So you say Adam Duritz has got a funny face -- it makes him money. We already knew that MJ Lenderman was into Counting Crows. Last year, in a crazy bit of synchronicity, Lenderman and Karly Hartzman, his bandmate in Wednesday, both covered the Counting Crows classic "A Long December" at different live shows in different North Carolina cities, days apart. Well, now we know that the admiration runs both ways, since Counting Crows have covered Lenderman's "Wristwatch."
Earlier this week, MJ Lenderman's manager Rusty Sutton posted a setlist.fm screengrab on Twitter, pointing out that Adam Duritz sang a bit of "Wristwatch" during Counting Crows' "Round Here" interlude at a Charlotte show on Tuesday. The caption: "My kingdom for a board feed of the Counting Crows show last night in Charlotte, NC." On Thursday night, Counting Crows ran back that "Wristwatch" cover while playing at Raleigh's Red Hat Amphitheater, and "punk rock magician" Michael Casey sent a video to Sutton. It is an absolute trip hearing the "Wristwatch" lyrics rendered in Duritz's most sincere quaver-warble. He really wrings maximum drama out of the word nothin'. Check it out below.
Shoutout to @Caseymagic for getting the goods at tonight’s show in Raleigh https://t.co/y6uE3pX3zP pic.twitter.com/83i30GJXYZ
— Rusty Sutton (@RustySutton) July 18, 2025
Once upon a time, Adam Duritz really did have a houseboat parked at the Himbo Dome; just ask the cast of Friends. Really, though, this is just an incredibly cool thing for Lenderman. As it happens, Counting Crows were just in our Alternative Number Ones column last month. Check that out here.
