Counting Crows: Have You Seen Me Lately?

Greetings again from the darkness. The next entry in the HBO Music Box documentary series comes from director Amy Scott and provides a textbook example of what can happen when a band hits it big 'overnight'. It's not always pretty, and sometimes it's downright uncomfortable. Counting Crows' popularity exploded with the release of their 1993 debut album, "August and Everything After". The hit single, "Mr Jones" was all over the radio, only to be followed by an even better song, "Round Here". The band and their music were ubiquitous.

Director Scott allows band leader, lead singer, and songwriter Adam Duritz to spend a good amount of time explaining what happened after the band's follow-up album, "Recovering the Satellites" hit big ... but not as big as the first album. Adoration was met with vitriol. Duritz admits to his struggles with mental illness and the delay in a proper diagnosis. We also hear from band members, as well as musicians Cindi Lauper and Chris Martin (Coldplay) on the impact of the music, as well as the strain of celebrity and pressure on artists.

Additionally, NBA coach Steve Kerr, actor Mary-Louise Parker (once romantically involved with Duritz), and comedian Jeffrey Ross also contribute to the insight of celebrity. Their input helps us understand why success and criticism were both so tough on Duritz. There are some fascinating bits to the Counting Crows story. This little band from Berkeley put together a demo tape that spurred a bidding war by record labels and led to the great T-Bone Burnett producing their first album. The importance of MTV is discussed, and a spectacular clip of the band performing on "Saturday Night Live" is included - along with the story of why there never invited back.

Despite the backlash and internal battles, the band continued to make music. Duritz was ultimately properly diagnosed, and his current partner, Zoe Mintz, offers insight into the man. This is certainly not one of those fairy tale stories, as it seems the band endured as much pain as success ... but for a guy who spent some time bartending at the Viper Room, Adam Duritz has delivered some beautiful songs and vocals.

Debuts on HBO on December 18, 2025.

It was so nice to catch this (in the background, of course) because it confirmed for me my long-held feelings that the Counting Crows are mid-level pop band that achieved fame because of the car crash performances by but mostly the look of its blackfacing lead singer.

Still pretentious after all these years, Durwitz (looking frighteningly like a Gene Simmons clone) overshares about his "mental problems," which are vague and never detailed. Maybe he was just living in the U. S. in the 1990s?!

The rest of the anonymous bandmembers confirm their allegiance to their meal ticket. Celeb twits such as Chris Martin and Jeffrey Ross and Steve Kerr add absolutely nothing. Enjoy another easy paycheck, Ross. But it's always nice to see Mary-Louise Parker.

"Counting Crows: Have You See Me Lately" (2025 release; 91 min.) opens with jolt: today's Adam Duritz plays "A Long December" solo on a piano. Where are the dreadlocks? Who IS this guy? Yea, he sounds like Duritz. We later learn that Duritz "hid" under the dreadlocks for 28 years, and he finally tired of it. (For the record: I always assumed Duritz was black. He most certainly is not!) We then go back in time to 1991, when Durtiz and some friends form a band that Duritz names "Counting Crows" From a line in a Mary Louise Parker movie). At this point we are 10 minutes into the movie.

Couple of comments: this is the latest from Amy Scott, who has directed other music documentaries ("Melissa Etheridge: I'm Not Broken", "Sheryl"). Here she reassesses the legacy of Counting Crows and of Adam Duritz, the front man of the band. Can I just repeat that it was quite the shock for me to see Duritz as he is today, totally different from how I remember him having seen Counting Crows in convert a number of times over the years. Durtiz is very open about his struggles over the years on and off with mental health. For that he deserves credit. He wasn't well, and he knew it. As for the other band members: sorry, but they are, and have been, secondary since day 1 of the Counting Crows. And they know it. (I couldn't name a single one by name.)As for the music: the initial two albums (August and Everything After; Recovering the Satellites) are an essential part of the mid-90's music scene, period. For that alone, Duritz and the band deserve all the credit. As for the documentary, it's not bad but neither is it truly memorable.

"Counting Crows: Have You Seen Me Lately?" started airing on HBO this weekend and it's also streaming on HBO Max, where I caught it last night. If you were/are a fan of Counting Crows, I'd readily suggest you check it out and draw your own conclusion.