones” landed as the third song. Immediately the room shifted and the crowd, though thrown by its appearance so soon, went nuts. It remains one of their defining tracks and got a wonderful reaction, with a full-bodied sing along, despite a brief mic issue that disrupted the momentum slightly. “Omaha” followed soon after, keeping things lifted early.
From there, the pacing became uneven. A mid-set stretch of lesser-known material saw energy dip, with crowd chatter rising and people drifting to the bar. It’s a dynamic that feels particularly pronounced in Australia, where international touring cycles are long, radio exposure beyond the major singles is limited, and audiences often come in with a strong attachment to the biggest songs rather than deep cuts. When bands make the trip out here, there’s usually an expectation that the set will lean more heavily into the hits. “Mr Jones” was the song the entire crowd was anticipating as the finale, the big finish, but it felt like we’d had dessert before dinner – but in a way that the main thing we were looking forward to was already behind us.
There were still standout moments. “With Love, from A to Z” brought things back into focus with its reflective tone, before “Big Yellow Taxi” lifted the energy again. The clear peak came with “Round Here” – extended, reshaped, and delivered with real intensity that held the room. It was the kind of performance that reminds you why this band still matters live. The feeling of raw, vulnerable truth of watching someone struggle through life was felt in every note of his powerful delivery.
Notably absent was “Accidentally in Love”, which would have landed well with the Sydney crowd.
They closed the main set with “Rain King” before returning for a three-song encore, finishing on “Holiday in Spain”, a slower, lyric driven song that sort of limped at the end of what was a wonderful show that deserved a big, much anticipated finish, send us out into the world on a high!
Before the final song, Duritz reflected on the band’s longevity and how rare it is to still be touring after three decades; “Success for a band might mean 1 year and you either kill each other, or nobody comes to your gigs after the first burst. I have been incredibly lucky to still be doing this after 30 years and I thank you all from my heart.”
The feeling is mutual, the crowd felt thankful also, to have seen this incredible, talented band in real life finally. We were able to live the favourite songs from our youth, surrounded by other people who also felt 20 again and we sang our collective lungs out.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
The Counting Crows – Complete Sweets! Tour continues in Melbourne and Brisbane, before a final date in Sydney.
Melbourne – Palais Theatre on Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 April, 2026 – tickets HERE
Brisbane – Fortitude Music Hall – Saturday – 4th April – tickets HERE
Sydney – third show added – Monday 6 April at Enmore Theatre – tickets HERE
Photos by Pete Dovgan – you can see more of Pete’s photos from the night HERE
